by Suzi Tart, AAWE Paris
In the midst of the world’s sixth mass extinction, three birds were believed to have gone extinct from the wild in 2018. The year before, it was three lizards, plus a bat and a cat. Of the 96,900 species assessed for the IUCN’s Red List, roughly one in four are threatened with extinction. This is not including the species that we have yet to identify.
Unlike the past five mass extinctions, which were the result of natural events like asteroid strikes and volcanic eruptions, the sixth mass extinction comes as a result of one species in particular: homo sapiens. While many species are witnessing their populations decline, humans are growing in number. Combined with our current lifestyle choices, we are the cause of the sixth mass extinction. Some of our more damaging activities include our consumption of natural resources, destruction of natural habitats, an introduction of species into non-native environments, pollution and climate change.
Why is saving biodiversity important?
The circle of life recognizes that each species, be it an invisible microbe or a predator at the top of a food chain, has a role to play in the ecosystem. This enables us to have clean air and water, as well as a large variety of crops, food, and medicines. Not only do healthy ecosystems have greater chances of surviving and recovering from natural disasters, but they bring strong economic benefits. As much as 40% of the world’s economy stems from biological resources, and it is estimated that biological resources meet 80% of the poor’s needs. If this isn’t convincing enough, an ironic threat of biodiversity loss is that although we are the perpetrators, we are also the victims. Given that each species is interconnected with other species, each extinction has the potential to set off a chain reaction that leads to one or more species also going extinct, thus threatening our very own existence.
Many experts say that the biodiversity crisis looms just as large, if not larger, than climate change. While the world is fortunately increasingly turning its attention to the annual COP (Conference of the Parties) that is held in hopes of combating climate change, very few people are aware of the biennial COP for biological diversity. Halting biodiversity loss is of global concern. It is explicitly mentioned in Sustainable Development Goal 15, which focuses on life on land. It is also relevant to Sustainable Development Goal 14, which focuses on life below water.
What can we do?
Biodiversity is much more exciting when we’re talking about the cute (think WWF’s panda bear logo), the beautiful (think the bright blue Spix Macaw starring in the animated film Rio), or the exotic (think animals found in rarer ecosystems, such as elephants living on the savanna). Yet protecting biodiversity starts in our own backyards. Unlike some global challenges that are easy to become overwhelmed by, I strongly believe that halting biodiversity loss is an achievable goal. Just as there are many different species threatened, there are as many different ways we can make a difference. And no, you do not have to join a conservation club or go bird watching with Great Aunt Betsy, either! Here are just a few ways we can all contribute:
- Plant wildflowers: As pollinators, bees are essential for many plants to reproduce. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, as much as 75% of the crops we harvest depend upon pollination. Declining bee populations in North America and Europe are therefore of concern. Building bee boxes for the yard is one way of boosting bee populations, but you don’t have to risk getting stung by a bee to make a strong impact—planting wildflowers has a significant positive effect, with one study finding that wildflowers quadrupled bees’ chance of survival.
- Buy and use organic produce and products: This supports natural plant biodiversity, as the crops are not genetically modified. It is also another easy way for us to help rebuild bee populations. Buying organic sends a signal to the market for farmers to adopt sustainable, long-term farming methods, methods in which bee-harming pesticides are not used. This is especially important for those of us who do not live in countries that have used policy to bee-friend the bees. In 2018, the EU banned three bee-harming pesticides, with France leading the way and banning all five that are believed to threaten the bees’ existence. Presumably, not all countries will follow in France’s footsteps, and this is where we can use market power to override and correct such policy gaps.
- Reduce your carbon footprint: Climate change is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity. Reducing the number of fossil fuels that we consume will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, which will help stop the environmental changes and increased natural disasters that are squeezing species out of their habitats. If you’re wondering how you can reduce your personal carbon footprint, this Environment Team website post offers several calculators that can help you visualize where you have the highest emissions: 2018: the year planet Earth cried for help loud enough for humans to hear.
- Participate in the circular economy: If products get reused, repaired and upcycled, fewer natural resources go into making them. This means that fewer habitats get destroyed. It also results in less waste going into the landfill, and less pollution going into our streams, soil, and air. This helps to keep nature as pristine as possible, making it easier for species to thrive.
- Champion the Endangered Species Act: My fellow Americans, this one is on us. Since President Nixon signed the bipartisan ESA in 1973, more than 99% of the species listed have been kept from going extinct. That is a remarkable victory! It is also the strongest law worldwide for protecting biological resources, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. Animals that have been saved include the bald eagle, the American alligator, the whooping crane, the grizzly bear, as well as 223 other cool species. Recently there has been talk of making it easier to remove species from the list, and rolling back protections for those that are threatened, allowing wildlife corridors to be disrupted with roads and pipelines. This would have dire, long-lasting consequences, reversing progress already made. As habitat fragmentation (not just habitat loss) is a main cause of the recent decline in biodiversity, it’s vital that we leave space in which wildlife can roam freely. China did this, and the result was that the number of giant pandas increased enough that they were removed from the endangered section of the IUCN’s Red List in 2016. As plants and animals are unable to vote and petition Congress, we have an ethical obligation to be a voice for their cause—they simply can’t survive otherwise. We must make it known how much the ESA matters. The bald eagle is counting on us.
