There are only 300 northern right whales left and 99% of blue whales have been wiped out. These majestic giants are endangered species and their case is being played out across the world time and again. In fact one third of all life forms on the planet are on the brink of extinction.
The natural world is being crushed by human activity waste and exploitation. But there is a plan to save it — a global agreement to create fund and enforce protected areas covering 20% of our lands and seas by 2020. And right now 193 governments are meeting in Japan to address this crisis.
Ironically 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity. By now our governments were supposed to have “achieved a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss.” They have failed consistently caving to industry when given a choice between narrow profit and protecting species. Our animals plants oceans forests soils and rivers are choking under immense burdens from over-exploitation and other pressures.
Humans are the primary cause of this destruction. But we can turn it around — we’ve saved species from extinction before. The causes of biodiversity decline are vast and stopping them is going to require a move away from empty piecemeal promises with no clarity on who will pay to a bold plan with strict enforcement and serious funding. The 20/20 plan is precisely that: governments will be forced to execute strict programmes to ensure that 20% of our earth is protected by the 2020 deadline and massively scale up funding.
It has to be now. All over the world the picture is beginning to look bleaker — there are only 3200 tigers left in the wild our oceans are running out of fish and we’re losing unique food sources to large mono-plantations. Nature is resilient but we have to give it a safe place to bounce back.
Already this year Avaaz members have played a critical role in protecting elephants defending the whale-hunting ban and securing the world’s largest Marine Protected Area in the Chagos Islands. Our community has shown that we can set ambitious goals — and win.
With hope
Alice Iain Emma Ricken Paula Benjamin Mia David Graziela Ben and the rest of the Avaaz team
Sources:
The Times: “Third of all animals and plants face extinction”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7120676.ece
The Guardian: “Public awareness of the biodiversity crisis is virtually non-existent”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/sep/16/public-awareness-biodiversity-crisis
Sydney Morning Herald: “UN calls for immediate action to save life on earth”
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/un-calls-for-immediate-action-to-save-life-on-earth-20101018-16qnv.html
IUCN: “Why is biodiversity in crisis?”
http://www.iucn.org/iyb/about/biodiversity_crisis/
More on the Convention of Biodiversity meeting
http://www.cbd.int/cop10/