Deforestation rates in rain forests is at an alarming rate, and you must remember that these are “ecological hotspots”. One strategic species goes missing from the system, and it can endanger a whole ecosystem web.
Tigers, snow leopards & countless key species are on the verge on extinction, thanks to the Chinese & others. They beam “If the buying stops, the killing will also”, but stopping the buying is actually a low priority in the minds of the people in power.
Mankind is worried only about Global Warming, because we think it’s the way Nature will strike us. Of course, hurricanes can eliminate thousands, tsunamis can decimate hundreds of thousands, but Nature can strike in innumerable ways.
& I’m not talking only of bird flu killing off just a few millions. BE WARNED….
Humans are making big bucks artificially managing ecosystems, introducing one species to offset other species exponential population growth. It is amusing to see developed countries like Australia obsessed with this, now targeting feral cats.
But of course, the greatest threat is the population explosion, and you can thank the antibiotics for that. India seems to be in a mad frenzy to beat the others, followed by quite a few countries. They don’t address the issue because of vested interests.
The only solution is to have responsible people like Al Gore at the helm of the leadership in quite a few strategic countries. Unless politicians take initiative, the problem of Global Warming cannot be addressed. We, the common people, environmentalists, wildlife activists, etc have been trying for changes for decades, but the reality is : we’re losing.
Another factor is the participation of rapidly developing countries who are rampantly destroying their vegetation & other natural resources for a few yuans more. China leads the list of rogues, being responsible for the destruction of a keystone predator species, the tiger. Other countries like Brazil are also cutting down on the ecological “hotspots” of the Amazon Rain Forest where most of the biodiversity is concentrated. India’s role is also unsatisfactory.
That is why visionaries like Al Gore, Maneka Gandhi are needed at the helm of affairs. I believe a miniscule percentage of the human species really care about the environment, but still proper networking & unity amongst them can turn things around.
However, much as our species think itself invincible due to its cranial capacity…….I believe NATURE WILL STRIKE BACK….(it has already begun in a very small way, it is amusing to see how we are already alarmed). In future, I will dwell in details on the scenarios of Nature’s Revenge.