How long can we survive on the planet or is it all over?

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Alarming truth.

The conclusion reached by this pair of scientists could not be more alarming. They insist that within a very short time some countries of the world will lose up to 40 % of their forests, tundra and other key habitats. The principal nations on this list include Russia, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Uruguay and Mongolia. In simple language it means that soon up to 30% of the worlds natural habitats will cease to support life.

Disaster ahead.

This unbelievably high figure naturally spells disaster for wide groups of flora and fauna. In northern latitudes it is estimated that a fifth of all animal and plant life will struggle to adapt to a fast changing climate. Another factor is that rising temperatures also mean rising sea levels due to melting polar ice caps. This in turn will lead to the loss of yet more habitats around swiftly altering coast lines, and the true impact is difficult to predict.

At the same time the Toronto report points out that Carbon Dioxide emissions - one of the prime causes of global warming - look set to double by the middle of the century. In these circumstances we can only look forward to a fast deteriorating environment that will soon be beyond redemption.

Horrifying news.

As if this was not bad enough yet another report states that in the very near future one quarter of all animal species will soon be extinct. The World Conservation Union insists that we are facing an ecological crisis that is accelerating 50 times faster than anyone's worst estimate. This is horrifying news. It appears to transcend reality, but unfortunately expresses the very real predicament that this planet now finds itself in. In this case the contributory factors are entirely within our control. Yet despite the warnings; despite all the published data, there exists no cohesive strategy that would attempt to reverse this looming catastrophe. As it is we are ploughing headlong into an irreversible dilemma that will have massive consequences for the world of the future.

Tip of the iceberg.

The World Conservation Union stresses that their findings represent just the tip of the iceberg. It reveals that the true situation may turn out to be many times worse than anyone has ever imagined: A situation that if left uncontrolled will eventually place in question the survival of our entire race.

We must remember that we are barely any different to the animals. It means that the factors that govern their extinction will eventually be the epitaph that characterises our own demise on this planet. Indeed the distinguished scientist and author Stephen Hawking has conceded that our abuse of the environment means that before long we shall have to learn to colonise other planets in order to survive.

Conclusions - Have we a future on this planet?

Read our astonishing verdict.