Examining the Rate of Ecological Damage

Here’s an article that will upset its reader: Humans Are Damaging the Environment Faster Than It Can Recover.  The author takes into account a wide variety of human activities, e.g., increasing consumption, urbanization, and over-population, and then discusses the environmental consequences, e.g., climate change, ocean acidification, loss of biodiversity, water shortages, and desertification of farm land. The conclusion: radical action is required to avert catastrophe. 

I’m sorry to say that the people of Earth (especially we Americans) are a million miles away from taking anything resembling “radical action”; I consider it a good day when I can identify any meaningful action at all.

Having said that, I’m off to an Earth Day celebration, and it’s clear that events like these are growing in size and scope each year.  Interesting time to be alive.