Media reports say that one million species are on the verge of extinction.
Can we trust the reports in the popular press on the rate of extinction of species?
reduce the rate at which humans consume the ecosystem, e.g.s, Laura McKinney Article World-System, Anthropogenic, and Ecological Threats to Bird ...
Rebecca Clausen/Richard York,
Clausen, Rebecca, and Richard York. "Global biodiversity decline of marine and freshwater fish: a cross-national analysis of economic, demographic, and ecological influences." Social Science Research 37, no. 4 (2008): 1310-1320
Clausen, Rebecca, and Richard York. "Economic growth and marine biodiversity: influence of human social structure on decline of marine trophic levels." Conservation Biology 22, no. 2 (2008): 458-466.
Shandra, John M., Christopher Leckband, Laura A. McKinney, and Bruce London. "Ecologically unequal exchange, world polity, and biodiversity loss: A cross-national analysis of threatened mammals." International Journal of Comparative Sociology 50, no. 3-4 (2009): 285-310.
Why would humans voluntarily reduce consumption? What are the incentives?
To slow down species extinction human beings need to:
1. stop further degradation of the environment,
2. make efforts to study the diversity particularly in the diversity-rich tropical areas,
3. become more nature friendly (for instance stop encroaching on forested area) so that habitats of many organisms are not destroyed, and
4. gradually move towards organic farming and reduce the use of broad spectrum insecticides.
The incentives:
- to live in a better (less polluted) world we need to make it a better world!
- The free services (pollination, organic matter decomposition etc.) we are already deriving from the activities of various taxa.
- Moreover we need to live with some ethical concerns since we have a moral obligation to conserve the co-existing animal and plant life and also towards the coming generations of human beings.
We can reduce the rate of extinction of species by promoting environmental education mostly at the primary schools where we are training the people and leaders of tomorrow. Sustainability has to start with educating our children about the societal and ecological significance of the nature. Secondly we can promote urban forests mostly with native woody species which is best wildlife habitat for biodiversity conservation.
the incentive....not wrecking the planet....avoiding global collapse.....
Natural species (wildlife) require pristine ecosystems.
Humans are destroying more and more pristine ecosystems.
The expansion of humankind is more and more polluting the sea and cutting deeply into all tropical forests and mangrove forests...
Even in cultural landscapes (e.g. Europe) we are destroying almost all insecs and bees by help of the broad usage of pesticides...
Wildlife and species receede - we are fighting it by helf of education, laws and money, but we as a whole (mankind) must understand that life without wildlife or wild species is nonsensical...
As mentioned by other colleagues, it is alarming when read or listen media report.
Mitigate species extinction would multifocal approach with great attention put on productions based on endogenous/traditional production. Urban forest and communal forestry could be an alternative to provide a chance to diversity growing as well as in natural ecosystems and managed one.
Dear sir it is really a matter of concern. we have already lost many species and this is high time to be serious about it. First of all we should create the awareness right from the school children to the adults. So that people should understand the importance of it and help in conserving these species.
Ecological reforms are necessary to increase the scope of implementation of sustainable green management development conducted according to the green economy concept.
The above question inspired me to the following considerations:
Due to the current civilization progress in recent decades, acceleration of the development of industry, automotive, urban agglomerations, intensification of agricultural production, etc. and related greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, ozone layer depletion in the atmosphere, increase of environmental pollution, growing problem of smog in urban agglomerations, the increase in pollution of the seas and oceans to which unsorted waste is thrown away is cut out as part of the predatory economy of tropical forests in the Amazon and other largest natural forest ecosystems.
In addition, the secondary effect of global warming of the Earth's climate is the increasing, more frequent weather anomalies, including drought, leading to steppe and desertification of areas that were previously natural forest ecosystems or areas exploited by agriculture.
As a result of the above-mentioned processes, every year many species of flora and fauna disappear forever.
As a result, natural biodiversity diminishes, which for millions of years evolved evolutionally on Earth.
In this way the natural resources of the planet Earth are irretrievably in decline.
In view of the above, the issue of environmental protection and biodiversity is one of the most important challenges of humanity in the 21st century.
Classical economics must change towards a green economy based on the strategy of sustainable pro-ecological development.
Best wishes
Therefore, in the context of the above considerations, the following important question appears:
How to increase the effectiveness of environmental protection programs, natural ecosystems and biodiversity?
Protection of the environment, natural ecosystems and biodiversity should be an integral part of the concept of sustainable pro-ecological economic development?
In the context of growing and increasing environmental pollution and declining areas of natural ecosystems, the importance and need to improve environmental protection systems, natural ecosystems and biodiversity is increasing. Biodiversity is one of the most important issues of natural ecosystems and life on Earth. Maintaining high biodiversity on Earth should be a challenge and one of the main goals of human functioning on the Earth in the 21st century and in subsequent centuries.
In connection with the above, protection of the environment, natural ecosystems and biodiversity should be an integral part of the concept of sustainable ecological development. In some countries, the concept of sustainable pro-ecological economic development is implemented successively, primarily in the field of renewable energy sources, improvement of waste segregation techniques and recycling development. However, in many countries these issues are still insufficiently developed.
Still too small financial resources are allocated in many countries for the development of renewable energy sources, improvement of waste segregation and recycling techniques. In addition to the private sector, besides enterprises implementing ecological innovations, it is necessary to increase expenditures and develop strategic pro-ecological reform projects, including restructuring of the mining industry of minerals supplying classic energy sources and development of energy based on renewable energy sources. This development should be supported and coordinated by environmentally friendly state intervention, and due to the high investment costs of construction of power plants producing electricity from renewable energy sources should be co-financed from the state public finance funds.
In this way, it will be possible to slow down the ongoing global warming process in the 21st century and thus slow down the process of devastating the natural environment, draining green areas characterized by high biodiversity. Biodiversity is a very important issue in the context of the analysis of ecology, sustainable development and the protection of the natural environment, including, in particular, the natural positions of biologically complex ecosystems, i.e. those that are characterized by high biodiversity. Maintaining biodiversity of natural ecosystems is one of the most important problems and tasks for people in the 21st century.
Do you agree with my opinion on this matter?
In the context of the above considerations, the following question is still valid:
How to increase the effectiveness of environmental protection programs, natural ecosystems and biodiversity?
Please reply
I invite you to the discussion
Thank you very much
Best wishes
The question refers to "known species'. What about species 'unknown to Science' ? These are becoming extinct before even they are known to us. The nature (ecosystems, habitats) have been degraded to extent to slow down the rate of extinction. Various suggestions a merely cosmetic long-term measures with minimal immediate impact.
Habitat loss is a big threat to loss of biological diversity. It is the primary threat to majority of vertebrates currently facing extinction. Therefore, prevention of habitat loss is necessary to protect the species from extinction.
Incentives for the reduction on consumption may be taxes or simply to forbid unnecessary goods made out of plastic such AS q-tips or plastic bags...
Carsten Weerth positive incentives probably work better than negative incentives, such as taxes. However, taxes are effective. Of course, the usual response is that the taxes will hurt the poor the most. Prohibitions do not work very well. It requires rigorous enforcement.
It is of fundamental importance to conserve (and to restore) natural habitats of the species. The displacement of animals from their natural habitat is a major problem. It is necessary to ensure an appropriate surveillance of endangered species. It is necessary greater cooperation between countries.
Two good news arising from my country (Portugal): last week were sighted (Montesinho), and filmed, one wild brown bear and two chicks – the specie was considered extinct in Portugal since 1843; apparently, immigrated by far and encountered survival conditions; the joint program between Spain and Portugal to avoid iberian lynx extinction (which have increased in number) is working.
To a smaller extend the extinction is also because of wildlife trade which must be fought in the countries of harvest, the transit countries and the target markets...
Education about the loss of wildlife is helpful (for all ages).
But it must be said that in some countries the humans care for feeding their families first (OK some levels of criminal organizations are also interested in the big money that is in the market (e.g. clearing tropical forest for cattle, smuggling Rhino horns or tiger parts into Asia)...
Agreed, we are all concerned about the issue and we have various suggestions but it is unfortunate that the 'rate of extinction' is continuing at a much higher rate than anticipated by many of us. Who will or should act on various suggestions? Many global agencies but results are still far below expectations. Perhaps, it will be too late in case various responsible agencies still remain busy in conducting debates / seminar only on this most serious issue. We shall realise only in case we also become extinct in this process.
The government spending on these issues are almoste everywhere way to low...
Possibly IMF or UN money should be allocated for the protection of natural habitats because these are clearing the atmosphere, care for fresh water and natural resources to fight diseases...
I choose to privatly give regular funds to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and its programme on Wildlife trade TRAFFIC and the Zoological Society of London which both acitively do conservation.
I am also funding the Linnean Society of London and the Royal Geographical Society and the National Geographic Society which are all caring for wildlife and habitat education.
There are so many NGOs out there. Simply get startet...
To start with: I am very strongly speaking in favor that the extinction of species are slowed down as much as anyhow possible. This requires far much effort than put in right now.
In the contributions above very little is said, why we should slow down the extinction of species. What are the major arguments or is it just because everybody says the the extinction of species is not good.
I am not certain, if I would like to bump into a dinosaur when making my afternoon walk....
I believe that if we encourage the the protection of the natural habitats of endangered species by making very strict laws to sanction illegal intruders, we can save a lot of living things from going extinct
By raising the public awareness of this issue, preserving the natural habitats and whole environment
Conservation of habitats, reduction of pollutants, restriction of hunting.
We can do that by continuous creation of public awareness of the importance to save the nature
Increasing demand for water, the damming of rivers throughout the world, the dumping and accumulation of various pollutants, and invasive species make aquatic ecosystems some of the most threatened on the planet; thus, it's not surprising that there are many fish species that are endangered in both freshwater and marine habitats.
The American Fisheries Society identified 700 species of freshwater or anadromous fish in North America as being imperiled, amounting to 39 percent of all such fish on the continent [9]. In North American marine waters, at least 82 fish species are imperiled. Across the globe, 1,851 species of fish — 21 percent of all fish species evaluated — were deemed at risk of extinction by the IUCN in 2010, including more than a third of sharks and rays.
INVERTEBRATES
Invertebrates, from butterflies to mollusks to earthworms to corals, are vastly diverse — and though no one knows just how many invertebrate species exist, they're estimated to account for about 97 percent of the total species of animals on Earth [10]. Of the 1.3 million known invertebrate species, the IUCN has evaluated about 9,526 species, with about 30 percent of the species evaluated at risk of extinction. Freshwater invertebrates are severely threatened by water pollution, groundwater withdrawal, and water projects, while a large number of invertebrates of notable scientific significance have become either endangered or extinct due to deforestation, especially because of the rapid destruction of tropical rainforests. In the ocean, reef-building corals are declining at an alarming rate: 2008's first-ever comprehensive global assessment of these animals revealed that a third of reef-building corals are threatened.
MAMMALS
Perhaps one of the most striking elements of the present extinction crisis is the fact that the majority of our closest relatives — the primates — are severely endangered. About 90 percent of primates — the group that contains monkeys, lemurs, lorids, galagos, tarsiers, and apes (as well as humans) — live in tropical forests, which are fast disappearing. The IUCN estimates that almost 50 percent of the world's primate species are at risk of extinction. Overall, the IUCN estimates that half the globe's 5,491 known mammals are declining in population and a fifth are clearly at risk of disappearing forever with no less than 1,131 mammals across the globe classified as endangered, threatened, or vulnerable. In addition to primates, marine mammals — including several species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises — are among those mammals slipping most quickly toward extinction.
PLANTS
Through photosynthesis, plants provide the oxygen we breathe and the food we eat and are thus the foundation of most life on Earth. They're also the source of a majority of medicines in use today. Of the more than 300,000 known species of plants, the IUCN has evaluated only 12,914 species, finding that about 68 percent of evaluated plant species are threatened with extinction.
Unlike animals, plants can't readily move as their habitat is destroyed, making them particularly vulnerable to extinction. Indeed, one study found that habitat destruction leads to an “extinction debt,” whereby plants that appear dominant will disappear over time because they aren't able to disperse to new habitat patches [11]. Global warming is likely to substantially exacerbate this problem. Already, scientists say, warming temperatures are causing quick and dramatic changes in the range and distribution of plants around the world. With plants making up the backbone of ecosystems and the base of the food chain, that's very bad news for all species, which depend on plants for food, shelter, and survival.
REPTILES
Globally, 21 percent of the total evaluated reptiles in the world are deemed endangered or vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN — 594 species — while in the United States, 32 reptile species are at risk, about 9 percent of the total. Island reptile species have been dealt the hardest blow, with at least 28 island reptiles having died out since 1600. But scientists say that island-style extinctions are creeping onto the mainlands because human activities fragment continental habitats, creating “virtual islands” as they isolate species from one another, preventing interbreeding and hindering populations' health. The main threats to reptiles are habitat destruction and the invasion of nonnative species, which prey on reptiles and compete with them for habitat and food. Source : www.biodiversity.org
You can conserve nature by creating new economies that are NOT built on constant over-production/over-consumption, which, in turn, promotes ecosystem destruction, as well as the consumption/commodification of wildlife (for reasons other than survival). Setting aside nature preserves has failed. There is a large literature in these subjects. Examples....
McKinney, Laura A., Edward L. Kick, and Gregory M. Fulkerson. "World system, anthropogenic, and ecological threats to bird and mammal species: a structural equation analysis of biodiversity loss." Organization & Environment 23, no. 1 (2010): 3-31.
Shandra, John M., Christopher Leckband, Laura A. McKinney, and Bruce London. "Ecologically unequal exchange, world polity, and biodiversity loss: A cross-national analysis of threatened mammals." International Journal of Comparative Sociology 50, no. 3-4 (2009): 285-310.
Besek, Jordan F., and Richard York. "Toward a Sociology of Biodiversity Loss." Social Currents (2018): 2329496518815867.
McKie, Ruth E., Paul B. Stretesky, Michael Long, Kimberly Barrett, and Michael Lynch. "Where have all the falcons gone? Saker falcon (falco cherrug) exports in a global economy." (2018). Global Ecology and Conservation. (Open access). 13:e00372
DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2017.e00372
Hoffmann, John P. "Social and environmental influences on endangered species: a cross-national study." Sociological Perspectives 47, no. 1 (2004): 79-107.
Clausen, Rebecca, and Richard York. "Global biodiversity decline of marine and freshwater fish: a cross-national analysis of economic, demographic, and ecological influences." Social Science Research 37, no. 4 (2008): 1310-1320.
Clausen, Rebecca, and Richard York. "Economic growth and marine biodiversity: influence of human social structure on decline of marine trophic levels." Conservation Biology 22, no. 2 (2008): 458-466.
McKinney, Laura A., Gregory M. Fulkerson, and Edward L. Kick. "Investigating the correlates of biodiversity loss: a cross-national quantitative analysis of threatened bird species." Human ecology review (2009): 103-113.
As background, one might also read works on the metabolic rift by John Bellamy Foster, Richard York, Brett Clark, and related works by Paul Burkett. Also, the theoretical and empirical work of Andrew K. Jorgenson, and his theory of ecological unequal exchange, which has roots in other critical interpretations of economic exchange/dependency theories (i.e., Raul Prebisch; Hans Singer; Andre Gunder; versions by Paul Baran and Paul Sweezy; world-systems perspectives, Immanuel Wallerstein; Frank; Samir Amin). One would also include the concept of, and research on, ecological footprints (originating in the work of William Rees, and also Mathis Wackernagel); Limit to Growth research (Meadows/Meadows/Randers); Howard Odum's emergy models/analysis and his work on ecological economics (and here, also the work of Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen, Herman Daly, Robert Costanza). This is not an entire list, and apologies to excluded individuals and ideas.
By stopping the pollution of the planet. Practically most methods we use today pollute the air or the water.
There is a well-known public policy issue called the “free-rider” problem. I am absolutely delighted that you will reduce your pollution. How wonderful and thoughtful and considerate of you? It means that I can continue with my normal way of life.
As much as possible, we should propose solutions to social problems by referencing robust, unbiased, neutral, objective and scientific evidence and research. Otherwise we will have endless debate, with no result and no progress.
Suppose we ask 10 persons on RG about the best way to solve homelessness. We may get 20 solutions. How do we select the best and most effective solutions? We could use seniority. We adopt the ideas of the most senior members. Or the person whose writings in English is the best, even though their ideas are quite mediocre.
Another approach is to select the most effective solution based on the best available scientist evidence and research.
I humbly request that those who propose solutions should also provide references to scientific research that supports their solutions. Otherwise, we have all the armchair professionals, sitting in the comfort of their air-conditioned offices in the capital cities, proposing all sorts of solutions, based on sophisticated speculations and outdates personal opinions, when in fact, they have no idea about the real situation on the ground in the remote areas.
I humbly request you in this regard. Please do the needful.
Zena Mahdi al Hindawi
May I humbly request you to write some comments in sentences. Single word responses are not helpful or useful. We want to know what YOU think and learn from you. There must be reciprocity. You are most kind. Shukran
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