Species across land, rivers and seas decimated as humans kill
for food in unsustainable numbers and destroy habitats
The number of wild animals on Earth has halved in the past 40
years, according to a new analysis. Creatures across land,
rivers and the seas are being decimated as humans kill them for
food in unsustainable numbers, while polluting or destroying
their habitats, the research by scientists at WWF and the
Zoological Society of London found.
“If half the animals died in London zoo next week it would be
front page news,” said Professor Ken Norris, ZSL’s director of
science. “But that is happening in the great outdoors. This
damage is not inevitable but a consequence of the way we choose
to live.” He said nature, which provides food and clean water
and air, was essential for human wellbeing.
“We have lost one half of the animal population and knowing this
is driven by human consumption, this is clearly a call to arms
and we must act now,” said Mike Barratt, director of science and
policy at WWF. He said more of the Earth must be protected from
development and deforestation, while food and energy had to be
produced sustainably.
The steep decline of animal, fish and bird numbers was
calculated by analysing 10,000 different populations, covering
3,000 species in total. This data was then, for the first time,
used to create a representative “Living Planet Index” (LPI),
reflecting the state of all 45,000 known vertebrates.
“We have all heard of the FTSE 100 index, but we have missed the
ultimate indicator, the falling trend of species and ecosystems
in the world,” said Professor Jonathan Baillie, ZSL’s director
of conservation. “If we get [our response] right, we will have a
safe and sustainable way of life for the future,” he said.
If not, he added, the overuse of resources would ultimately lead
to conflicts. He said the LPI was an extremely robust indicator
and had been adopted by UN’s internationally-agreed Convention
on Biological Diversity as key insight into biodiversity.
There's that dirty left-wing racist word again, "diversity".
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/29/earth-lost-50- wildlife-in-40-years-wwf
Species across land, rivers and seas decimated as humans kill
for food in unsustainable numbers and destroy habitats
The number of wild animals on Earth has halved in the past 40
years, according to a new analysis. Creatures across land,
rivers and the seas are being decimated as humans kill them for
food in unsustainable numbers, while polluting or destroying
their habitats, the research by scientists at WWF and the
Zoological Society of London found.
“If half the animals died in London zoo next week it would be
front page news,” said Professor Ken Norris, ZSL’s director of
science. “But that is happening in the great outdoors. This
damage is not inevitable but a consequence of the way we choose
to live.” He said nature, which provides food and clean water
and air, was essential for human wellbeing.
“We have lost one half of the animal population and knowing this
is driven by human consumption, this is clearly a call to arms
and we must act now,” said Mike Barratt, director of science and
policy at WWF. He said more of the Earth must be protected from
development and deforestation, while food and energy had to be
produced sustainably.
The steep decline of animal, fish and bird numbers was
calculated by analysing 10,000 different populations, covering
3,000 species in total. This data was then, for the first time,
used to create a representative “Living Planet Index” (LPI),
reflecting the state of all 45,000 known vertebrates.
“We have all heard of the FTSE 100 index, but we have missed the
ultimate indicator, the falling trend of species and ecosystems
in the world,” said Professor Jonathan Baillie, ZSL’s director
of conservation. “If we get [our response] right, we will have a
safe and sustainable way of life for the future,” he said.
If not, he added, the overuse of resources would ultimately lead
to conflicts. He said the LPI was an extremely robust indicator
and had been adopted by UN’s internationally-agreed Convention
on Biological Diversity as key insight into biodiversity.
There's that dirty left-wing racist word again, "diversity".
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/29/earth-lost-50- wildlife-in-40-years-wwf
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