1 million species now at risk of extinction
I’ve
had an 18-month hiatus from conservation blogging but I haven't stopped following the crises that occur daily around the globe. Aside
from a change in profession, studying, volunteering and being lucky enough to
travel, I have followed a multitude of conservation issues and the social media
excoriation of problems from the continuation of illegal hunting in the UK; the
devastating bushfires in Australia; Trump’s shift in policy over trophy imports
that could open the floodgates to further trophy slayings; South Africa’s lion
farms, Extinction
Rebellion (XR) and Greta Thunberg’s epic campaign to raise awareness of the
state of climate change that saw her named Time
Magazine’s Person of the Year 2019.
Seeing
the uprising of spirited teens unwilling to accept the trajectory the planet is
on for the 6th mass extinction and
social collapse is inspirational. But it also highlights the painfully toxic
situation we are all a part of that governments seem adamant to quieten.
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XR comes to Manchester in 2019
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One million species face extinction
Unsurprisingly, challenges facing our wildlife globally have worsened during my break and numbers continue to crash. It is now estimated that a staggering one million species face extinction globally. An exact figure is impossible to quantify. The planet has a myriad of inhospitable environments and new species are discovered all the time. From the knowledge we do have, experts estimate that the rapid loss of species is between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than natural extinction, according to the World Wildlife Fund. However, it could be even higher than this.
Mammals
Our
closest living relatives – primates – are now severely endangered with up to
50% at risk of extinction, according to the IUCN, due to habitat loss, farming
and loss of food.
The
IUCN also estimates 20% of all mammals are at risk of extinction with 1,
131 classified as endangered, threatened or vulnerable.
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| Not even the rabbit has been able to outrun a decrease in numbers |
Over the last 20 years, not even the rabbit has outrun an exponential decrease in numbers. This is hard to believe for a ubiquitous mammal with the ability for each doe to give birth to 30 kittens over season.
In the UK, there are currently only 58 species of mammals. Wild cats, red squirrels, hedgehogs, water voles, hares and certain species of bat and mice all face severe threats.
In the UK, there are currently only 58 species of mammals. Wild cats, red squirrels, hedgehogs, water voles, hares and certain species of bat and mice all face severe threats.
Birds
The
crisis for birds is slightly less bleak with around 12% of birds globally
threatened. Birds can be found pretty much everywhere: from city centres, to
gardens, forests, wetlands, savannahs and the oceans they are hardy, feathered
creatures.
Due to their migratory and adaptable behaviour, they are bellwethers for changes in the biosphere. Habitat loss, invasive species, loss of food, farming practices, capture by collectors and hunting have all had a devastating effect on birds.
Due to their migratory and adaptable behaviour, they are bellwethers for changes in the biosphere. Habitat loss, invasive species, loss of food, farming practices, capture by collectors and hunting have all had a devastating effect on birds.
In
the USA, circa 31% are a conservation concern, whilst in the UK, a recent State
of Nature report revealed up to 50% of birds face the risk of extinction due to
intense farming, pollution, habitat destruction, invasive species and the
climate crisis. According to the report, the UK has now shockingly been
labelled one
of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.
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| Despite it's green countryside, the UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world |
Marine wildlife
It’s
no secret that human activity has more than decimated our marine wildlife:
plastic pollution, gill nets, hunting, poaching, over-fishing and marine traffic
have all impacted on our oceans.
Last
year, One Green planet announced 700 marine species were at risk of extinction
due to plastic pollution. With more than 8 million tonnes of plastic polluting
our waters annually, this is sadly not
surprising at all.
In 2017, I wrote about the tragic demise of vaquitas off the Mexican coast, which you can read here: https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7446103060720962338/6201715108266813774
At the time, less than 30 vaquitas were left and attempts to preserve them in captivity had all failed. Recently, the number was estimated at less than 18, possibly less than 12 and it was suggested by scientists that the remaining vaquita wouldn't survive the current fishing season due to abandoned gill nets from the illegal fishing of the totoaba fish - another species at risk of extinction due to the vociferous appetite for them in China.
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| Turtles are just one species being killed off by plastic pollution |
Insects
A
study last year announced that over
40% of insect species risk extinction with ten percent of known insects
already going extinct.
The
world’s pollinators have beautified our world for millions of years. What many
don’t realise is how much we depend on them for fruit, vegetables, and other
produce we consume. Now, the use of pesticides and habitat loss means a lot of
our pollinators are struggling to survive which will have a devastating impact
on humankind.
Agriculture
is the main culprit for the demise of insects and an overhaul of agricultural
practice is clearly needed. This would allow declining species to recovery as
well as safeguard vital ecosystems – not just for insects but for us.
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| We rely on pollinators, like bees, butterflies and wasps for the produce we consume |
What this means for us
It’s
not hard to understand why youngsters globally refuse to accept our fate. Since
human activity is the root cause of this fate, it is also the root to
ameliorating it. These frankly frightening statistics not only put wildlife at
risk but our planet and ourselves at
risk. Dramatic changes in the delicate ecosystems from loss of wildlife also
change things we rely on - food, materials, oxygen, soil and water. It’s not
hard to see the full picture of why XR are fighting ‘an unprecedented global emergency.’
So,
what do we do? Social media for all its faults has unequivocally helped raise
awareness and has given a voice to the voiceless globally so keep sharing those
posts, voice your opinions or go as far as to set up a petition to be heard in
parliament. On the right groups, these can be very easy to reach the 100,000
signatures needed to be heard in the UK’s parliament. Quite how this works in other
countries should be easy to find out.
Try
reducing your carbon footprint on the planet. Use biodegradable bags for waste,
change your cleaning products to environmentally friendly ones, cut back on
meat – and don’t buy it from supermarkets, take used clothing to charity shops
and research on Leaping Bunny which
beauty products are not tested on animals. You’ll be surprised at how many
products that claim not to test on animals are sold in China where it is law
that any product has to be tested on animals on first. I was aghast to find a
lot of the products I use are sold in China. This is no longer the case.
What
does 2020 and future years mean for you? New goals? New experiences? New hobbies?
Why not try a 'New you'? Because simply
put, without immediate changes being made to save the planet, none of those
future plans you have will mean anything. As Prince Charles recently said at
the World Economic Forum in
Davos: “what good is all the extra wealth in the world gained from business
as usual if you can do nothing with it except watch it burn in catastrophic
conditions?”
The
prince was right when he asked: “do we want to go down in history as the people
who did nothing to bring the world back from the brink?”
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