After three years, this will be my last commentary for Asia Focus. Time has flown by since I first sat behind this keyboard, and I have often used this space to vent my anger at dictators and complain about climate change. I will miss having this outlet for expression.
In keeping with tradition, I'd like to talk about what I care about most dearly. Having a child changes everything in your life, including how you view society and the environment your children will live in. And right now, we are leading them to a future without breathable air and many of the animals we now take for granted.
According to a 2017 study by the biologists Gerardo Ceballos, Paul Ehrlich and Rodolfo Dirzo, Earth's "ongoing sixth mass extinction" has been "more severe than perceived". Using a sample of 27,600 terrestrial vertebrate species, and a more detailed analysis of 177 mammal species, it predicts "an extremely high degree" of population decay in vertebrates.
Last week, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity set new global goals to combat the ongoing biodiversity crisis for the coming decade. Similar targets were set in 2010 and most have not been met. The aim now is to stop and reverse biodiversity decline by setting a 2030 deadline for the conservation and restoration of ecosystems and wildlife. But, what is the point of a deadline if we keep missing it without a thought that we might be dead?
Perhaps you haven't given much thought to how human actions are speeding up the extinction of animals. In that case, I'd strongly suggest you read some scientific studies or watch Our Planet on Netflix. The latter will fill you with guilt, as Sir David Attenborough makes sure to point out in every episode how humans are destroying animal biodiversity and habitats.
Or you might want to visit Australia to see how massive bushfires, exacerbated by human-caused global warming, are killing all kinds of species, including humans. More than half a billion animals have perished so far. "Every land-dwelling animal species larger than a domestic cat was ultimately doomed, unless it could swim, burrow or fly," says Mike Lee, a professor of evolutionary biology at Flinders University in Australia.
This means you can almost say goodbye to kangaroos and koala bears if the wildfires don't stop soon. If a picture of a struggling and half-burnt koala does not get you to react, then I don't what else could, a burning baby perhaps?
The UN working group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework has also declared that "biodiversity, and the benefits it provides, is fundamental to human well-being and a healthy planet".
"Despite ongoing efforts, biodiversity is deteriorating worldwide and this decline is projected to continue or worsen under business-as-usual scenarios," it added.
The group has called for a commitment to protect sites important for biodiversity covering at least 30% of the planet by 2030, with at least 10% under "strict protection". Meanwhile, a 20-point plan aims to introduce controls on invasive species while reducing pollution from biocides, plastic wastes and excess nutrients by 50%. Other smaller targets include ensuring that the trade of all wild species is legal and sustainable, while human consumption is also sustainable. But setting goals is good only if we can reach them.
In any case, it's ridiculous that of all the animals in the world, a species with a population of 7.7 billion is doing so much harm. The Global Footprint Network calculates that people are consuming nature's resources 1.7 times faster than our planet's ecosystems can regenerate them. In 2018, "Earth Overshoot Day" -- the date when humans used up their 12-month renewable resources "budget" -- came on August 1.
Finally, people who are eating exotic wildlife should really take a good look at themselves in the mirror to make sure that devil horns haven't sprouted on their heads. Consuming tiger parts to improve your sex life or shark fins for fun when Viagra and bacon can do the job just as well is just plain evil.
This concludes my last rant here at the Bangkok Post, but I promise it won't be my last fight against government repression, human rights abusers, climate change deniers and others making our world a more dangerous place. To all the other rebellious souls out there, please keep up the good fight.