By Cheranka Mendis
Global warming has triggered the sixth mass extinction of life on earth and this time human life is being threatened along with that of animals and plants due to man-made causes, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Patali Champika Ranawaka said, addressing the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industries on Monday.
Delivering his presentation on global warming, the Minister explained that there had been five major extinctions in the history of life on earth, with the last one dating back to 65 million years.
"Scientists warn that one third of the animals and plants will disappear by 2050 and they predict that this man made global warming will also lead to extinction of the human race if no action is taken to control it," said Minister Ranawaka.
He said that development tops the list on agendas around the world, with constant focus being on how a company or country can double growth speed and achieve advanced development in the area under scrutiny. However, in the rat race to excessive power, development and all such associated areas, man has simply opted to ignore the natural forces that brought him where he is in the first place.
Such addictions to growth and development, according to Minister Ranawaka, have resulted in adverse effects that are now on the rise at alarming speed.
While man first embraced nature for survival and then exploited it for his benefit, the roles have reversed and humans are now at the receiving end. It was pointed out that accelerated development would result in a collapse in the whole system within the next three decades.
Ranawaka told the forum that the scarcity of resources, environmental pollution and limitations in the field of science and technology would spell out the doom of mankind in no time.
"Can we sustain this ever-growing cycle of production and consumption? Are there limiting factors? If there are, what are they? The answer is a simple no; we cannot sustain it. There are three clear factors that form a barrier in this regard and due to those three factors, development will collapse at a certain point of time and so will the human race," Ranawaka said.
"The scarcity of resources should be the main focus today. Land will not double itself and the same can be said about minerals, unpolluted air and water. The life blood of economic development is fossil fuels but these are being reduced at high speed. It is said that 86 per cent of present day economic activities is based on fossil fuels. What will we do when the supply runs dry?"
He stated that the sudden rise in oil prices in 2008 was a result of the decreasing oil reserves around the world and that one of the main concerns of the global meltdown last year was also a result of the same.
"The cost of rebuilding after World War II was estimated at US$ 3.6 trillion, while the 2009 world crisis cost is estimated at US$ 8 trillion," Ranawaka said.
With the current situation of high environmental cost and development, the commercial oil reserves will run dry by 2059, he alleged.
The Minister claimed that the period between 2010 and 2015 was the peak oil period and after 2015, oil reserves would drop and prices would shoot up once again. Due to the high oil prices, people will consume more gasoline and that too will dry up between the period of 2030-2035. Coal will breathe its last in 2050.
The consequences of environmental pollution are also severe, said Ranawaka, adding that per year, 15 million hectares get deducted from the total forest area of the world; 48 per cent from the forests in Brazil and some 25 per cent from Indonesia, which cut down forests most.
Heat pollution could result in destroying the whole of mankind if not controlled properly. "Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other green house gases that are emitted as polluted air to the surrounding forms a black blanket, which prevents the heat waves from leaving the area of earth. This has caused the heat rays to bounce back to the earth, causing the core of the earth to get warmer, thereby causing various adverse effects," Ranawaka explained.
Between the years of 1990 and 2000, the heat level of the earth has increased by 0.73°C. The gradual growth of the earth's temperature has stabilised over the years and even if humankind were to stop using fuels and other such harmful material, the temperature will keep rising by 1.5 per decade.
However, the possibility of the temperature rising is a daunting one as, according to Ranawaka, if the temperature level rises by seven per cent, the earth will no longer be able to house the vast number of humans and animals it currently holds. In fact if it rises by two per cent from the current number, humans will no longer be able to bear the heat and live on.
"It is said the earth has been destroyed five times before and the impending doom will be the sixth addition to its records. The dry zones are getting much drier presently and wet zones are getting much cooler."
Ice will start melting faster and this could cause a rapid increase in the water levels. He alleged that according to reports, if the snow in all of the Himalayas melts away, the sea level in the Indian Ocean will rise by two meters and if the Arctic dries up, the world water level will rise by eight meters. "By the end of this century the world sea level will rise by two meters while 34 small countries, including the Maldives, will sink."
The biodiversity of the world will also come to a halt. Around the world 39 species of flora are now growing at a rapid speed while another 10 species of fauna are also growing. Sadly, the growing number of fauna includes insects such as flies, mosquitoes, spiders and cockroaches. "Above 4°C heat, only cockroaches will survive. So all this development we are racing towards will be left behind for the cockroaches."
To ease the existing situation and create a slower pace for impending growth to bloom and prosper, one must look seriously at converting most activities into the category that is aptly titled 'green'.
Ranawaka stated that the market economy should be transformed into a new green market economy, where every being - whether visible or not to the naked eye - is added to the system.
He also spoke of alternative eco friendly energy consumption, carbonic agriculture, factories that use a low number of resources and emit a lower percentage of harmful air, green architecture and sustainable building and designs as methods to reduce the harmful effects.
"Green jobs and green education is also important in the long run. Today we see thousands of youth protesting in the streets saying they do not have jobs. But ask them anything about going green and eco protection and they would be clueless," Ranawaka said.
"A staggering 700 tonnes of waste are generated per day in the Colombo City limits and thereby a minimum of 5,000 jobs can be created on waste management matters. Another 1,000 jobs can be made by employing 1,000 youth to plant glinisedia plants, which could produce up to 1,000 mega watts."
