Andrew Smith, Photography Editor
Professor Susan Walker, board member of the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica, makes a presentation to Professor Gerald Lalor following his lecture at the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica's inaugural public lecture on 'Earth and its Environment' held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Wednesday. - ANDREW SMITH/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
PROFESSOR GERALD Lalor made a sometimes light-hearted, humorous, but always impassioned lecture on the need for Jamaica to address its environmental challenges through intellect and knowledge, during the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica's (EFJ) inaugural public lecture on 'Earth and its Environment'.
Professor Lalor explained how life, especially human life, has affected Earth's environment in the 4.5 billion years since its creation.
MASSIVE GLOBAL EXTINCTIONS
Over this time, five massive global extinctions have occurred, all due to global climate changes, and Professor Lalor says that the sixth global extinction is ongoing, and "Man is the driving force of the current extinction," he said, adding ominously that this "could be (the) final (one)."
He was speaking at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on Wednesday night. Addressing an audience of over 150 people who had packed into the 'Talk of the Town', he stated unapologetically that "as a species, we are a set of bastards."
Of the 10 to 13 million species on Earth, he says that 27,000 are probably being wiped out each year.
Earth's ever-growing human population is consuming the planet, "its forests, its fish and shellfish, wildlife and vegetation."
HUNGER AND MALNUTRITION
Yet, paradoxically, one in six people globally suffer from hunger and malnutrition. In the year 2025, Professor Lalor said, two-thirds of the world's population are likely to have dire water needs.
At the same time, pollution is evident everywhere, in the newborn, at the poles, in deserts, oceans and in outer space.
Against this background, Professor Lalor appealed for Jamaica to place more emphasis on knowledge so that they may combat environmental challenges.
He listed Jamaica's major environmental issues as land erosion and forest destruction, inner-city problems, Kingston's smog, the state of the Kingston Harbour, destruction of coastlines and corals, waste and sewage disposal, use of high risk land sites, flooding, food security, lead-poisoned children and crime.
"The only way to deal with these things is more knowledge and willingness to care about our fellowman," he said.
