As três emergências que nossa sociedade enfrenta: saúde, biodiversidade e mudanças climáticas

Abstract

We are entering an era in which our planet and our society face major crises. We live simultaneously with three important emergencies: 1) the health crisis, intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic; 2) the biodiversity loss crisis; and 3) the climatic emergency. It should be noted that these crises have profound links between them, and also important differences, but they all have strong social and economic impacts and affect the planet globally. They are the result of an economic model that favors development at any cost and very quick profits even at the expense of sustainability. The Covid-19 crisis posed important questions from the viewpoint of a lack of global governance. In turn, the climate crisis has the potential for very serious socio-economic damage, and its effects are already clearly visible. The loss of biodiversity puts our food security at risk, and the balance of the terrestrial system as well. The Amazon, for example, harbors thousands of viruses in its fauna and flora, and if the unrestrained process of occupation continues, new viruses similar to Sars-CoV-2 will possibly come into contact with our society. Overcoming these three crises requires drastic changes in our economic system, unsustainable in its current format. Continued economic growth on a planet with finite natural resources is not possible. Inequality in developing countries and even between nations is explosive and unfair. We will need a new system of global governance that is able to harmonize measures from different countries, states and municipalities. Sustainability on our planet is possible and necessary. We – the scientific community, society, governments and other stakeholders –will have a lot of work ahead of us in the coming years. We have no alternative but to build a new, more just and sustainable society.