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Jeff Atkinson-Phillips and Nicholas Breheny  The recent push to address climate change has focused on reducing carbon emissions. That's terrific, but it doesn’t do much to help the 1,141 of the world’s mammal species threatened with extinction — not to mention all the other non-cuddly species that receive noticeably less sympathy from the human population.
Unpack the issues...
This year, for the first time, the United Nations Annual Report of progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals includes ‘reducing biodiversity loss by 2010’ as part of its objectives to ensure environmental sustainability. Progress will be monitored by measuring the proportion of species threatened with extinction — identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in the Red List of threatened and endangered species, released annually. The 2008 Red List, which is the most comprehensive assessment yet, showed that almost one in four of the world’s mammals are at risk of disappearing forever. In fact, 38% of the 44,837 species assessed were classified as threatened with extintion. The IUCN has welcomed the inclusion of biodiversity as a means of measuring Millennium Goal 7, 'Ensure Environmental Sustainability'. “The links between biodiversity and development are strong, which is why it’s important that the Millennium Development Goals prioritise the need to conserve species across the world,” said Holly Dublin, chair of IUCN’s Species Survival Commission. “Species are harvested for food, medicines and fibres. They’re domesticated for agriculture and play an essential role in regulating local and global environments. It is great to see that nature is recognised as an essential contributor to human wellbeing.” Biodiversity is the variety of living things, both flora and fauna, in an area or region. The south west of Western Australia is one of 34 biodiversity hotspots identified globally: a triangular patch running from Shark Bay in the north to the South Australian border, and including the Perth metro area. WA’s south west has more than 4,300 endemic plant species, and nearly 80% of its plants are found nowhere else in the world. For an area to be classified as a biodiversity hotspot it must contain at least 0.5 per cent of the estimated global 'higher' or 'vascular' plant species — like ferns, conifers and flowering plants — with tissues that allow them to conduct water and minerals through the plant. It also has to have lost 70% or more of its original natural vegetation. Although the classification of a hot spot is based on vegetation, this is only because they tend to be less mobile, making counting and identifying easier. It is important to remember the proportionate relationship with fauna diversity due to their reliance on sufficient vegetation to provide habitat and food. Biodiversity hotspots are human-made. They only exist because the biodiversity of the planet as a whole is threatened by human activity. As a species, we continue to cause the extinction of other species through logging; clearing of forests for farming land and urban sprawl; pollution causing global warming; mining (removing whole ecosystems); and consuming more than our share of resources and space on the planet. Losses humans face from loss of biodiversity are hard to appreciate as we bring about the extinction of species without the knowledge of what role they play in the world’s ecosystem. Even the human race’s ability to develop and expand through the consumption of the world’s resources is reduced by the loss of diversity of the earth’s vast genetic bank, which could one day provide the knowledge required to cure AIDS, for example. Possibly the most frightening of all is the collapse of complex food webs. If we continue to knock out select species groups, the flow-on effect to the species they support may reach a critical point that leads to the collapse of entire food webs — and with them the planet’s ability to support life.  Even if this worst case scenario isn’t played out, biodiversity loss presents a cultural and spiritual loss that is hard to measure. But perhaps the problem stems from the fact that we’ve already experienced such a loss — the loss of a sense of connection to the rest of the life-forms we share the planet with. Much of the most threatened and destroyed areas of biodiversity are in poorer regions of the world, and often in areas of conflict. According to the United Nations website, biodiversity and poverty are linked: “Biodiversity loss exacerbates poverty, and likewise, poverty is a major threat to biodiversity.” However, as the example of Western Australia shows, peaceful, prosperous people threaten biodiversity too. The good news is that public awareness is growing rapidly. More research is being done and, in many countries, better conservation and land management policies are leading us in the right direction. The most important thing that will make a real difference is for people to voice their opinion. The big corporations (on most occasions) don’t implement good environmental practices because they care: it costs money and often does not yield an increase in production. They make changes because of growing pressures from community and shareholders that impact on their image and brand. This is the case with government policy too: politicians respond to noise. The recent focus on climate change and reducing our carbon footprint may just encourage those of us living in developed countries to reduce our consumption levels and live more sustainably. Hopefully this will not only be in terms of reducing the amount resources we consume but also in the reduction of human desire to spread out and occupy every inch of the planet. Hopefully we will learn to share, before it’s too late.
Jeff Atkinson-Phillips and Nicholas Breheny both study environmental science at Murdoch University, Perth.
Unpack the issues...What can I do? - Care about this issue and pay attention.
- Get involved in local issues and make your voice heard.
- Find out about native animals in your area that might need your help.
- Look after your local bush.
- Conserve resources.
- Volunteer to assist groups working on endangered species — or start a group in your local community.
- Consider a career working with wildlife.
- Look after your pets and plants — never dump unwanted pets or garden plants in bushland.
(Thanks to the Queensland Museum for ideas.)
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