Humanity has already altered 75% of the Earth’s ice-free surface, according to UN Environment Programme.
Nearly 1mn species face extinction, while the illicit wildlife trade is the fourth largest such crime in the world.
Echoing humanity’s unhealthy relationship with nature, UNEP executive director Inger Andersen said: “The science does not lie. We can tell much of the story of the damage our species has wrought with a few facts.”
UNEP’s warning assumes significance as we celebrated World Environment Day on Friday.
It is a day upon which, for over 40 years, people the world over have advocated and acted for a healthy environment. From beach clean-ups to mass tree-planting to marches, individuals, communities and governments have come out to…