Nature Needs You!
Numbers of wild animals, plants and other living species have been declining sharply!
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) released their shocking most recent βLiving Planet Indexβ in September 2014.
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Researchers from the Zoological Society of London used a new and more effective methodology designed by the WWF to look at changes, from 1970 to 2010, in 10000 populations of 3000 species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. This is what they found:
The indications from this sample are that just in the 40 years between 1970 and 2010 the populations of wildlife have declined on average by over half – 52%!
Populations of terrestrial (land) species have shrunk by 39%, as have those of marine (sea) species. Worst hit have been the freshwater (river and lake) species populations which have been reduced by 76%!
According to the United States Geographical Survey, it is estimated that by 2010 the number of extinctions had reached about 50 000 species. This rate of extinctions has risen sharply especially since 1970, mirroring the rise in the total human population, which reached 7 Billion by 2010. Β if the decline in marine life continues at the rate of 39% per 40 years, it could cause the loss of $448 Billion/ Β£296 Billion of income to the fishing industry by 2050.
This decline in wildlife populations as well as the rise number of speciesβ extinctions will not only be a huge loss to the ecosystems of the planet, but also to the vital ecosystem services they provide for human beings!
Ecosystems pollinate our food crops and trees, control our pests and diseases, clean and maintain our water, air and soil, as well as providing food, medicine and materials that we harvest from the wild. No ecosystems= no food!
Ecosystems help to prevent floods and landslides, and sustain each day many human and animal lives, as well as incomes that depend on forests, rivers, oceans and other habitats.
The WWF in 2014 found that surprisingly only 4% of population decline is just due to pollution, and only 2% from just disease.Β Climate change has impacted 7.1 % of wildlife populations, and invasive species or genes have affected 5.1%.
The larger causes of the death of animals include the loss of habitats or homes for wildlife (13.4%), habitat degradation or change (31.4%), and exploitation (mining, drilling, quarrying etc.) (37%). Obviously these are largely the effects of industrial processes and building on natural ecosystems.
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What will be left if we continue this way?!
Can we not meet our needs without causing this level of destruction of ecosystems upon which we depend so much?!
Yes we can!
Β How to be part of the solution:
- Reduce, re-use, recycle and compost to minimise consumption.
- Choose greener, cleaner energy- renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
- Minimise the use of harmful pesticides and household chemicals, personal hygiene and cosmetic products, drugs etc.
- Check every product you buy to try to minimise harm to nature, e.g. buy locally grown and produced goods that you know have a greener footprint.
- Learn more about products from the internet and spread awareness
- Feed local wildlife such as birds, put plants and trees in your garden or on your balcony that attract and have food for beneficial wildlife.
- Grow chemical-free, organic food, and make a variety of habitats in your, gardens and farms- e.g. Permaculture
- Drive greener cars and build greener buildings and businesses.