We humans tend to look only at our navel. If a climate crisis it does not affect us directly, we believe that we are free from all evil. However, in doing so, we forget two things. On the one hand, the planet it’s not just us. we share it with other animal specieswho have the same right to be here, and they see their population decrease. And on the other hand, that this supposedly foreign decline will affect us too. This is what they are trying to influence from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) After the publication of his last Report “Living planet”.

It shows that since 1970global wildlife populations have declined by 69%. This is a cruel figure that shows the seriousness Environmental issues we are facing. Considering that, as we have seen, humans tend to walk away from selfishness, WWF stressed that after all these animals, we can walk away too. After all, humans are also part of an intricate game of dominoes in which, even as the first to push, we may be among the last to fall.

This is a problem that has already begun, as the numbers show, but there is still time to slow it down. However, as he explained in an interview for IFLScience WWF UK Executive Director for Science and Conservation, Mike Barrettwe cannot expect the population to take action if their governments they don’t do anything about it. We can do our part, but we need regulation from above, and time is short. You need to act now.

Most affected animal species

The 2022 Living Planet Report is the most comprehensive to date. The evolution since 1970 is analyzed. 32,000 species of mammals, fish, amphibians, birds and reptiles. It has been observed that the most degraded populations are those living in freshwater ecosystems, with an average decrease of 83%. If we talk about the regions, the most affected are Amazon and Caribbeanwith a decrease of 94%, far from 18% in Europe and Central Asia.

Given the importance of the Amazon for the survival of the entire planet, the degradation of the species that live in it and maintain the balance of its ecosystems is a concern.

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What caused such a huge drop?

There are many reasons. However, according to the WWF report, they can be divided into three groups. One side, changing of the climate. Extreme weather events, as well as a global increase in temperature, mean that many animal species cannot adapt. Examples are coral reefs, which have been affected by a sharp rise in ocean temperatures, and puffins in the United Kingdom, or penguins in Antarctica, for which global warming has become unbearable.

In the second group we find habitat destruction, with deforestation at the head. It is important to keep in mind that forests are home to more than half of the world’s biodiversity. They help capture excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, lowering temperatures and helping fight global warming. In addition, they provide us with drinking water, food and flood protection. If they fall, we fall with them. At the moment, many species that live among its branches have already begun to go extinct, but it is only a matter of time before our turn comes.

Finally, the last group of reasons for the extinction of animal species is feeding. Logically, we humans should feed ourselves. However, we have an intensive and unsustainable food supply pattern that is rapidly depleting the population. According to the report, “Food production has caused 70% loss of biodiversity on land and 50% in fresh water“. In addition, “it accounts for about 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions.”

What we can do?

For WWF, the first step towards solving this great problem is to accept that climate change and biodiversity loss These are not two separate problems.. The weight of each of them falls on the weight of the other, so they must be taken into account as a whole.

Therefore, although important to strengthen the tasks for the conservation of animal species introduced around the world, there is also a need to change the way we produce and consume, especially with regard to food and energy. Options with the least possible impact on ecosystems must be sought, and for this, as Barrett rightly points out, governments have the final say.

However, it also attracts the population. Not just for us to do those few little gestures that can help. stop part of the problem. Also for us to take to the streets and ask our rulers to spearhead much-needed changes to solve everything our little gestures wouldn’t achieve.

There should be no need to call human selfishness. But let’s not forget that we are in this row of dominoes. The fact that we fall is a matter of time. If only for that, the numbers in this report show us that it’s time to act.

Source: Hiper Textual

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