Some of the most serious threats included in the report were the rise in the number of diseases transmitted from animals to humans, to the increasing amounts of toxic chemicals in food crops due to drought and high temperatures.
But there were additional concerns, such as the alarming amount of plastics in the ocean and the scientific evidence that suggests damages and losses from climate change are inevitable, with “profound consequences” for environmental sustainability, the ecosystem, people, assets, and global economies, reports NBC News.
In the report, the somewhat confusing but crucial relationship we have with our environment is outlined, including combating global warming while moving toward a low-carbon future. The Frontiers report stresses the importance of having a healthy environment in order to live as healthy humans. In other words, we are as connected to the ecosystem as it is to us.
In the 20th century, we saw the dramatic reductions in our ecosystems and biodiversity, while at the same time, we saw dramatic increases in people and domestic animals, according to the report. One troubling problem with this has been the increase in the numbers of viruses, bacteria and other pathogens that have succeeded in passing through wild and domestic animals to humans.
ABC News reports the list of these sicknesses, called “zoonotic” or “zoonoses” diseases include Ebola, bird flu, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Rift Valley fever, West Nile virus and the Zika virus. The report says in the past two decades, these diseases have had a direct cost of more than $100 billion. It adds, “if these outbreaks had become human pandemics, the losses would have amounted to several trillion dollars.”
If that part of the report doesn’t make you stop and think, the part talking about chemicals in food crops should. Under normal conditions, plants convert nitrate into amino acids and protein. But we haven’t been having normal growing conditions. Drought slows the conversion of nitrate into safe amino acids and protein, and the nitrates accumulate in the plant.
This is happening with wheat, barley, maize, millet, sorghum, and soybeans, making them toxic to animals. “Acute nitrate poisoning in animals can lead to miscarriage, asphyxiation, and death,” the report said, resulting in huge business losses to farmers.
There is another plant toxin that is associated with drought conditions. It is called hydrogen cyanide or prussic acid and it can accumulate in plants such as cassava, flax, maize and sorghum, the report said. Mycotoxins, chemical by-products of the growth of fungi, also present a problem because of climate change. So far, important crops such as coffee, groundnut, maize, oil-seeds, peanut, sorghum, tree nuts, and wheat have been affected.
The 2016 Frontiers report is interesting reading because it goes into great detail on why environmental sustainability is part of our new frontier. Achieving goals in reducing carbon use, becoming better stewards to the Earth and consciously making commitments to improving our environment are all issues that need to be taken seriously, not by a few, but by all of us.
