Earth is in a delicate state right now because of a dual crisis underway: unprecedented biodiversity loss and runaway climate change. Species globally are declining and disappearing, meaning the web of life is coming apart faster than we can repair it. Global warming has likely passed the point of no return because carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere continue to rise. We aren’t doing enough to veer off this destructive path. Instead, we continue down the road without a care in the world.
It’s as if most world leaders and corporations don’t know or have forgotten that ocean and forest ecosystems are indispensable to the health of the planet and our survival. Forests are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and provide as much as 30% of the carbon reductions needed to stabilize Earth’s climate. They provide a buffer against disease and purify our water and air. Oceans also store a substantial amount of CO2. Furthermore, they are made up of rich ecosystems full of marine life that provide billions of people globally with food and livelihoods.
Yet, we continue to destroy these precious environments with overwhelming amounts of pollution and through deforestation – all in the name of single-use products.
In urgent response, global environmentalists from 188 groups are demanding that legislators and businesses change the systems that support single-use paper and plastics production. Items like food containers, cutlery, disposable cup and bottle, and packaging are the main contributors to the two billion tons of waste produced by humans yearly. These and other disposable products have a detrimental impact on nature, wildlife, and even human health and vulnerable communities. Regardless, we carry on consuming natural resources at an unsustainable rate. Read more…
