The scientists warn that these consequences won’t just be felt by the natural world – they will also affect us. “Humanity is now being given a second notice, as illustrated by these alarming trends,” write Ripple and his colleagues in their declaration. “We are jeopardizing our future by not reining in our intense but geographically and demographically uneven material consumption and by not perceiving continued rapid population growth as a primary driver behind many ecological and even societal threats.”