American scientist and historian Jared Diamond has predicted there is a 49% chance civilisation will collapse by 2050, warning that current resource management is unsustainable.
Unsustainable resource use
Diamond told Intelligencer: "I would estimate the chances are about 49% that the world as we know it will collapse by about 2050." He explained that fisheries and farms worldwide are being "managed unsustainably", leading to resource depletion.
He said: "At the rate we're going now, resources that are essential for complex societies are being managed unsustainably. Fisheries around the world, most fisheries are being managed unsustainably, and they're getting depleted. Farms around the world, most farms are being managed unsustainably. Soil, topsoil around the world. Fresh water around the world is being managed unsustainably."
Urgent call for change
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author cautioned that sustainable practices must be devised by 2050, "or it'll be too late". He stated: "With all these things, at the rate we're going now, we can carry on with our present unsustainable use for a few decades, and by around 2050 we won't be able to continue it any longer. Which means that by 2050 either we've figured out a sustainable course, or it'll be too late."
Diamond emphasised that change needs to be implemented by individuals, corporations, and governments. He said: "As for what we can do about it, whether to deal with it by individual action, or at a middle scale by corporate action, or at a top scale by government action - all three of those. Individually we can do things. We can buy different sorts of cars. We can do less driving. We can vote for public transport. That's one thing."
He added: "There are also corporate interests...I see that corporations, big corporations, while some of them do horrible things, some of them also are doing wonderful things which don't make the front page." Diamond concluded: "In short, climate change can be addressed at all these levels. Individual, corporation, and the national level."
