They assure that the Earth has already entered a sixth period of massive extinction

A report from international scientists for the UN indicates that Earth has entered the sixth "mbad extinction" and that one million species could disappear in the next decades.

"If we want a sustainable planet that is beneficial to the world's communities, we must change course in the next decade," say the experts, pointing out that, from all the periods of extinction across our planet, it would be the first time caused by an unnatural cause. .

According to the authors of the study, there is already "a rapid acceleration of the extinction process: the rate of disappearance of species is today between tens and hundreds of times higher than the average of Last 10 million years ".

In the last 500 years, at least 680 vertebrate species have disappeared. However, in the coming decades, the threat would reach 500,000 and one million animal and plant species, which would be in danger of extinction.

Among the main causes of these gloomy prospects, the report highlights the misuse of land and oceans – with intensive agriculture, logging, mining and overexploitation of the land. fisheries – but also climate change and pollution in coastal areas. an overpopulated world where the level of population is increasing.

In this context, the 130 member countries of the Intergovernmental Science and Standards Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) will meet from April 29 to May 4 in Paris to review the alarming report presented three years later. scientific work,

"We must recognize that climate change and biodiversity loss are important not only for the environment but also for economic and development problems," said IPBES President Robert Watson, calling for a "transformation" of food production. energetic