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Hans-Peter Plag
Created on Jul. 10, 2023.
The Human and Planetary Existential Emergency is impacting more and more regions, people, wildlife and ecosystems. Our economy is increasingly stressed and insurances are no longer able to govern the risks in an equitable way. We need to ring the alarm bell. And we need to point to the lifeboats. This is a call to action.
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The Earth's life-support system is rapidly degrading. Wildlife is disappearing at a dramatic rate, and biodiversity is reducing at unparalleled rates. Pollution with novel substances is ubiquitous and impacting all life on the planet. The reengineering of the planetary physiology has changed all major mass cycles in the critical zone. The emerging changes in the spectrum of natural hazards points to a future with extreme hazardous events unknown to humans. Most of the global boundaries of what provide a “safe operating space for humanity” and other life on Earth have been broken, some by far.
With the declaration of the Human and Planetary Existential Emergency ( HPEE), we are ringing the alarm bell. Now the time has come that we need to look for the lifeboats. There may not be many, not enough. The time is now to build what is needed to sustain a human civilization with societies that encompass justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. If we don't start now, our civilization may disintegrate into chaos and a very undesirable future may emerge.
Soon, many parts of the planet may no longer be habitable for humans. Coastal zones may be inundated by rising seas. Desertification, long droughts, extreme heatwaves, unparalleled storm, and widespread flooding may drive people out of their homes in search for new habitable areas. Cities may have to be moved. Maintaining food security may proof to be a major challenge.
We need governance systems and leadership with an ethos that allow us to manage this unprecedented migration of humans, infrastructure, and resources in an ethically acceptable and peaceful way. Sustaining access to food, water and other basic supplies for all also requires major efforts of all. If some countries will continue to take what they need without considerations for the needs of others, we can expect disastrous conflicts threatening all of us.
Let's get together and work on what is needed to master this emergency, and emergency humanity has never encountered at this level.
