Page 231 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

218 LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT HANDBOOK

and water cycling, soil formation, and photosynthesis. From 2001 to 2005, sci-
entists, governmental agencies, and other experts gathered information on the
current global status and trends of 24 different ecosystem services, called the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, or MEA. Of these 24 services, the scien-
tists found that fifteen, or 62.5%, are globally degraded. They also found that
most of this degradation has occurred in only the last fifty years. Another five
ecosystem services have mixed results, with some areas of the world reporting
degradation and others reporting enhancement. The remaining four ecosys-
tem services have enhanced performance over the last fifty years. The follow-
ing Table 9.1 shows the goods and services that were evaluated in the MEA as
well as their current trends (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment Board, 2005).
With so many vital ecosystem services being degraded in an unsustain-
able way, it is easy to see that if these trends continue, our planet may no lon-
ger be able to sustain human life. Even now, the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development has found that the earth loses trillions of dollars in
natural capital every year, which negatively affects businesses throughout the

Table 9.1 Ecosystem services included in the millennium ecosystem assessment.
Degraded Mixed Enhanced
Provisioning Capture Fisheries Timber Crops
Services
Wild Foods Fiber Livestock

Wood Fuel Aquaculture
Genetic Resources
Biochemicals

Fresh Water
Regulating Air Quality Regulation Water Regulation Carbon
Services Sequestration
Climate Regulation Disease Regulation

Erosion Regulation
Water Purification

Pest Regulation
Pollination

Natural Hazard
Regulation

Cultural Spiritual & Religious Recreation &
Services Values Ecotourism

Aesthetic Values