Global S&T Development Trend Analysis Platform of Resources and Environment
| DOI | 10.1126/science.abg9225 |
| Australia faces environmental crisis | |
| Michelle Ward; Shayan Barmand; James Watson; Brooke Williams | |
| 2021-03-12 | |
| 发表期刊 | Science
 |
| 出版年 | 2021 |
| 英文摘要 | A decade ago, an Australian report outlined changes the country must make to halt the decline and loss of species ([ 1 ][1]), but the reforms were never implemented. In the years since, most threatened species have continued to decline, and at least three have gone extinct ([ 2 ][2], [ 3 ][3]). Since the year 2000, more than 7.7 million hectares of threatened species habitat have been destroyed ([ 4 ][4]). Last month, the Australian government released a report that examined Australia's ongoing failure to tackle the species extinction crisis and offered recommendations ([ 5 ][5]). Australia's minister for the environment has committed to work through the full detail of the recommendations ([ 6 ][6]), but there are already worrying signs that they will be ignored. The Federal Government of Australia must protect and preserve nature as required by international agreements ([ 7 ][7]). Without fundamental policy reforms, Australia—a megadiverse country home to about 600,000 species ([ 8 ][8])—risks mass species extinction.
The most urgent action Australia must take is to establish legally binding National Environmental Standards that are rigorously enforced and underpinned by Indigenous engagement and participation. An Environment Assurance Commissioner should be appointed, one that is responsible for overseeing and auditing government decision-making in accordance with the Standards ([ 5 ][5]). This would improve accountability, transparency, and trust in government. In addition, an independent body should be created to be responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the environmental legislation, a suggestion that has already been dismissed ([ 9 ][9]). Levels of government funding for appropriate environmental management and restoration are insufficient to address Australia's extinction crisis ([ 10 ][10]). Adequate resources must urgently target threatened species recovery. Alongside more funding, existing environmental laws need to be reviewed to close loopholes, such as the one in the current law that effectively grants an exemption to all native forest logging ([ 5 ][5]), threatening hundreds of species ([ 2 ][2], [ 3 ][3]).
Assessments of the state of Australia's imperiled species show that the government is running out of time ([ 11 ][11]). At least 1807 species are now listed as threatened with extinction, with 290 considered on the very brink, listed as Critically Endangered and on the fast track to extinction ([ 2 ][2], [ 3 ][3]). The Australian scientific community has been increasingly vocal about the ineffectiveness of Australian environmental legislation for achieving its objectives ([ 4 ][4], [ 10 ][10], [ 12 ][12]) and preventing the likelihood of an extinction crisis ([ 10 ][10]), but these calls have been ignored. It is time for Australia's government to heed the calls of scientists and implement urgent, wide-ranging, and reformative policies before it is too late.
1. [↵][13]1. A. Hawke
, “The Australian Environment Act—Report of the independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999” (Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra, 2009).
2. [↵][14]Commonwealth of Australia, EPBC Act List of Threatened Fauna (2019); [www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=fauna][15].
3. [↵][16]Commonwealth of Australia, EPBC Act List of Threatened Flora (2019); [www.environment.gov.au/cgibin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=flora][17].
4. [↵][18]1. M. Ward et al
., Conserv. Sci. Pract. 1, e117 (2019).
[OpenUrl][19]
5. [↵][20]1. G. Samuel
, “Independent review of the EPBC Act – Final report” (Canberra, Australia, 2020).
6. [↵][21]Commonwealth of Australia, “Review supports reform for environmental laws” (2021); |
| 领域 | 气候变化 ; 资源环境 |
| URL | 查看原文 |
| 引用统计 | |
| 文献类型 | 期刊论文 |
| 条目标识符 | http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/318671 |
| 专题 | 气候变化 资源环境科学 |
| 推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714 | Michelle Ward,Shayan Barmand,James Watson,et al. Australia faces environmental crisis[J]. Science,2021. |
| APA | Michelle Ward,Shayan Barmand,James Watson,&Brooke Williams.(2021).Australia faces environmental crisis.Science. |
| MLA | Michelle Ward,et al."Australia faces environmental crisis".Science (2021). |
| 条目包含的文件 | 条目无相关文件。 | |||||
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