Why It Matters :
The mass extinction of species is not just about cute or exotic animals that tug at our heart strings- it’s about our dependency on the web of life, yes, the entire web of life.
Recap:
Human beings are currently causing the greatest mass extinction of species since the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. If present trends continue, one half of all species on earth will be extinct in less than 100 years as a result of habitat destruction, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. While 75 percent of scientists believe we are in the sixth and greatest mass extinction event in the 4.5 billion year history of the planet, less than half of all Americans have ever heard of the extinction crisis; fewer still believe it is even happening.
10 Animals on the Verge of Extinction
- Polar Bears
- Lions
- Elephants
- Tigers
- Cheetahs
- Egyptian Vultures
- Mountain Gorillas
- Chinese Alligators
- Blue Whales
- Orangutans
Commentary:
If you’re wondering whether humans might go extinct, you’re not the first. And some may even say it would save life on earth. However, a third point of view exists that is not frequently heard: We have created a web of complex problems, including mass extinction, that now has gotten us to a point that requires our participation in helping re-balance the biosphere. In other words, we ironically created a job for ourselves in global repair out of our destructive habits.
Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Head of the Species Programme for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says, “It’s time to recognize that nature is the largest company on Earth working for the benefit of 100 percent of humankind – and it’s doing it for free. Governments should put as much effort, if not more, into saving nature as they do into saving economic and financial sectors. Think of fisheries without fishes, logging without trees, tourism without coral reefs or other wildlife, crops without pollinators,” says Vié. “Imagine the damage to our economies and societies if they were lost. All the plants and animals that make up Earth’s amazing wildlife have a specific role and contribute to essentials like food, medicine, oxygen, pure water, crop pollination, carbon storage and soil fertilization. Economies are utterly dependent on species diversity. We need them all, in large numbers. We quite literally cannot afford to lose them.”
It is not all bad news. Species can recover with concerted conservation efforts. In 2008, 37 improvements in status were recorded for mammals. An estimated 16 bird species avoided extinction over the last 15 years due to conservation programs. Conservation does work, but to mitigate the extinction crisis much more needs to be done, and quickly. “Conservationists are often considered as alarmists but we need to continue to alert decision-makers to the risk of inaction and the need to give up short term political strategies solely based on economic results,” says Vié. “As shown by the economic and financial crisis, people who raise warning flags should be listened to. Wildlife needs an increased level of attention and our society needs to undertake major changes to safeguard its own future.”
There are some really hopeful projects out there that need your support. Check out Saving Species and literally see on Google Earth how purchasing threatened wildlife habitat gives the Golden Lion Tamarin a new chance at life! See how Permaculture design restores landscapes previously thought to be beyond repair. As part of an evolving field of design called Biomimicry, you can ask nature how you would design a passively cooled building that maintains constant temperature and saves builders $3.5 million up-front by imitating termite mound construction. Don’t give up, get creative!
Creative Solutions:
Learn
Nature needs you to play with dirt!
Give
It’s always interesting to look back on this epic piece by famed evolutionary biologist, EO Wilson: http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/1298
Ultimately, there is no question that climate change is an existential threat. When it comes down to it, if the earth were an apple, our atmosphere would be only as thick as it’s skin. So it’s not difficult to see how pumping all these fossil fuels — which are heat trapping gasses — into that apple skin thin atmosphere could destabilize our climate system. Ultimately, we have no idea what we’re fucking with.
But the good news is that the solutions are so promising for both the earth and it’s people. And so we do what we do — doing our best and then having fun.
Have great weekends folks!
JLG