Humans failing the sustainability audit

[Simon]

With its Geo-4 report, the United Nations tells us that most aspects of the Earth's natural environment are in decline; and that the decline will affect us, the planet's human inhabitants, in some pretty important ways.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7060072.stm

[armadillo]

Seems to be a really good report...Though deep inside us we all know most of the things.At times we have heard of them on radios,read them in newpapers etc etc.But it will contribute to the informing of many people.Quite important.

[online.education]

With its Geo-4 report, the United Nations tells us that most aspects of the Earth's natural environment are in decline; and that the decline will affect us, the planet's human inhabitants, in some pretty important ways.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7060072.stm

Ecosystem is like a pyramid. We're just removing blocks from near the bottom of the pyramid. If we keep going, the pyramid will naturally collapse ...

[Trulyana]

I'm not surprised with the article, and I agree with what online.education says a little, but more in contrast with the society. I think that humans are failing more at their policies and the targets they set themselfs, rather than nature itself. The ecosystem is not going anywhere, but humans seem to think it'll cease to exist, thus creating a division between themselfs and the world. Most of what is happening in the world is a reflection of human societies, so humans are using this to their own advantage and creating a negative image of earth. That statement most aspects of earths natural environment are in decline is a clear example of that, reflecting human societies rather than natural habitats. Am curious, how would you go about measuring a decline in nature? And what does a decline mean, in this article? If anything is declining, it's humans ability to understand nature for what it is.

[online.education]

Am curious, how would you go about measuring a decline in nature? And what does a decline mean, in this article? If anything is declining, it's humans ability to understand nature for what it is.

Numbers, statistics, graphs, equations, mathematical models, etc. Not anecdotes. Certain philosophical arguments are appreciated, but being so verbose about it reminds me of the following comment ...

...

But now, Ms. Jacoby said, something different is happening: anti-intellectualism (the attitude that “too much learning can be a dangerous thingâ€) and anti-rationalism (“the idea that there is no such things as evidence or fact, just opinionâ€) have fused in a particularly insidious way.

...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/books/14...1&ref=books

[Simon]

Numbers, statistics, graphs, equations, mathematical models, etc. Not anecdotes. Certain philosophical arguments are appreciated, but being so verbose about it reminds me of the following comment ...

Interesting reading, thank you.

Ms. Jacoby also blames religious fundamentalism’s antipathy toward science, as she grieves over surveys that show that nearly two-thirds of Americans want creationism to be taught along with evolution.

[Trulyana]

Numbers, statistics, graphs, equations, mathematical models, etc. Not anecdotes. Certain philosophical arguments are appreciated, but being so verbose about it reminds me of the following comment ...

I know what you might have read may not have sounded, like something you wanted to hear. However much statistics and numbers may be the answer at times, they do not put practicality at play, when it comes to real life situations.