One of the areas that is poorly-covered in many educational curriculums is ecology and environmental science. This is unfortunate given ecological and environmental issues are of critical importance at this time. They aren't talked about much in the political arena either, nor in day-to-day conversation. I thought I would share the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment) with you all as a way of exploring and learning more about these topics. While some of these research findings are a bit dated now ( the original study was initiated by the United Nations in 2001), if anything the picture has grown more unfavorable as world governments have been slow to act on the importance of ecosystem services, the impacts of climate change, and so forth. Here is a brief summary of the MA's main findings:
The reports gathered on this page are extensive and grounded in the scientific literature. Unlike the scientific literature, however, these reports are easily accessible to the general public!
Feel free to discuss anything related to the issues discussed in the MA. These are very complex issues with a lot of moving pieces. I can also try to answer questions best I can, as ecological/conservation/biodiversity issues are a focus of mine.
- Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period of time in human history, largely to meet rapidly growing demands for food, fresh water, timber, fiber and fuel. This has resulted in a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth.
- The changes that have been made to ecosystems have contributed to substantial net gains in human well-being and economic development, but these gains have been achieved at growing costs in the form of the degradation of many ecosystem services, increased risks of nonlinear changes, and the exacerbation of poverty for some groups of people. These problems, unless addressed, will substantially diminish the benefits that future generations obtain from ecosystems.
- The degradation of ecosystem services could grow significantly worse during the first half of this century and is a barrier to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
- The challenge of reversing the degradation of ecosystem while meeting increasing demands for services can be partially met under some scenarios considered by the MA, but will involve significant changes in policies, institutions and practices that are not currently under way. Many options exist to conserve or enhance specific ecosystem services in ways that reduce negative trade-offs or that provide positive synergies with other ecosystem services.
The bottom line of the MA findings is that human actions are depleting Earth’s natural capital, putting such strain on the environment that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted. At the same time, the assessment shows that with appropriate actions it is possible to reverse the degradation of many ecosystem services over the next 50 years, but the changes in policy and practice required are substantial and not currently underway.
The reports gathered on this page are extensive and grounded in the scientific literature. Unlike the scientific literature, however, these reports are easily accessible to the general public!
Feel free to discuss anything related to the issues discussed in the MA. These are very complex issues with a lot of moving pieces. I can also try to answer questions best I can, as ecological/conservation/biodiversity issues are a focus of mine.
