Biodiversity is vital to our survival

Biodiversity is the variety of life on Planet Earth, from microscopic genes to entire ecosystems. The Earth’s natural assets are made up of plants, animals, water, land, the atmosphere, and of course, humans. WWF goes on to assert that, “Biodiversity underpins the health of the planet and has a direct impact on all our lives; it supports human and societal needs, including food and nutrition security, energy, development of medicines and pharmaceuticals and freshwater to name but a few. Put simply, reduced biodiversity means millions of people face a future where food supplies are more vulnerable to pests and disease, and where fresh water is in irregular or short supply.” If biodiversity directly impacts our lives in such big ways, then it’s safe to say that conservation efforts don’t just benefit the environment, they benefit us, too. However, it’s no secret that we’ve lost an overwhelming number of species within the last four decades. These species have all but disappeared due to overpopulation, deforestation, consumer culture, animal exploitation, and other harming sources – all inflicted by mankind. Climate change is also disrupting animal’s natural rhythms and patterns by throwing off signals they use for migration, hibernation, and more. Natural disasters, including increasingly severe storms and weather patterns, constantly threaten animals and their environments worldwide. Further still, human influences harm animal populations through chemicals, pollutants, or changes to their habitats that force them elsewhere or threaten them altogether. It’s been said that at least 10,000 species are lost a year, halving the world’s wildlife population in just the past 40 years. This rapid loss of species we are witnessing today is estimated by experts to be between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate. As increasingly accepted theories have argued — and as the Science papers show— we are now in the midst of the sixth great extinction, the unsettlingly-named Anthropocene, or the age of the humans. It’s important to consider the important part of environmental protection that animals of all kinds play. From pollinating crops and plants, to promoting healthy forests, acting as pest control, and even combating climate change, this is another reason that wildlife conservation is so important for the planet and its people. The importance from insects to mammals and sea creatures, animals of all kinds create a natural harmony and balance, that the Earth inherently relies on as outlined below; Food Security One compelling benefit that comes from wildlife conservation efforts is that it ensures food security. Protecting forests from deforestation and rebuilding forest habitats to preserve biodiversity aids in the carbon-sequestering process, provides new economic opportunities, and guards against erosion. In addition, wildlife conservation promotes agricultural biodiversity, which plays an important role in building a secure, robust, and thriving food system. When agricultural biodiversity is exploited and land is cleared for agriculture, resources and extensive habitat loss take place, as well as undocumented loss of species and massive soil erosion. Research shows this process has negative impacts on nutrition, health and dietary diversity of some groups of society. Public Health Another compelling benefit that comes from wildlife conservation is that these initiatives protect human health. Conservation International reports that “more than 50 percent of modern medicines and more than 90 percent of traditional medicines come from wild plants and animals.” These traditional medicines thereby represent an essential pharmacopeia and body of medical knowledge that cannot be replaced easily by synthetic alternatives. Moreover, a world that promotes healthy ecosystems and biodiversity provide crucial buffers between disease and humans. A number of studies have linked reduced diversity among mammal species and overall decreases in biodiversity to an increase in the transmission of animal-born diseases to humans. In addition to this, healthy ecosystems and biodiversity regulate climate change and mitigate water and air pollution. Creating Opportunity Perhaps the most compelling benefit that comes from wildlife conservation is that it provides us with opportunity, whether it be economically, socially, or culturally. Unsustainable resource extraction industries – such as the clear-cut logging industry, the bushmeat industry, the poaching industry, and the charcoal trade – extend the gap between the poor and the rich and have been linked to civil war and political strife. In conclusion, according to a report published this year by the World Economic Forum, more than half of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (approximately €37 trillion) is highly or moderately dependent on nature. Redirecting even a small proportion of public finance towards tackling biodiversity loss would make a huge difference and bring a significant return on investment. Governments have already done this for climate. Thirty percent of the new seven-year EU budget (which began in January 2021) for example, will aim to tackle climate change. Investing in nature will likewise help to achieve climate targets, with more than 25 percent of emissions removed by intact forests and other ecosystems each year, with potential for additional actions that would result in a further 30 percent of emissions reductions. The COVID-19 outbreak, with its disastrous impacts on societies and economies worldwide, has placed a spotlight on the dire consequences of our broken relationship to nature. The degradation of once-intact places has increased human contacts with wildlife that, combined with the commercial trade in wildlife for human consumption, poses the threat of further zoonotic disease spillover and pandemics. Conserving the world’s last remaining intact ecosystems (and restoring degraded ecosystems) will help us confront the looming global biodiversity crisis while also tackling the threat of climate change and pandemic disease. Finally, Together with climate change, the world is also facing a #biodiversitycrisis, which has failed to capture the same attention. But efforts made by #governments to tackle the #ClimateCrisis show that #action is possible when there is sufficient #political will. By conserving wildlife, we're ensuring that future generations can enjoy our natural world and the incredible species that live within it. Easy Ways to Help the Planet: • Eat less meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based recipe app on the App Store to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. • Reduce your fast fashion footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands that are raising awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again. • Sign a petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet. • Stay informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to news newsletter! • Do what you can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, donate if you can, grow your own food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products.