Showing posts with label extinction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label extinction. Show all posts

Friday, April 10, 2020

Global Economic Models! Are We Auguring Extinction?

With mass extinction taking place on Earth and having lost innumerable species, it is time for us to rethink. The extinction is continuous as many species all over the Earth are dying on day to day basis. The valuable forests our green lungs are being rapidly devoured for wealth and survival. There are lot of incongruities that is threatening life on Earth a delicate and fragile ecosystem. Life depends upon an equilibrium created by innumerable earthly elements and we are dependent upon that till we can trans-locate to another planet with life supporting systems.  

With this COVID - 19 pandemic our time has come as well? 

Well it is only a conjecture but you never no. With rapid incidence of disease and disorders, internecine wars, overpopulation, self annihilating weapons and a failed economic model we are dying for sure! Albeit slowly.   

Why is extinction happening regularly? 

Some species naturally become extincting when their contributory role is over on Earth. But most of the extinction that is taking place is at the behest of humans and their inimical activities. The race to amass wealth is the case of already developed countries and for the less fortunate it is a race for survival. But that is our creation overpopulation, lack of conservation ethos, greed and what not. Nature does not understands human predicament it is a fragile web of life in conjunction with limited earthly elements where a fatal rupture is taking place at the present juncture.         

Infinite economic growth and unchecked infrastructure development not forgetting ill planned urbanization all at the cost of our environment is the cause of the deadly menace we are facing. The unmitigated lust for having a go at limited natural resources is a common occurrence at this juncture , it is the work of an economic model that is causing harm to our environment and leading towards species extinction that includes us humans.

Albeit as harmful to Earth, the global warming and the resultant climate change pale out whence compared with deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

While there should Global regulations and restrictions as regards the commercial activities like industrialization and exploitation of natural resources the idea appears to be at best chimerical. With the Earth in absolute chaos we have to look within!

Forget about the World order, we in India are also under the deadly spell of this pandemic. Labelled as a developing country with abject poverty all over we are hard pressed to provide life of sustenance to an overpopulated mass.

The ill planned economic models are cause of death and destruction all over the World India too is contributory. Hence we have to sit back and rationalize. hat is going wrong? Development is an imperative but at what cost?

The impact of unchecked natural resource utilization and denudation of scarce ecosystems has contributed to environmental ills that we are witnessing and more is to come. 

When environmentalist protest against National policies it does augur extreme and honest circumspection if not more. How we can move ahead minimizing harmful actions and policies? This pandemic albeit a zoonotic disease is an indication of what happens when we do not stick to responsible behavior and continue to indulge propelled more by instinct than careful planning.

In India our ecosystems (remaining), natural resources, and vast stretches of open land which even though do not constitute as ecosystem are valuable to us for the environment's sake. In short we have to minimize land use and exploitation of natural resources in our country. This will help, even though we will not be left unscathed by the impact of inimical global activities that are raging uncontrolled around us. It will be a good beginning anyway and exemplary.    

Why the affect of COVID-19 has been sparing in our country? Although too early to say as it is not  understood well yet. But it could be because of something we have been doing right? 

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Uday is a content writer and seo service provider. He also teaches Digital Marketing in Jabalpur in Summer.
As a freelance Naturalist he loves to blog on wildlife, tigers, conservation and environmental issues hence the article.
He can be contact at:
pateluday90@hotmail.com
09755089323



Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Extinction Underway - Can We Save The Earth?

We have constantly failed to prevent extinction of species since modern civilization took roots. The reason being that nature often comes in the way of  economic urgency. The shape of our economy in modern times is much dependent upon industrialization, agriculture and our own consumption based lifestyle that does not conform to salient principles of rational resource management.      

Let's invoke the truth, human prerogative dominates all forms of life on Earth. The extermination of wildlife accelerated whence the gun came into the picture. Earlier times hunting was not a passion, it was at many places where agriculture was lacking a deemed necessity. The vermin concept proved deadly and brought many species to brink of extinction if not their complete annihilation.

The modern day hunting, and the rapid loss of wild species was further compounded by uncontrolled population growth. The expanding humanity ravaged all habitats that came its way from grasslands, rivers to dense forests. There was no place for natural inhabitants to go and they perished. This was done to make way for agricultural fields especially in countries like India and China, food was a major priority to feed its teeming millions - and ever growing. Damage done, the rot continued as industrialization made its appearance. In many countries there was extreme loss of habitat and complete extermination of wildlife.

To be fair it was not only rampant hunting and habitat destruction that completely wiped out many species on Earth a major factor that was responsible for this irreversible loss was our lack of understanding as to how ecosystems of Earth work. This gave rise to many fallacies like not giving importance to habitats and  preventing their destruction. It takes millions of years to create ecosystems which made life on Earth sustainable.

Tree felling was done to appease our uncontrollable appetite for wood, and then  commercial forestry in nascent stage added to the great loss. Even till this day our green lungs are being felled because many countries in South America and some parts of Asia are totally dependent upon wood for their economic survival. The remaining forest ecosystems are under severe threat.

The resultant disorder that already prevails thanks to consumption of fossil fuel will be worsened if nothing is done to stem the rot. Eventually climate change due to emission of warm gases will consume us, well if not now then in time to come. Our progeny will definitely pay the price for our follies. The effects are already being felt and in many places, the rising temperature and frequent weather disturbances have started to take a toll.            

Nevertheless we continue to pursue industrial policies and developmental goals that are taking a heavy toll of nature. The obsession with rapid economic growth can be understood but what is alarming is that we manage to circumvent  the concern that arises out of  resultant damage to the environment in the process. Our policy makers, the wise men are always able to justify damage to the environment that arises due to developmental agenda. Who cares? Well some people do. But their voice is lost in the vast milieu that comprises of greed filled people and those in the race for attaining economic goals.  

We are held for ransom in absence of sound developmental policies which may take their own time to emerge but this is an antithesis for quick economic resurgences. Sane innovative ideas and practices develop over a period of time if the pursuits are sincere; they would in turn mitigate the damage to  our environment. But who gives new emerging  paradigm the weighted consideration.

According to the report in The Guardian UK scientist warn that the sixth mass extinction is already under way. Already the space for existence of many keystone species  is constricted. In absence of effective conservation efforts and proper planning many more species are bound to become extinct in time to come.  

Public apathy, greed and mismanagement will hinder all actions that could stem the rot.  The species are becoming extinct at much faster rate than before. After already having lost billions of life forms  environmental concerns should be widespread prevalent, that which along with sound policies will continue to make the Earth a livable place.