Homo sapiens have been living on earth for more than 2 million years. While we have made great leaps in terms of technological and other developments since the inception of our planet, it has lead to a disturbing amount of destruction as well. And the current condition of our planet is telling us the harsh truth that we went horribly wrong especially in the last 5 decades.
The Facts
According to World Wildlife Fund a.k.a. WWF, the earth suffered a decline of almost 60% of its wildlife, all of it occurring only from 1970 to 2014. Considering the rate at which the planet is losing its biodiversity, we should be extremely worried about the generations to come. And the results from the latest reports from WWF is even more concerning.
It was revealed that, in the last 50 years, almost 20% of the Amazon was wiped out. Of all the species that have become extinct since 1500 AD, 75% of them were disturbed and harmed due to overexploitation and agriculture. The acidification of oceans has been happening at a rate which has never been seen in at least 300 million years. We have also lost half of all the shallow water corals in just the last 30 years. If that wasn’t enough, the future predictions don’t look good either. Currently, only 25% of the land on earth is considerably free from the impacts of human activities. And by 2050, it is estimated to decline to just 10%.
Looking at it from the right perspective, we need to understand that nature preservation cannot be a choice. It is important for our survival as our dependence on it is high. Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International spoke about this issue and said,
Today, we still have a choice. We can be the founders of a global movement that changed our relationship with the planet. Or we can be the generation that had its chance and failed to act. The choice is ours.
The damage that we have caused is hard to repair but we must stop it from getting worse. After all, it is a question about our survival. So, it’s time we acknowledge our responsibilities towards mother earth. Don’t you think?
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