It’s frightening but true: our planet is now amid its sixth mass extinction of plants and animals — the sixth wave of extinctions in the past half-billion years. We’re currently experiencing the worst spate of species die-offs since the loss of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Rather than a meteorite or large volcanic eruption, the alarming decline of biodiversity leading to the current mass extinction is the result of major human activities.

The above is part of the message delivered by Shri Saket Singh Kaurav, Curator, Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai in a presentation he made at the monthly meeting of the Inter Media Publicity Coordination Committee (IMPCC), held at PIB Mumbai today.

Referring to an exhibit brought out by the Centre, Shri Saket said that the need of the hour is to establish a common set of rules for the global economic system based on sustainability and wellbeing. He said that there is a need for new economic measures of progress beyond GDP, to ensure sustainable development and equitable growth.

 

The exhibit was produced as part of an exhibition put up by the Centre, by the name “Planet under Pressure”. Through the exhibition, Nehru Science Centre (National Council of Science Museums) aims to sensitize the public and create awareness that the time for action is now for generating a momentum for the major transformation required for a truly sustainable planet.

 

Shri Saket mentioned that the Anthropocene Era, as a new geological epoch, was first proposed in the year 2000, by Dutch Nobel Laureate Professor Paul Crutzen and US academic Professor Eugene Stoermer. Prof. Crutzen and others have argued that the vast human enterprise now rivals the great geological forces of nature. The “Planet under Pressure” exhibition highlights the pressure that planet Earth faces in the Anthropocene Era.

 

A short video on the Anthropecene can be found below.

Welcome to the Anthropocene from WelcomeAnthropocene on Vimeo.

The speaker said that there are several institutes working around the globe in addressing the above issues. He said that though the results of the global  efforts to contain the debilitating impact on our planet are slow, there are signs that some drivers of global change are slowing or changing. He said that every one of us can join in the global effort to reduce human impact on our planet.

Figure 1: This exhibit presents alarming evidence that CO2, Global Average Surface Temperature and Rising Sea Level have already reached important tipping points, leading to irreversible changes in major ecosystems and the planetary climate system.

 

Figure 2: The replica of an Asokan rock edict containing sermons from King Asoka to protect biodiversity remind us of the sensitivity of this subject and our role in protecting our planet

Figure 3: This exhibit explains how humans are the major drivers of change

 

The Inter Media Publicity Coordination Committee meetings are held every month. Additional Director General (Western Region), PIB Mumbai, Shri Nitin Wakankar is the current Chairperson of IMPCC in the region.

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DJM/BG

(Release ID: 1530470)