'The apparent chaos of the Anthropocene is turbocharging evolution itself': Plants are finding ways to survive and thrive in the climate crisis — if we let them ...Middle East

But in this excerpt from "Despite it All" (Granta, 2026), author and journalist Fred Pearce looks at the remarkable resilience of nature. If we can put aside our notions of what should and shouldn't be in a given environment and leave nature to adapt and thrive, we may begin to see the gains needed to support a healthy biosphere.

If we are serious about rewilding, then we need to accept that it will take its own course.

So do many oldschool ecologists, says Chris Thomas, an ecologist at the University of York. They too often simply ignore any bits of nature that do not meet their expectations of what "should" be present. "The establishment of successful species in new locations is commonly interpreted as further evidence that the Earth's system is departing from a more desirable state," he told me.

Most of the gains — the weeds, pests and alien species — are kept off the biodiversity books. This amounts to an ecological catch-22. Biodiversity can only ever decrease, as new species are seen as inimical to the local environment, and each year millions of pounds, dollars and euros are being spent to eliminate them.

We spend huge amounts of money trying to eradicate weeds, many of which may be beneficial for the environment. (Image credit: Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images)

We should embrace novel ecosystems that contain both what we regard as native species and the feral, opportunistic interlopers that find their new environment congenial. In his book about weeds, British naturalist Richard Mabey celebrated what he called these "outlaw plants" and showed how they have had a hand in shaping not only our landscape but our civilization, becoming crops, medicines and sources of beauty and creative inspiration.

We should be careful not to let our reverence for the pristine blind us to the environmental potential of today's wastelands

So, we should be careful not to let our reverence for the pristine blind us to the environmental potential of today's wastelands, backwoods, abandoned fields, scrublands and no-go areas. In a Good Anthropocene we are likely to need more of them.

Plant evolution is happening at an increasing rate as species adapt to changing conditions. Allowing it to happen could help increase biodiversity. (Image credit: Rosmarie Wirz/Getty Images)

I first met Thomas in 2004, when he had just published an influential paper warning that climate change could wipe out a quarter of the world's species this century. He called it "terrifying." It was headline news. Two decades later, he has not changed that forecast, but he has added an important rider. Despite the coming extinction holocaust, he told me, "the Anthropocene could raise biological diversity."

This urban ecological renaissance resembles the story of the finches on the Galápagos archipelago, which Charles Darwin observed to have evolved different beaks to match the food on the different islands. In modern cities, house mice have evolved to produce saliva with a chemical make-up better able to digest the carbohydrates available in urban food; cockroaches and bedbugs have developed resistance to pesticides and even learned to avoid sugar-impregnated bait; London's pigeons have learned to commute on the Underground. We have clothes moths and carpet beetles.

Related stories

Action on climate change faces new threat: The doomers who think it's too late to act'Food insecurity is no longer just about low-income countries': Environmental economist explains how climate change is pushing agricultural systems to the brinkChina banned all fishing to save the Yangtze River. This 'nuclear' option appears to be working.

Such places may become crucibles for a biodiversity rebound. Understanding this reality should change how we do conservation. We should not abandon nature to its fate. Some of our favourite species will pass into history unless we act to save them, and I'd vote for action any day. But it does mean embracing rather than rejecting the processes of change. Change in the Anthropocene is good. We should be grateful that nature is finding a way.

amazon Despite It All: A Handbook for Climate Hopefuls

In "Despite it All," Fred Pearce looks at the positive environmental changes that have taken place over the last four decades, from the defused population bomb to the unstoppable rise of renewables. While acknowledging there is still an enormous amount of work to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, Pearce shows there is hope for the future — HO

Hence then, the article about the apparent chaos of the anthropocene is turbocharging evolution itself plants are finding ways to survive and thrive in the climate crisis if we let them was published today ( Sunday 02/08/2026 - 01:14 PM ) and is available on Live Science ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 'The apparent chaos of the Anthropocene is turbocharging evolution itself': Plants are finding ways to survive and thrive in the climate crisis — if we let them )

Also on site :

• The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady
• ADMA Deadline: ADMA Investors with Losses in Excess of $100K Have Opportunity to Lead ADMA Biologics, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit Filed by The Rosen Law Firm
• ‘A Life Illuminated’: Of Bioluminescence, Mysterious Sea Creatures, And A Woman Scientist’s Groundbreaking Quest