James Conca, scientist in the field of earth and environmental sciences. Contributor to Forbes: Let’s face it. Nature is losing. The wild places of the world are disappearing, and will continue to disappear, until they are no more. I’m glad I’ll be dead before it’s all gone. Every bird population we care about is in dramatic decline. Most of the bird species on the endangered list will disappear forever in a relatively short time. The trees and plants will be just those we like or can’t get rid of. Some of the animals will be the ones we’ve spent billions to keep, but most will be our food and friends, and those that can survive being around us, like cockroaches and rats. While some of his concerns will come true, can humanity learn and do better or must we forego fossil fuels and go back to slavery and plundering?
