A time to change

The time has come for us to change our ways and begin to conserve what little is left of our planet’s natural capital. The days of old when the planet was ecologically balanced is gone forever, gone with it are tens of thousands of species of flora and fauna as well as millions that have gone extinct even before being discovered. Climate change has never been more apparent as weather continues to wreak havoc to its Mother Earth.

Our winters are colder than ever and summer’s hotter and record breaking. We are plagued by landslides, earthquakes and tsunamis, according to the 2003 United Nations World Water Development Report between 1991 and 2000 over 665,000 people have died in 2,557 natural disasters–90 percent of which were water related and 97 percent of the victims were from developing countries. Water and food have become a rare commercial commodity and not a free and accessible basic right. Poverty will continue to rise as our natural capital continues to degrade.

With the world’s priorities according to expenditures statistics from the United Nations’ Assessment report where basic education is only $6 billion, cosmetics in the US $8 billion, water and sanitation for all $9 billion, ice cream in Europe $12 billion, reproductive health for all women $12 billion, perfumes in Europe and the US $17 billion, business entertainment in Japan $35 billion, cigarettes in Europe $105 billion, alcoholic drinks in Europe $105 billion, narcotic drugs in the world $400 billion, military spending in the world $780 billion.

At a glance it is clear that the planet will eventually die. It will not be able to sustain life on earth. It would have been too late, unless we take drastic steps to change our ways and conserve our natural capital and enhance biodiversity.

We must have the political will so put all that we need to do into action or we are headed for an ecologically dead planet. The time has come.