Saturday, October 25, 2025
More

    Top 6 This Week

    popular+

    Paradigm shift needed to address climate change, biodiversity loss

    Sharing is SO MUCH APPRECIATED!

    By David Suzuki

    Much of the focus in trying to address climate breakdown is rightly on reducing emissions from burning gas, oil and coal. But an equally critical part of the equation is halting and reversing rampant destruction of the natural world.

    Whether or not you believe our planet and its biosphere operates like a living organism — “Gaia,” as the late scientist James Lovelock called it — there’s no denying it constitutes a harmoniously balanced system, with natural cycles that have evolved to support human and other life forms.

    From the hydrologic, or water cycle (whereby water cartwheels around the biosphere through evaporation, photosynthesis and precipitation) to the carbon cycle (in which carbon repeatedly moves from the atmosphere into Earth’s organisms and then back into the atmosphere), these intricately interconnected processes maintain an equilibrium that keeps temperatures and geological forces relatively stable and facilitates our existence.

    When one cycle is thrown out of balance, it affects all the others. Burning gas, oil and coal releases carbon that has been absorbed through solar energy and compressed and stored over millennia. This increases atmospheric carbon levels, which creates a heat-trapping blanket around Earth, causing the global average temperature to rise rapidly. This in turn affects systems such as the hydrologic cycle, creating increased precipitation and flooding in some areas and drought in others.

    Carbon is also stored in trees and other plants, and in oceans and wetlands. When forests and other green spaces are destroyed or altered, it affects the carbon and other cycles — as well as the myriad species that rely on these habitats.

    It’s all interconnected.

    “There is a double movement humanity must make,” said Susana Muhamad, president of the United Nations COP16 Biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia, to be held in October. “The first one is to decarbonize and have a just energy transition. The other side of the coin is to restore nature and allow nature to take again its power over planet Earth so that we can really stabilize the climate.”

    Delegates to the 2022 COP15 summit in Montreal agreed to work toward halting biodiversity loss by protecting 30 per cent of the world’s land, water and marine areas by 2030.

    Guardian article reports that the activities of a still-growing human population of more than eight billion has caused insect numbers to plummet, oceans to acidify and fill with plastic pollution and resources to rapidly become depleted. Animals and plants continue to go extinct at an alarming rate.

    Scientists have been warning for years that we’re approaching a sixth mass extinction, representing the most significant loss of life since dinosaurs were wiped out.

    In simple terms, resolving the climate crisis requires phasing out fossil fuels and cutting emissions. Addressing the biodiversity crisis involves protecting remaining natural areas and restoring those our activities have damaged or destroyed.

    But achieving those outcomes requires an even greater shift: a shift in consciousness to facilitate new ways of thinking about economics and human wellbeing.

    We can’t get out of the mess we’ve created using an outdated system based on endless growth and consumption — a system that prioritizes profit and measures progress by increases in gross domestic product, or GDP. We need ways to ensure people’s needs are met without destroying the natural systems that make life, good health and wellbeing possible.

    It’s a dilemma because, in some respects, capitalism promotes innovation and technological advances — which are needed to resolve some of the most immediate problems. So, just as a transition from fossil fuel economies to more conservation-oriented ones using renewable energy is necessary, so too is a transition from profit-driven consumer capitalism to more benign forms and eventually to more enlightened systems altogether.

    We need to use every available tool to halt and reverse the damage we’re wreaking on our planet and ourselves, but we must also stop placing humans at the centre of existence. We are part of nature and what we do to it we do to ourselves.

    Many Indigenous Peoples have long understood this, but the current mainstream ideology of domination and exploitation has run roughshod over the kinds of knowledge that come from living in place and observing nature’s interconnectedness.

    We need to shift to a society based on respect, responsibility and reciprocity.

    David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington.

    Learn more at davidsuzuki.org.

    REFERENCES:

    James Lovelock called it:

    https://www.vox.com/climate/24118151/gaia-hypothesis-ferris-jabr-book-becoming-earth

    Hydrologic cycle:

    https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/atmosphere/hydro

    Carbon cycle:

    https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/carbon-cycle.html#transcript

    Said Susana Muhamad:

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/22/nature-catastrophe-biodiversity-summit-president-carbon-emissions-climate-breakdown-susana-muhamad-aoe

    Agreed to work toward halting biodiversity loss:

    https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/cop15-ends-landmark-biodiversity-agreement

    Guardian article reports:

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/19/cop15-historic-deal-signed-to-halt-biodiversity-loss-by-2030-aoe

    Sixth mass extinction:

    https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2023/09/human-driven-mass-extinction-eliminating-entire-genera

    Economics and human wellbeing:

    https://davidsuzuki.org/project/wellbeing-economies

    System based on endless growth and consumption:

    https://davidsuzuki.org/story/valuing-exponential-growth-as-progress-is-unsustainable

    More benign forms:

    Sharing is SO MUCH APPRECIATED!

    Popular Articles

    GEORGIANBAYNEWS.COM

    Popular Articles

    Sunset Sessions | Live & Original Concert will showcase emerging Youth Artists

    Don't miss out on this epic evening of free live music, on Saturday, May 25th starting at 4:30 p.m. Collingwood, ON – Sunset Sessions, a concert like...

    Let’s be blunt: Trump’s trade talks are a SHAKEDOWN

    Publisher Rudyard Griffiths and editor-at-large Sean Speer discuss the ongoing trade negotiations between Canada and the United States in the lead up to next...

    The Town of The Blue Mountains | Public Meeting – July 9, 2024

    Council, Public Meeting - July 9, 2024 The Town of The Blue Mountains will be holding a Public Meeting on July 9, 2024, to provide...

    Town of The Blue Mountains Transitions to Digital-Only Parking Passes

    The Town of The Blue Mountains would like to advise residents that beginning January 2025, parking passes will be issued only through the digital...

    Great Adventures in Iceland with Our Collingwood Girl Guides

    Our Collingwood Girl Guides spent two years fundraising and sold over 10,000 boxes of cookies to take 13 girls aged 12-14 (over half of...

    Navigating the Divide: American Politics and Elon Musk’s Ascendancy in Early 2025

    American politics appears to be a mix of ongoing polarization and shifting dynamics. American politics in early 2025 is a volatile landscape, marked by...

    VIDEO CNBC: We Went To Canada To See The U.S. Product Boycotts — And What We Found Was Striking

    In response to U.S. tariffs and President Trump's policies, 71% of Canadian consumers are shifting away from American products, with the "Buy Canada" movement....

    Mayor Andrea Matrosovs Acclaimed as Grey County Warden

    The Town of The Blue Mountains Mayor Andrea Matrosovs will serve as Grey County Warden for 2025. Mayor Matrosovs was acclaimed by County Council...

    #LIVE: Experience Blue Mountain Like Never Before With Brand-New Webcams!

    Best Action Cams Ever!!! Find the perfect place to stay at Blue Mountain. Whether you are looking for a hotel-style property, a boutique hotel, or...

    Yonnhe’ón:we: Indigenous Art Series Call for Artists

    Collingwood, ON – The Yonnhe’ón:we Indigenous Arts Series returns to Simcoe Street Theatre on Thursday, November 14th, 2024, featuring a dynamic blend of music,...

    ‘Catastrophic to national security’: FBI agents issue warning over threats of mass firings

    Michael Clark, President of Society of former Special Agents of the FBI joins Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House to discuss the growing fears...

    PAVING SCAMS ON THE RISE ACROSS ONTARIO

    (ORILLIA, ON) The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is advising community members to be cautious of possible paving and repair scams across the province. Individuals may offer...

    Collingwood Traffic Stop Leads to Numerous Charges Including Two Passengers Held for Bail

    (COLLINGWOOD, ON) - On Friday, April 18, 2025, just after 8:00 am, a member of the Collingwood and The Blue Mountains Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)...

    Emperor penguin chicks jump off a 50-foot cliff in Antarctica NEVER-BEFORE-FILMED FOR TV

    Thanks for the share, Ron Misurka. National Geographic and BAFTA Award-winning cinematographer Bertie Gregory release unprecedented footage of Emperor penguin chicks leaping 50 feet off...

    Geoffrey Hinton, the Godfather of AI WARNS: “You Have No Idea What’s Coming”

    He pioneered the technology that powers modern AI, and now he is sounding the alarm. Geoffrey Hinton, often called the “Godfather of AI,” explains...

    China’s new Unitree B2-W robot dog boasts incredible agility and balance

    A Chinese company has unveiled the Unitree B2-W quadruped robot – but could it turn out to be a soldier's best friend? The flagship...

    The Blue Mountains Public Library Announces 30th Anniversary Celebrations

    This release is being shared by the Town on behalf of The Blue Mountains Public Library The Blue Mountains Public Library (BMPL) is celebrating its...

    City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton Highlands declare State of Emergency

    The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency responders across Central Region are actively addressing the significant impact of the freezing rain event that began...

    Blizzard Warnings Issued For Parts Of Southern Ontario | #forecast

    Ongoing blizzard conditions in squalls across parts of southern Ontario. Blustery winds and blowing snow creating hazardous travel and road closures. Meteorologist Nadine Powell...

    The Festive in Europe: Day 9 | Retiring at the Speed of Life

    By Susanne Mikler Our final day of the trip is spent in Paris. First we get breakfast in the hotel (which by the way is...

    VIDEO | BEST PICKLEBALL POINTS from the Sacramento Open

    These are the BEST points from the PPA Tour's Veolia Sacramento Open 🔥 Watch the GREATEST names in professional pickleball compete against new names...

    Break and Enter Investigation Leads OPP to Arrest

    (MIDLAND, ON) -Officers from the Southern Georgian Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a call at approximately 8:43 a.m. April 7, 2025, of a possible...

    SUSPICIOUS PERSONS INVESTIGATION LEADS TO ARREST OF LOCAL MAN

    (SPRINGWATER TOWNSHIP, ON) - Members of the Huronia West Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have arrested and charged one individual with multiple serious...

    Horoscopes by Orion Moonsong | March 23-30, 2025

    Orion Moonsong, celestial eavesdropper extraordinaire… While we’re all busy with our earthly concerns, this astronomical busybody is up there tuning into the universe’s gossip channel,...