The United Nations has put itself behind a huge and scarifying report about the serious threat around the world of invasive species plants and animals that hop a ship or a plane and establish themselves mucking with the general environmental situation says Esquire.
Extremely conservative
“One of the things that we stress that really is the tremendous threat this does pose to — and I know this is going to sound grandiose — but to human civilization,” said Peter Stoett, an Ontario Tech University professor who helped lead a group of about seven dozen experts in writing the report.
- Invasive species are crossing geographic barriers with the assistance of cargo ships and passenger jets, leading to a significant disruption of global ecosystems.
- The cost of this phenomenon is described as “extremely conservative,” suggesting that the true impact could be even more significant.
- The report is authored by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), comprising over 140 countries.
Impact of Invasive Species
Water hyacinth
Originally from South America, the water hyacinth is a free-floating plant that grows so quickly that it can cover entire ponds and lakes, leaving a matted mess that impedes boat traffic and fishing.
Four Key Drivers of Extinction
- climate change,
- habitat destruction,
- pollution and
- direct exploitation of species
Climate change
Climate change is poised to make the problem of invasive pests worse by enabling animals such as tropical fire ants to march north into higher latitudes.
“With climate warming, there will be some species that would not have been able to establish and thrive in some of the regions of the world, but going forward they will be able to establish and thrive,” said Helen Roy, a British ecologist and a third co-chair of the assessment. Invaders, in turn, can exacerbate climate change.
The interconnectedness of the natural world is evident, with the climate crisis amplifying other environmental issues. The analogy extends to politics, where one political party is likened to an invasive species in the country’s delicate democracy.
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Source: Esquire
