Sir, – This has been a week of reminders of the damage our current economic model is doing to the natural world.
Pádraig Fogarty points out that the world is nearing ecological tipping points that could lead to irreversible environmental collapse (“Ecosystem collapse is no longer in the realm of science fiction”, Science, October 10th).
Similarly, this week’s State of the Climate report detailed the possibility of a “social collapse” due to runaway climate change, and a report from the World Wildlife Fund showed that nearly three-quarters of wildlife populations have disappeared in the past 50 years.
These researchers point out that we are damaging our own food, health and wellbeing by continuing our overexploitation of the planet’s resources.
Importantly, all three publications emphasise that it is not too late to reverse the crisis. That will require radical and urgent change at every level of society – from making more sustainable lifestyle choices at home to changing who benefits from our current economy, and who pays the price.
A seismic change to match the seriousness of the global crisis; and a change that begins with each and everyone of us. – Yours, etc,
HANS ZOMER,
Chief Executive Officer,
Global Action Plan,
Ballymun,
Dublin 9.