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Register“The Earth stands on the brink of its sixth mass extinction and the fault is ours” declares The Guardian, a British news and media website, online edition, dated 21 June 2015.
“Life on Earth is in trouble. That much we know. But how bad have things become - and how fast are events moving? In what will be the sixth great mass extinction event?” Gerardo Caballos of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and his colleagues have assessed, in a paper that came out on 19 June.
The report says that vertebrates were vanishing at a rate 114 times faster than normal and that the last similar event was 65 million years ago, when dinosaurs disappeared, most probably as a result of an asteroid. Since 1900 more than 400 vertebrates have disappeared. (Vertebrates are the most advanced organisms on Earth. The traits that make all of the animals in this section special are their spinal cords, vertebrae, and notochords).
One of the authors of the report says, “we are now entering the sixth great mass of extinction and if it is allowed to continue, life would take many millions of years to recover and our species itself would likely disappear early on.”
The research cites climate change, pollution and deforestation as causes for the rapid change, and the effect of the loss of entire ecosystem could be dire. We would face “snow ball” effect whereby individual species extinction ultimately fuels more loss.
Another study, led by Mark Williams, identifies some quite extraordinary novelties at the heart of current events. First, past extinctions have been driven by massive volcanic outbursts, the mayhem caused by major asteroid impact and the wrenching effects of rapid climate change. None of these has really figured in the biological crisis - not even climate change, which is still only in its early stages. Instead the extinctions are being driven by the effects of just one single species, Homo Sapiens. Such a mass extinction has not occurred before. The changes to the Earth’s biology includes a rapidly developing mass extinction event.
The report does note that averting this loss is possible through intensified conservation efforts, but that ‘window of opportunity is rapid closing.’
At the time when we scratch our heads not knowing what to do to set things right, Pope Francis gives us the good news of hope in the future. His recent encyclical, Laudato Si’ summons the whole world to examine our present way of life and re-set a different life-style which supports ecosystems and the life of all species.
The book of Genesis is frequently used to justify man’s ‘dominion’ over the Earth, and hence, exploitation of its resources for our own needs. Yet Pope Francis is unequivocal in the encyclical that “this is not a correct interpretation of the Bible as understood by the Church.” The Pope says that we must respect the laws of nature and protect the Earth for the future generations. Humans are part of nature, not its overlords, caring for ourselves and for nature is inseparable in caring for our common home.
The Pope takes issue with the arguments of green growth, which is the current dominant strategy to handle climate change. We must support the fastest possible decarbonisation of the global economy through eco-efficiency.
The New Leader, in this issue, publishes a special feature on Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si’. Fr Gilbert Choondal, SDB, presents his reflections - pastoral, catechetical and theological - for our contemplation and action. Another article on Pope’s encyclical by Nishanthi D’Sami invites us to become responsible in utilizing the resources of nature (see pp. 23, 27).
It is very urgent for us to draw a plan - a series of action - to conserve the species of the planet, to care for all forms of life, to protect the natural resources and to promote the beauty and variety in nature. We are already late in realizing this fact. Let us plant trees, save water, create pollution free environment, fight against all evils that harm the species and join hands to care for our common home.
Here is a warning prophecy of the Cree Indians:
When the last tree is cut down,
the last fish eaten and the last stream poisoned,
you will realize that you cannot eat money.”
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