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The World Has Lost Half Its Wildlife Since 1970, New Report Says
According To the World Wildlife Federation, half of the world’s wild animals have died off in the last 40 years. Humans have decimated animal populations on land, in the air, or in the sea. Our unsustainable food practices and pollution are the leading causes of the destruction of habitat, according to research done by the WWF and the Zoological Society of London.
Of this discovery, Professor Ken Norris of ZSL said, “If half the animals died in London zoo next week, it would be front page news. But that it’s happening in the great outdoors, this damage is not inevitable but a consequence of the way we choose to live.”
So how exactly did the researchers come to this conclusion? The numbers were calculated by analyzing 10,000 different animal, fish and bird populations, spanning some 3,000 species. A “Living Planet Index” was created for the first time, reflecting the state of the 45,000 known species of vertebrates.
According to their research, 37% of wildlife declines were from exploitation, 31% from habitat change and degradation, 13% from habitat loss, 7% from climate change, and 11% for other reasons. The most rapid decline was seen among freshwater systems, where their numbers declined by 75% on average.
But when it comes to ecological footprint, America isn’t number 1. Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Denmark, Belgium, Trinidad and Tobago and Singapore all have larger ecological footprints than the United States.
It’s clear that the time has come to take action on this, but will politicians, businesses and citizens step up and say ‘enough is enough’? It’s hard to say.
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