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NOW Magazine
David Suzuki: Faulty economic thinking makes destroying nature profitable
GDP measures production but does not account for damage to or loss of essential natural services, writes David Suzuki By David Suzuki
gsagi / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Everything we need to survive – food, water, air, shelter – comes from nature, of which we are a part. Fuelled by the sun’s energy, this planet is amazing in its ability to replenish and recycle the basic elements of life.
Now people are outpacing Earth’s ability to maintain these essential services. Our economic systems not only ignore this unsustainable plunder, they encourage it. That’s led to a 70 per cent decline in mammal, bird, fish, reptile and amphibian populations over the past 50 years. One million plant and animal species – one-quarter of the global total – now face extinction.
from 16 to 48. investigators believe that this is an isolated incident. very turn now to the dire warning about the amazon rainfore rainforest. top scientists say it has reached into a tipping point where it could turn into a savannah, a grassy plain with few trees and release billions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere. joining me now is kendra pierre lewis. thanks for having me. how bad is the situation right now in the amazon in what are some of the main causes for this. so it s really bad based on this editorian. the big driver is human deforestation. so the amazon makes its own rain because of the shear size of it but as you cut away at it it s less able to zak that zone rain so it will start getting drier and drier, and you end up with a savannah. people think of the amazon as
shannon: time for special night court, all eyes on newly confirmed justice brett kavanaugh. two votes coming up involving religion in public square. a washington state high school coach fired for praying on the field. another 40 foot cross for maryland, part of the world war i memorial. ruled unconstitutional, they can be government endorsement have religion. let s talk with it in the legal eagle, senior eagle think progress justice editor ian, along with former justice department official and supreme court advocate tom d. evree. these cases are on a list that the justices will vote o you have to get four votes for the court to hear it. what are the odds of either of these cases or both of them getting on to the calendar because of this new justice kavanaugh.