My dad pointed out how hillarious it was that the following report by over 1,000 scientists, about the fact that humanity's time on earth is coming to an end was on PAGE 15 of the New York Times and relegated to 3 paragraphs while Teri Schivo was all over the front page. And you wonder why we're at risk...
It's also funny that there's one of those ads for the HUGEST TURCK IN THE WORLD, romantically driving over nature right underneath the article.
I went to hear William Reese (Ecological Footprint guy) speak last year and he talked about societies that had limited resources and didn't pay any attention to sustainable living until it was far too late and they got wiped out (Easter Island, for example). So it's funny to see the warning signs all around us and watch people ignore them. Or even just not care. Fatilism is a growing trend (I must admit it is seductive) and more and more of my friends seem to feel that "Eh, humanity's demies is a good thing. Why try to stop it?"
But I also think we're just wired for optimism. If one person is smart and presents a view of the future that requires work and is not so positive (say...John Carey) and another completly lies and says everythign is awesome and will be that way forever (like W.) I think people liek to sway to the positivity regardless of reality. Which only backs up my theory that happy people are stupid.
Here is a good article on the study from the Guardian. And interesting points are below:
* An estimated 24% of the Earth's land surface is now cultivated
* Humans now use between 40% and 50% of all available freshwater running off the land
* An estimated 90% of the total weight of the ocean's large predators - tuna, swordfish and sharks - has disappeared in recent years
* An estimated 12% of bird species, 25% of mammals and more than 30% of all amphibians are threatened with extinction within the next century.
* Since 1980, about 35% of mangroves have been lost, 20% of the world's coral reefs have been destroyed and another 20% badly degraded.
* The value in US dollars of the Earth's natural processes is $33 trillian a year.