The Nobel laureate warns about the state of the Earth

On the occasion of the Nobel Prize this year to be awarded next week, many Nobel laureates have sounded a warning bell about the status of the Earth being over-exploited , demanding to be a revolution of human behavior.

Eleven Nobel laureates, mainly scientists, will attend a four-day seminar in Hong Kong (China) from October 8 to parallel with the 2014 Nobel Prize in Oslo. , to remind that only the more intelligent and rational use of resources can save the ecosystem that humanity is dependent on.

Peter Doherty, co-owner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Medicine stressed that the current situation is "catastrophic". The climate is warmed, the forest is destroyed, the ground is eroded and the water is degraded, the oceans become acidified, chemical pollution, environmental-related diseases . the list of planetary wounds stop extending. According to him, from now on consumers, businesses and politicians need to consider all their activities.

In this Wednesday's meeting in Hong Kong, the 'Nobelists' will think about the challenge of global temperature rise of 4 °, double the limit set by the international community at 2 °. Mankind is over spending natural resources.

Field Hortobagy, Hungary on September 24, 2014.(Photo: Reuters source)

The Global Living Planet 2014 Report of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced on Tuesday, 30th, that people are now "consuming" 1.5 Earths each year. In other words, we use more than 50% of the natural resources that the planet can regenerate.

Brian Schimidt, co-host of the Nobel Prize for Physics 2011, said: "The exhaustion is in the immediate future. Consumption of materials is constantly increasing, to serve the 9 billion people on Earth from now until 2050, capital. "I want to have a way of living like in the West today. In the last 35 years, we're damaging more than 1,000 years ago."

For Israeli scientist Ada Yonath, co-owner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, not only protects animals and plants, but humanity must also be more cautious with other resources such as antibiotics.

So which solution to choose? Many 'Nobelists' consider the priority to be for energy . Fossil fuels need to be replaced as quickly as possible by new types of clean energy and new technologies, which new emerging countries can quickly enjoy.

Another concern is to erase the short-sighted view of a public opinion, patiently explaining to the public why the change in behavior is beneficial to people.

George Smoot, co-host of the 2006 Nobel Prize in physics (thanks to the research results of the Big Bang that formed the universe) gave an example of LED lighting, replacing the round bulbs. But he added, a good invention is not enough, but it must be used extensively, and this starts with every one understanding. Thus, there should be solutions that the government allows and encourages, as well as people's acceptance.