• It is almost too late. We must act aggressively to slow down the pace of collapse and begin the hard work of healing the planet
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“We are, however, deeply concerned about the findings of relevant global environmental assessments which indicate that, despite the availability of solutions to our common environmental challenges, our planet is increasingly polluted, affected by the adverse effects of climate change, quickly losing its biodiversity, and experiencing widespread environmental degradation”.
The statement above was contained in the Ministerial Declaration of the Fourth United Nations Environment Assembly held in Nairobi last week. There was nothing new in this the Ministerial Declaration. There was nothing new in the deliberations that occurred over the four days. Honestly, we are somehow used to these large events, where the so-called global leaders and the science, development, civil society elite gather to preen, whine and waffle.
The first real alarm on our collective damage to the environment was sounded in 1972. Dennis Meadows and colleagues published The Limits to Growth in which they warned that our patterns of resource use and emissions would cause the quality of life to decline in the 21st century.
The authors of The Limits to Growth pleaded for profound societal innovation through technological, cultural and institutional change to avoid irreversible and catastrophic tipping points. Back in 1972, scientists believed that we were in the window of early action; that something could be done to avoid approaching or exceeding global ecological limits.
The limits relate to extraction of the earth’s natural resources (water, soil, animals and vegetation) and the capacity to absorb emissions from industry and agriculture. The conversation has changed since 1972 from the Limits to Growth to the End of Growth.
The window for deliberation and collective action at the global level seems to have closed
The window for deliberation and collective action at the global level seems to have closed. Hence, large gatherings such as the UNEA and others like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are magnificent monuments of our collective inability to address challenges at a global scale.
According to the just-released Global Environment Outlook report, emissions from industry and agriculture continue to foul our atmosphere., Air pollution is now the main contributor to the global burden of disease, accounting for 6-7 million premature deaths and welfare losses estimated at $5 trillion (Sh503 trillion) annually.
Invariably, an unhealthy planet leads to unhealthy, unequal and conflict-prone societies. Our reckless actions, in the name of growth and prosperity, has put us firmly on the path of resource overshoot and we are on course to damage irreversibly, the capacity of planet earth to support human life.
It is almost too late. We must act aggressively to slow down the pace of collapse and begin the hard work of healing the planet. Much sacrifice will be demanded of us, collectively, to reverse greenhouse emissions and to halt the rapacious degradation of the earth’s resources
Our civilisation will collapse and our species will become extinct. But the good news is that the planet will do just fine. Following our extinction, planet earth will reorganise at a new equilibrium. Other forms of life will be enabled by the new equilibrium. The choice is entirely ours.
Vice Provost and Interim Dean of the Graduate School of Media and Communications at Aga Khan University