One-two punch

More than one million species of plants and animals are facing imminent extinction.

This is the crux of a just released United Nations report on biodiversity.

Climate change has a part to play in this alarming prediction, but the real reason, the report concludes, is human activity.

About half a million of these species may survive for just a few decades more. According to the report, these have “insufficient habitat for long-term survival.”

Robert Watson, the study’s chief, told the Associated Press “we are threatening the potential food security, water security, human health and social fabric” of the world.

This is separate from global warming, but species loss works hand in hand with it to make matters worse.

The reason for the dire report is human activity, including the destruction of rain forests, over fishing, continued use of fossil fuels, chemical pollution of land and water and allowing the spread of invasive species.

Species loss is compounded by climate change.

Both, as the argument advances, are dependent on the actions of humans.

Saving the earth from a mass extinction can be helped by individual action, some of which sound very simple. The UN report says reduction of fossil fuels calls for people to walk more and use clean transportation. Other needs include controlling development into natural areas, cutting down industrial scale fishing, eating less meat and controlling plastic pollution.

Some of the ways to alleviate climate change are the same as these.

Humans must shoulder the responsibility for this problem. Despite arguments to the contrary, humans must also shoulder the responsibility for much of climate change.

To put the report in proper context, humans are fast destroying the planet. Brazen disregard of the fragility of Earth has led to the intersection of these two life threatening problems. They spell, if even partially true, disaster for the planet and ultimately disaster for mankind.

Changes must be made to avert the predicted disasters. As one report said, continuing business as usual is the disaster.

The world has a little time to get things straight. Actually, the report gives more time for corrective action than commonly given for addressing climate change.

Coming together, these warnings are like a one-two punch. The most important thing now is our response.