The Italian branch of WWF warned that
the future of the planet was on the line on Friday as activists
across the country and all over the world took part in events
marking Earth Day.
"It is sufficient to remember that 75% of the earth's surface
not covered by ice has been significantly altered," WWF Italia
said, referring to the 2020 Living Planet Report.
"Most of the oceans are polluted.
"At the moment one million species on the planet are threatened
by extinction.
"The rate of extinction of animal and plant species is 1,000
times the natural rate".
Earlier this month, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) said we've reached the "now-or-never point" to
stop a global environmental catastrophe.
The UN scientists said that, in order to keep the rise in
temperatures from going above 1.5C, carbon emissions must peak
by 2025 and decline rapidly across all sectors after that,
reaching net-zero by the early 2050s.
The scientists stressed that humanity has the tools and know-how
required to limit warming, citing policies and laws that have
enhanced energy efficiency, reduced rates of deforestation and
accelerated the deployment of renewable energy.
But they also said that, even if all the policies governments
currently had put in place by the end of 2020 to cut carbon
emissions were fully implemented, the world will still warm by a
devastating 3.2C this century.
The theme of Earth Day 2022 is 'Invest In Our Planet', putting
the emphasis on the need for businesses, , as well as
governments and individuals, to embrace the climate challenge
and adopt sustainable solutions.
As Indian scholar and environmental activist Vandana Shiva once
said: "it is not an investment if it is destroying the planet".
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