The earth is not infinitely resilient, its resources are not inexhaustible. That should actually have gotten around. It can no longer be explained rationally that the negative consequences of species extinction and the loss of fertile soil are consistently ignored.
The economic consequences alone will be dramatic if nothing changes and the earth and its resources continue to be ruthlessly exploited as before. Economists from Cambridge University, among others, warn in a recent reportthat in this case the credit ratings of entire countries could collapse. Many developing and emerging countries are even threatened with national bankruptcy.
Unfortunately, it seems to be human nature not to take dangers in the future seriously. There are already shrill warning signals. Example fisheries: The stocks of many edible fish have already declined sharply in many places. Nevertheless, fishing continues, often even in protected areas. Incomprehensible in view of the fact that the connections in this case are easy to understand: if you take more out of the sea than grows back, at some point there will be nothing left.
Some countries are threatened with national bankruptcy
Example insect mortality: Although elementary school students learn that insects are important for the pollination of many plants, farmers continue to spray large amounts of insecticides on their fields, which, as the name suggests, kill insects. In times of species extinction, to still believe that ecosystem services such as pollination are available to humans indefinitely and free of charge is ignorant and will be expensive.
According to the current report, the costs of even a partial collapse of such ecosystem services are enormous. In many countries, they would far exceed the costs of the corona pandemic. According to the economists, China and Malaysia would be hit the hardest. Both countries’ credit ratings would be downgraded by more than six notches. In India, Bangladesh and Indonesia it would be four points.
It is incomprehensible that such risks are accepted at all. The fact that they usually play no role at all in economic decisions, for example by investors, is just as incomprehensible. It’s true: protecting the environment and protecting species is expensive. Seriously combating the biodiversity crisis would initially significantly reduce profits in many areas. But it would be an investment in the future that is worthwhile.