We're Losing Our Animals
Monday, May 19, 2008 by Kyle Scribner
The Yangtze river dolphin. It did its thing for 20 million years. Then we come along and erase it from existence in a few decades' worth of "progress." We reduce its habitat by diverting water for farms and factories, whose effluence then pollute what habitat is left, and we batter it into submission with our never-ending parade of boats.
OK, so you've never even been to China. Neither have I. But by taking part in this thing called the "global economy," we all play a role – no matter how seemingly minute – when animal populations are affected by human activity. And, according to the Zoological Society of London's new Living Planet Index, we are having a big-time effect: there are 30% fewer wild animals today than there were just 35 years ago or so.
Whether or not we admit it, we are complicit in helping to eradicate species when we buy anything whose manufacture results in habitat loss or pollution. And, FYI: Such an overwhelming percentage of goods are made via environmentally impactful processes that if you aren't actively pursuing alternative goods what you buy does result in habitat loss or pollution.
So any inner debate we have cannot be about whether we're part of the problem; it can only be about whether we care (some dolphin in China? Puhleeze!) , or whether we even think it is a problem (mankind's progress should not be stilted by concerns over lesser creatures).
If you're indifferent or think it's ok that we're losing species, that's fine. You sure are not alone. But in case you're neither, keep in mind there are a variety of ways to help, from symbolic animal adoptions to simply paying attention to the natural world.
Labels: environment, Living Planet Index, nature, species loss, Yangtze river dolphin, Zoological Society of London
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Kyle Scribner is a born-again nature freak who also happens to be an editor at Captivate Network.