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Our Beautiful World
In a recent talk Alok Sharma, the President of COP 26, outlined what he saw as a number of truths about the Glasgow Climate Pact. I thought they were significant enough to be worth repeating and thinking about in some depth.
The first two are:
- This planet is our only home, and we are in danger of destroying it. (The science is clear, human activity is responsible for our changing climate.)
- Inaction or delayed action on climate will create immense risks and costs, and populations across the world demand that leaders respond and respond NOW.
This is clearly true. However what he did not say (but was recognized at the Conference) was that we cannot solve the climate crisis on its own. We must deal with the crisis we have caused in the natural world at the same time.
Why must we also save nature?
This useful article explains that Natural systems or Ecosystems, i.e. communities of living and non-living parts that work together, (for example rain forests or the oceans) play an important role in regulating our climate.
Some help us to adapt to climate change, others provide services to humanity such as clean water or the oxygen we breath. Examples of our destruction of useful ecosystems are our devastation of peat bogs for peat to make our gardens look nice, (peat can absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and thus reduce the potential for global warming), or massive logging in the Amazon (reducing the ability of the forest to absorb CO2). There are many such examples, and they threaten our very existence.
It is clear then that as we weaken our natural systems, not only do we weaken our ability to fight Climate Change, but we are also contributing to it.
In a hopeful but challenging article, Midori Paxton, Head of Ecosystems and Biodiversity at UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) says that in order to meet our climate commitments “There must be coherent policy for high-impact, nature-based solutions.” She then explains “The inaugural Earthshot Prize winner, the Government of Costa Rica, proves this is possible: restoring forest cover from less than 25 percent in the 1990s to 52 percent now and simultaneously achieving increased economic growth through coherent policy action; payment for ecosystem services and creation of a strong protected area network, funded through a 3.5 percent tax on fuel.”
Costa Rica
What are we doing to nature right now?
The pressures of an ever-increasing population and the way we live are causing horrendous problems both to the environment and to our likelihood of a safe future. Examples are:
- Pollution of our seas, lakes and rivers
- Degradation of land and soils
- Loss of coral reefs
- Huge loss of biodiversity
- Poisoning of our soils and thus our food with an excess of fertilisers and pesticides etc.
- Deforestation
- Plastic pollution
These issues might appear not very important if considered individually (although they are) but taken together they all look very scary indeed.
Global biodiversity is in steep decline the WWF has warned in its flagship Living Planet Report 2020. They say that global species have declined by 68% in less than 50 years.
Converting land for agriculture has ensured the loss of millions of square miles of wild land. This increases humanity’s proximity to potentially devastating diseases from other species. It also reduces hunting grounds for animals necessary for healthy ecosystems. Many of our top predators are threatened with extinction. Most of the oceans are polluted. 52% of agricultural land is degraded and one in three of our fish stocks are overfished. Access to fresh water will be a severe problem to billions in the future and is already difficult for many humans and other species.
This loss of biodiversity exacerbates climate change and adds to the extreme urgency of the whole situation.
We can fix this if we do it now.
I find it very depressing to constantly read that “there is still time”. However, there are many nature-based solutions that we can implement and many more under way that should give us hope.
People are working on:
- Replanting mangrove swamps to protect coastlines
- Replanting millions of trees
- Restoring peat bogs
- Regenerating the soil
- Biopesticides
There are numerous other schemes and projects in hand:
- Scientists are hoping to create a strong Global Ocean Treaty – a network of marine sanctuaries where no destructive industries are allowed. We know these work. We just need to persuade world leaders to commit to a treaty. (Negotiations finish in March 2022.)
- The United Nations Biodiversity Conference in China, a conference of world leaders to set goals for nature restoration over the next ten years.
- 30×30 A scheme to protect at least 30% of our land, rivers, lakes and wetlands by 2030.
- Various financial projects set up at COP26, for example, money raised to help South Africa transition from coal to renewable energy. $9 trillion dollars committed to reduce deforestation. Philanthropic investment to help countries adapt to climate change and many more.
It is clear then, as Alok Sharma said, that world leaders need to respond to these challenges and respond now.
The problem is that governments are not responding in a way that will help get us out of this mess. Most have a vision of how they would like to change but they do not have the required policies in place.
One of our many endangered species
So if the governments won’t act or act far too slowly then it seems to me that it is up to us as individuals to act
How can we do that?
- Recognize that each one of us is important in the fight for a better future.
- Know that we can’t just throw up our hands and say the problem is too big. Each of us can contribute something.
- Talk to everybody you know and tell them they can make a difference.
- Put Climate Change and biodiversity high on your list of things that are important. We have young people to answer to and their futures are looking pretty bleak right now.
- Write to your politicians and keep writing to them. Tell them this is the number one priority.
- Get together with friends and colleagues and do something interesting (for example, do a play about Climate Change outdoors and call the press to write about it).
- Do anything you can think of to spread the word and do it loudly.
- Learn about what we are doing to nature and what we can do to help preserve it.
- Write to your governments and ask them to support a Global Ocean Treaty. It is really important they commit to this.
Thank you.
A very wide ranging article, Doreen. It gave me hope in that there had been a UN Biodiversity Conference in China. When I was in China in 2019 I was struck by the paucity of farmland to feed such a huge population. Rice growing was obviously evident but very little else.
Thank you Margaret. I find the whole subject of China fascinating. They have huge problems trying to take such an enormous population out of poverty and at one level they have been quite successful. Unfortunately they have done it at the cost to the environment and probably socially as well. They are very clear I think about what they need to do about the environment as the problems are so obvious. I guess they are trying to balance growth needed to feed their population and solving the climate problems. I suppose one doesn’t need to like their politics to admire at least some of what they have done.
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Another excellent article, Doreen, with very interesting links to articles that most people would never read. Thank you for reminding us what we are individuals can do and for carrying on informing us.
Thank you Biddy. There is some really interesting stuff out there. Easy to get lost in!