It is impossible to deny – humans are destroying the natural environment at an unprecedented and alarming rate. According to a new report released on Tuesday, Animal population Denied by such a surprising amount, that only one repair of the world’s economic systems could possibly counteract the damage.
According to the World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Report 2020, about 21,000 monitored populations of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians, comprising about 4,400 species worldwide, have fallen by an average of 1970%. Species in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as global freshwater habitats, were disproportionately affected, declining, averaging 94 %% and 84%, respectively.
Every two years, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) releases its landmark report, which reveals how low the species population has been since 1970 – an important marker for the overall health of ecosystems. A recent report suggests that the rate of population decline is “an indication of a fundamentally broken relationship between the human and natural world, its consequences – as demonstrated by the current Nationwide epidemic of Kovid-19 – Can be devastating. “
“This report reminds us that we are destroying the planet at our peril – because it is our home,” said Carter Roberts, US President and CEO of the WWF, in a statement. “As the footprint of humanity once spread to wild places, we are destroying the species population. But we are also deteriorating. Climate change And increased risk of zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19. We cannot protect humanity from the effects of environmental catastrophe. It is time to restore our broken relationship with nature for the benefit of species and people. “
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Human beings are to blame
The report blames humans alone for the “terrible” condition of the planets. It points to the rapid growth of human consumption, population, global trade and urbanization over the last 10 years. Unprecedented reduction Earth’s resources – which means the planet is unable to replenish.
Overuse of these limited resources by at least 56% has had a devastating effect on biodiversity, which is crucial for human survival on Earth. Mathis Wakernagel, David Lynn, Alessandro Galli and Lure Rail Hanscom of the Global Footprint Network said in a report that it was like living 1.56 months.
Changes in land use in the report – in particular, the destruction of habitats such as rainforests for agriculture – accounted for more than half of Europe, Central Asia, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Most of that land is being used AgricultureIs, which is responsible for deforestation of 80% of global forests and 70% of freshwater use. Too much land use requires a massive food system that releases 29% of the global greenhouse gases, and the people and overuse of land that consumes 70% of the terrestrial biodiversity and 50% of the freshwater biodiversity. Many species simply cannot survive under the new conditions imposed on them when their habitats are changed by humans.
The destruction of ecosystems is threatened 1 million species – 500,000 animals and plants and 500,000 insects – with extinction, most of which can be prevented by conservation and restoration efforts.
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The food industry needs a repair
Where and how humans produce food is the biggest threat to nature, the report said. Much of the damage to habitat is caused by deforestation Food production And consumption.
One third of all terrestrial land is used for crops and animal husbandry. And of all water withdrawn from available freshwater resources, 75% is used for crops or livestock. If current habitats remain the same, researchers estimate that the area under crop land could be 10-25% larger in 2050 than in 2005, just to increase food demand. Although more than 820 million people have been affected, it is expected to increase Food insecurity, Indicating that most of the agricultural stress is being expended.
According to the report, food deficit and waste cost the US economic 1 trillion in economic costs, 700 700 billion in environmental costs and about અ 900 billion in social costs.
Worldwide, one-third of all food produced for humans Lost or in vain – About 1.4 billion tons per year. Foods are responsible for at least global% of greenhouse gas emissions – three times more than aviation – and about a quarter of those emissions come from waste food.
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The role of climate change
Species Invasive species And diseases and pollution are considered a threat to biodiversity, the report said. However, humane Climate change Biodiversity is projected to become or become more important as other drivers of harm in the coming decades.
Climate change creates an ongoing destructive feedback loop in which deteriorating environments lead to genetic diversity, species enrichment and population decline, and the loss of biodiversity adversely affects the climate. For example, deforestation leads to an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, warming the planet and intensifying it. Wildfire.
Only a handful of countries – Russia, Canada, Brazil and Australia – have territories without human action. But these wild areas are facing irreversible erosion, affecting other species and human ability to adapt to climate change.
According to the report, no part of the ocean is completely affected by overfishing, Pollution, Coastal development and other man-made tensions. Humans rely on marine ecosystems to provide food, climate regulation, carbon storage, and maritime security – all of which are affected by these activities and are exacerbated by climate change.
“These places are disappearing before our eyes,” said James Watson of the University of Queensland and WCS, Brooke Williams of the University of Queensland and Sc Scher Venter of the University of Northern British Columbia.
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The link between people and the health of the planet
In between Destructive Wildfire And the COVID-19 epidemic, 2020, has made it clear that humans and nature are never more closely related. The report shows that natural support for human life is rapidly declining – and that citizens, governments and business leaders have relied on coming together on a never-before-seen basis to do something about it.
Experts have expressed concern that the last 50 years have seen many major benefits to human health – such as reduced child mortality and poverty and increased life expectancy. Undo or reverse Due to damage to nature.
The incidence of infectious diseases has increased dramatically over the last 80 years – and about half of these diseases are linked to changes in land use, agriculture and the food industry. A study cited in the report suggests that diseases Arising in animals It is responsible for 2.5 billion cases of illness and about 3 million deaths each year.
Thomas Piankowski and Sara Whitmy of Humanity Oxford University wrote, “How humanity chooses to get out of the covid-1p epidemic, and how it overcomes the dangers of global environmental change, how it will affect the health of future generations.” Ox wrote Sarah Whitmy of Oxford University.
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What can be done?
Similarly, in the economic crash of 2008, there was a lockdown due to the coronavirus epidemic Reduced the demand for humanity By about 10% – a change that experts say is unlikely to survive without a major structural change.
While the report paints a bleak picture for the future of the natural world, it urges that current trends be pinched, and reversed, with immediate action. It emphasizes the need for world leaders to adapt the food and consumption industries – to make trade more sustainable by completely cutting down deforestation from supply chains, among other things.
Only in the last year, from natural disasters Wildfires of California Australia The severe drought in Australia has cost billions of dollars globally. Experts warn that economic decision-makers need to consider not only manufactured and human capital, but also natural capital when formulating public and private policy.
To feed 10 billion people by 2050, humans will need to accept that Healthy way of eating – Both for themselves and for the planet. The risk of food-related disease is a major cause of premature mortality globally and the main driver of biodiversity loss and water pollution is food production, which accounts for 20-30% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Experts have recommended that humans adopt a balanced diet of fruits, nuts, vegetables, beans and legumes, with moderate consumption of fish, eggs, dairy and meat.
The report called the changes “non-negotiable” to protect human health, property and safety, and called on world leaders to address the UN General Assembly, which begins on September 15 – to address the damage to human biodiversity.
“While trends are frightening, there’s reason to be optimistic,” said Rebecca Shaw, the WWF’s global chief scientist. “Younger generations are becoming increasingly aware of the link between planetary health and their own futures, and they are demanding action from our leaders. We must support them in their fight for justice and a sustainable planet.”
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