At the UN, the world is hearing what our koalas need for survival. It's the same thing that we humans need for survival.
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Dr Montague-Drake said of UN World Wildlife Day, "we were reminded that one million species are faced with extinction and of the inescapable reliance of humanity upon healthy ecosystems" (Port News March 10, 2020).
I think we know this in our hearts: we understood the lessons of last summer.
Just like the koalas, humans and all other species do rely totally on healthy ecosystems for clean water, safe food, clean air, fertile soil, recycling of materials and a liveable climate.
Perhaps this was not understood before we were confronted by "unprecedented" disturbances to our environment.
Extreme heat, uncontrollable fires charged by strong winds and drought. Summer that's now 45 days longer than it used to be.
Thousands of koalas and millions of other animals were killed, and some species may become extinct. But while they can do nothing to change this, we humans can.
There is plenty of evidence that we can revert to a healthy environment by changing what we do.
We already have cost effective alternatives, which let us maintain our standard of living without accelerating climate change. But the longer we delay, the more it will cost. It's up to us.
Julie Ho
Port Macquarie