Lurking dangers

Scientists have reiterated that climate change could emerge as a driver of infectious diseases such as smallpox, malaria, dengue and zika virus as a result of global warming. Growing carbon emissions could lead to at least 30 percent of the northern hemisphere’s permafrost melting by century’s end, releasing billions of tonnes of carbon which will further poison the atmosphere; this can also release viruses or bacteria that have remained dormant for years.

Reducing emissions from land is essential to averting more environmental damage. What is grown on land and in what way is crucial to whether it curbs or contributes to climate change. Forests, plants and soil store one-third of all man-made emissions. This could increase. On the other side, intensive exploitation of land resources produces high amounts of greenhouse gas as well as consuming 70 percent of the world’s freshwater supply. With the global population set to hit 10 billion in the middle of this century, the issue of land management by governments, industry and farmers will be crucial to combatting or worsening climate change. We have essentially failed to respect nature sufficiently. As a result, we have mutated viruses, large-scale climate change, the depletion of water resources and issues such as disappearance of permafrost.

Human civilisation has left its footprints literally on every corner of the Earth. We already know the ocean floor is largely covered by plastics and the remains of human consumption can be found even amongst the highest peaks on Earth. There is no way of saying if this destruction can ever be repaired or the planet we call our home effectively cleaned up. It is essential wider awareness of the need to do so begin to be disseminated and ecosystems restored so life on Earth can continue. The question we need to answer over the coming years is if our science and learning can enable us to tackle these problems which present a massive threat to humans no matter where they live.