Global Responsibility

According to the 2004 United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period of time in human history. Moreover, 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.
There is a growing disconnection between human socio-economic activity and the natural systems around us. Many leaders still espouse the notion that environmental measures will hurt the economy, and this mentality serves to reinforce ‘business as usual’ tendencies. Responsibility for the health of natural ecosystems has been lost to the pursuit of unending economic growth. Unfortunately, this trend cannot continue indefinitely, as infinite economic growth within limited natural capacity is impossible. Current generations may enjoy the thrill of irresponsible activity, flying in the face of imminent chaos and danger, but future generations will have to pay the price. Responsibility for the impacts of human-generated waste and destruction is continually being passed to someone else. In this game of hot potato that we are playing with ecosystem services, bio-diversity and global health, future generations will inevitably be left clutching the remains of a planet in peril.