Life on Earth is wonderfully diverse.
The vast and beautiful biodiversity that ecology and evolution have concocted has been reduced at a worrying rate by our activities and human way of life.
I have recently watched a video showing all the species that were extinct in just a bit over 100 years, animals that were still with us up until recently and now already extinct.
It is estimated that there are about 8.7 million species living on Earth and sharing its resources with us, except of course bacteria.
Unfortunately, human activities that include indirect ecological processes such as global warming and direct actions such as massive de-forestation and logging to raise pasture and grain for food, bring the unprecedented rate of extinction, to the highest levels in history , currently at 1,000 times the rate of natural extinction.
The natural extinction rate in the past was 0.1 per million species per year.
By 1990, this estimate had risen to 1 per million species a year, with an estimated 100 extinctions per million species a year and projected to 10,000 extinctions per million species a year.
This worrisome picture actually portends the end of an era for wild animals, when domesticated animals take control of their grazing areas and breed at an alarmingly industrial pace.
What does it mean for us?
Apart from the continued deterioration of the ecological condition of the world to the extent that might threaten our own survival.
Our children and grandchildren will probably be born into a world very different from the one we were born to in terms of nature, weather, animals and living conditions.
Some scientist believe that 50% of species will be facing extinction by the end of the century (read more).
This is a staggering number.
Here is a list of 10 animals that have been declared extinct in the past 10 years alone:
The Baiji (Yangtze River Dolphin)
Declared extinct in 2006
Pinta Island tortoise
Declared extinct in 2012
Spotted Green Pigeon (Liverpool Pigeon)
Declared extinct in 2008
Christmas Island pipistrelle
Declared extinct in 2009
Formosan Clouded Leopard
Declared extinct in 2013
Japanese River Otter
Declared extinct in 2012
Alaotra Grebe
Declared extinct in 2010
West African Black Rhinoceros
Declared extinct in 2011
Malagasy Hippopotamus
All three species we Declared extinct in 2002, 2008, and 2014.
Eastern Cougar
Declared extinct in 2015
The situation is grim, there is no doubt about it…but it is in our hands to stop it, or at least slow it down to it's natural pace.
As someone who recently became a father to a beautiful little girl named Gaia (Mother earth in Green Mythology) - (Welcome to the World my Sweet Baby Gaia 💕💕💕), it is saddens me to think that by the time she will be old enough to understand and appreciate the amazing bio-diversity of our planet, she will be able to do so only through Wikipedia pages…
Let us try to live a more conscious life, let us pay attention to our consumerism, to our ecological behavior, as individuals, as families, as companies and organizations…
I believe if we only start paying more attention to our behavior as species, we will be able to achieve a harmonious life with the nature, we will be able to preserve all those amazing species and share this beautiful little planet with them.
And with the modern technology we will not even need to sacrifice our way of life, we can have all we desire….cars, ships, planes, meat, all sorts of vegetable and trees…we can keep enjoying our modern way of life, out tech and gadgets…we just need to be responsible doing so and remember that it is always about balance.
Lets do it for Gaia and all the other lovely creatures that born daily to this world, if not for us...let's keep it safe for them.
Thanks for reading,
“If we pollute the air, water and soil that keep us alive and well, and destroy the biodiversity that allows natural systems to function, no amount of money will save us.”
--David Suzuki
Check out some of my latest posts:
#bark Art Challenge Submission by @carpedimus 🌳🌴🌲