The threat to a different kind of Relativity.
Definition of relativity
1a:the quality or state of being relative b:something that is relative
2:the state of being dependent for existence on or determined in nature, value, or quality by relation to something else (Merriam-Webster, who may know a thing or two about words)
As part of the UNs Sustainability Development Goals, a recent study has been completed regarding the threat to the variety of lifeforms on Earth, also known as biodiversity. The summary for policymakers (SPM, available here) was approved last week in Paris by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The full 1500-page report is expected out later in the year.
The details are all in the study link above, but the key takeaways are these:
(UN SDG Blog May 2019)
Current global response insufficient;
‘Transformative changes’ needed to restore and protect nature;
Opposition from vested interests can be overcome for public good
Most comprehensive assessment of its kind;
1,000,000 species threatened with extinction
On the whole it’s an alarming state of affairs and certainly not a surprise that it was happening (remember saving the spotted owl or snail darter fish?). What is surprising is the scale of the loss. A million species up for extinction certainly should give one pause on how they’re impacting the biosphere.
Note the “Opposition from vested interests” clause, indicating that even with negative impacts confirmed, there will be groups that will want to continue with “business as usual.” My prior blogs (“The Dollars and Senselessness of It” Part 1 and Part 2) described the reasons for this, how this behavior is woven into our current economic structure. The “Transformative changes” referred to by the UN will inevitably include some level of economic restructuring. Also note the other part of that clause, that the opposition “can be overcome for public good,” which is the hope we needed, that it’s not too late.
Preserving our biodiversity will involve regulation. While regulations can be used to meter economic impacts (e.g., taxes and subsidies), oftentimes they are put into place to mitigate humanity’s negative impacts on the planet. Examples include the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act (RCA), Clean Air, Clean Water Acts and the Montreal Protocol Treaty (protecting the Ozone Layer). When regulations are properly thought-out and implemented, they work to protect the biosphere (including us) from our negative actions. How rigorously regulations are enforced also determine their effectiveness.
Let us hope we actually take the lesson and set up the right structure for those transformative changes. Biodiversity affects all of us, so it’s going to take all of us to change for the better.
A View From the Geek Seats 