of biodiversity than any of the previous five. It is even faster than the last extinction,
over 60 million years ago, when the dinosaurs disappeared. The scientists claim that
we will lose between 30 percent and 70 percent of the planet’s biodiversity within a time
span of only 20 to 30 years.22 The difference from all previous extinctions is that this
one is due to the actions of one species—our own—the species that claims to be
endowed with intelligence and consciousness.
In April 2005, the United Nations released the Millennium
Ecological Assessment.23 The study by 1,360 experts in 95
nations drew on the work of 22 national academies of science
from around the world. It reported that a rising human population
has polluted or over-exploited two-thirds of the ecological
systems on which life depends, ranging from clean air to fresh
water, in the past 50 years.
“At the heart of this assessment is a stark warning,” said the 45-
member board of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
“Human activity is putting such strain on the natural functions of
Earth that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future
generations can no longer be taken for granted.24
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan observed, “The Assessment shows how human
activities are causing environmental damage on a massive scale throughout the world,
and how biodiversity—the very basis for life on earth—is declining at an alarming rate.”
Asked what we should do now and what we should plan to do over the next 50 years,
the Assessment’s Director, Dr Reid, replied that there must be a fundamental
reappraisal of how we view the world’s natural resources. “The heart of the problem is
this: protection of nature’s services is unlikely to be a priority so long as they are
perceived to be free and limitless by those using them.”
“We simply must establish policies that require natural costs to be taken into account for
all economic decisions,” he added.
The Board of Directors of the Millennium Assessment stated:
The overriding conclusion of this assessment is that it lies within the power
of human societies to ease the strains we are putting on the nature
services of the planet, while continuing to use them to bring better living
standards to all…Achieving this, however, will require radical changes in
the way nature is treated at every level of decision-making and new ways
of co-operation between government, business and civil society. The
warning signs are there for all of us to see. The future now lies in our
hands