GS101 Chapter Notes -Ozone Depletion, Introduced Species
Document Summary
George manbiot, bring on the apocalypse: essays on self destruction. By 2050 around a quarter of the world"s animal and plant species could die out as a result of global warming. To these we must add the millions threatened by farming, logging, hunting, fishing, and introduced species. We have little difficulty in recognizing the importance of other environmental issues. Climate change causes droughts and floods, ozone depletion gives us skin cancer, diesel pollution damages our lungs. The problem conservationists face is that by comparison to almost all other global issues, our concern about biodiversity seem effete and self indulgent. If the rainforests are destroyed we will never find the cure for cancer. An impoverished environment is likely to be less stable and so less productive, than a diverse one. We need to defend the things we value, even while accepting that there may be a conflict between their protection and other social needs.
