Biodiversity and human Health

As the recent repeated climate-related tragedies in several countries (hurricanes Helene and Milton, flood in Valencia) demonstrate, we are now observing what was predicted many years ago on the basis of scientific models. As William Ripple and colleagues, among others, have stressed, “We are on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster. This is a global emergency beyond any doubt. Much of the very fabric of life on Earth is imperiled. We are stepping into a critical and unpredictable new phase of the climate crisis. (…) For half a century, global warming has been correctly predicted even before it was observed—and not only by independent academic scientists but also by fossil fuel companies. (…) Despite six IPCC reports, 28 COP meetings, hundreds of other reports, and tens of thousands of scientific papers, the world has made only very minor headway on climate change, in part because of stiff resistance from those benefiting financially from the current fossil-fuel based system” (1). Others have introduced the term of “polycrisis” to describe the occurrence and interaction of multiple threats to the planet (2). Though the effects of climate change are now easily visible, we may be underestimating other key aspects of the polycrisis. Primary prevention has failed for climate change so far, and might fail also for other components of the planetary boundaries, namely the loss of biodiversity. Here I will particularly focus on the impacts of biodiversity loss on health. <br> For the Full Context, Please Click Here