According to the study by the World Wildlife Fund, released on July 10, 2012, warns that the human race is plundering the planet at a pace that outstrips its capacity to support life. Human population is about 7,013,583,761 and growing daily. Humans are using natural resources much more rapidly than they are being generated. Based on scientific data from across the world, the study reveals that more than a third of the natural world has been destroyed by humans over the past three decades. The report warns that people need to cut consumption now in order to sustain human life on this planet.
According to this study the planet’s ecosystem has fallen dramatically between 1970 and 2002. The Earth’s forest cover has shrunk by 12%, the ocean’s biodiversity by 1/3, and freshwater ecosystem by 55%. Humans are not the only species at risk. 350 kinds of mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish were studied and found the number of these species has decreased by a half. For example:
Black Rhino fallen from 65,000 in 1970 to around 3,100 in 2002
African Elephants fallen from 1.2 million in 1980 to just over 500,000
Tiger’s population has fallen by 95% during the past century.
Whether we have natural resources by the time of my retirement is very important to me. We all dream about traveling the word and being able to watch our grandchildren. But what would the quality of life really be like if there is no fresh water, no fresh soil for crop, what if we can’t even go out and dance in the rain because it full of pollution. There is so much concern about climate change but what about the depletion of very necessary resources in order to sustain life as we know it.
Strategies on how to rectify these circumstances need to be implemented by government in my opinion for everyone to fall in line and at a rapid pace. Some of the strategies include but are not limited to improved recycling, ending our disposable culture
Taking care of things and repairing them when they go wrong, making investments in renewable and alternative energy sources such as wind farms and nuclear power
If we don’t implement these few changes we may truly be searching for another planet to dwell on. Programs like Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting help conserve land that is environmentally sensitive. The land is used in other aspects to help improve the environment.
Why aren’t more politicians talking about this, why is their agenda based solely on economics and not ecosystem. What good will a healthy economy do if there isn’t anyone around to make it flow. I think the media should have more headline stories about the depletion of natural resources because it seems that we are in trouble and there is not enough being done about it. I fear for my children’s quality of life. There needs to be classes talking about this issue. I believe if we start talking to children while they are young they will be more informed and more likely to have positive influences on the ecosystem.
The topic is of grand concern to me and close to my heart because I care about the planet but why aren’t enough people taking this concern seriously. The whole thinking process has