“The Republican Party is a major threat to the country, and to human survival.”

With the midterm elections again being described as “the most important elections in history,” it might seem stale. Unless, on the same day, you receive a warning from the United Nations that humanity’s destruction of the planet’s natural systems is pushing the species towards its own destruction.

That’s what happened Tuesday. As tens of millions of Americans went to vote, the executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Cristiana Pașca Palmer, became the latest person to say that the human species will soon face its own extinction. She argued that we have to quickly stop our attack on the natural world.

Talking about the species loss, Palmer said the “staggering” levels make her hope humans are not “the first species to document our own extinction.”



"The loss of biodiversity is a silent killer,"  she explained in an interview with the Guardian. "It's different from climate change, where people feel the impact in everyday life. With biodiversity, it is not so clear. But, by the time you know what is happening, it may be too late."

According to the Guardian:

Conservationists are desperate for a biodiversity agreement that will be as important as the Paris climate agreement. But so far, this subject has received very little attention. However, many scientists say it is as dangerous as climate change for humanity.

The last two major biodiversity agreements – in 2002 and 2010 – have failed to stop the worst loss of life on Earth since the dinosaurs.

Noam Chomsky

Meanwhile, Noam Chomsky again said the Republican Party in the U.S. is the "most dangerous organization in human history." His evidence for that argument is partly because they don't recognize the massive threat of man made global warming.

"The Republican Party is simply a major threat to human survival," Chomsky said on Democracy Now! on Monday. "I've said in the past that I think they’re the most dangerous organization in human history. And, on the issue of climate change alone, I think that’s worth repeating."

People have many reasons to come out and vote this year. Few elections will have as long-lasting consequences as this one.  We need to vote out those who stand in the way of tackling the problems we face. These threats are habitat destruction, climate change, and the destruction of our ecosystems.

While Palmer at the UN said things appear miserable, she said there is no reason to give up hope or stop trying.

"We should be aware of the dangers but not stopped from acting," Palmer explained. "It's still in our hands but the window for action is closing. We need higher levels of political and citizen action to support nature."