PLANET ON THE EDGE

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We stand at a crucial point in the history of the earth. Perhaps at no time since the Permian–Triassic extinction event (the Great Dying) ~ 252 Ma ago, has life on this planet been poised at such a precarious point. Our misuse of this planet is now forcing us to make decisions that will determine the survival or extinction of life on the earth. We stand on the brink with no further missteps possible. We either act or become part of the geological record of this planet.

We have ignored stewardship of our earth, have wastefully used its resources, and ignored the consequences. We can no longer claim ignorance, it is clear what we have done. From this point onward, we will suffer the cumulative consequences of every careless act that we do.

Scientists have studied the causes of climate change for decades, and know what has brought us to this point, we even know what we should do. Our wasteful way of life is one of the obvious culprits. However, governments lack the will to act, or are diverted by self-interest, and short-term financial gains.  Ironically, we scientists also carry much of the blame, because we were slow in alerting the people, and now, we look like the boy who cried wolf too often and now few listen to us.

Today we not only need to deal with the cause of climate change, i.e., carbon emissions, but we also need to begin remediation of the impacts of climate change. We at EESEEMR, as environmental scientists, are dedicated to applying what we know about the relationships between climate, land use and landscape dynamics to restore landscapes as much as we can. We hope that through our work we can revitalize the lives of peoples who have been severely impacted by climate change. 

It is our mission, as scientists, and as citizens of this planet, to become part of the solution, and train new generations to continue and expand humanity's stewardship of the earth.