Biodiversity and us

Biodiversity on our planet was once incredibly rich, and this was truly extraordinary. Why? Because the greater the biodiversity, the safer life on Earth becomes, and the stronger human economies grow. We only advance when biodiversity exists. Biodiversity once provided everything we needed for free — but today it can no longer keep up.

In the past 50 years, human activities have caused a 60% decline in global biodiversity. We have destroyed habitats, driven animals to extinction, and more. For example:
• Wildlife in Africa has decreased by 65%.
• Flying insects in Europe have declined by 75%.
• Large marine animals have become 90% extinct.
• It is estimated that by 2050, around 30% of all species will be at risk of extinction.
• Some of Iran’s most unique native and wild mountain plants are disappearing because they are picked and sold as ornamental flowers.
Biodiversity has been lost at an unbelievable rate.
So how can we stop this disaster?
The answer is clear.

When the habitats of plants and animals are destroyed, biodiversity gradually disappears. Activities such as urban expansion, industrial development, consumerism, and illegal hunting destroy natural habitats.
But how can we restore stability to our planet?
Life on Earth runs on solar energy. Plants absorb three trillion kilowatt-hours of solar energy every day twenty times more than what humans need. If we replace fossil fuels with renewable sources, we can bring back a significant amount of stability to our planet. But that alone is not enough.

Earth cannot support billions of meat eaters. By changing our diets and returning even just 20% of the land we currently use back to wildlife habitats, biodiversity can recover.

Forests:
Forests are the best natural systems for removing carbon, and they are also the greatest centers of biodiversity. The richer a forest’s biodiversity, the more effective it becomes at reducing atmospheric carbon.
A century ago, three-quarters of Costa Rica was forested. By the 1980s, this dropped to one-quarter. But the local people took action and began restoring their land. After just 25 years, half of the forests returned. If this happened around the world, two-thirds of the carbon we produce could be absorbed, and destroyed forests could regrow bringing back biodiversity, strengthening economies, and creating a more comfortable life for people.

If we do nothing, it is not nature that will be harmed it is us. Nature always finds a way to rebuild itself, but this time we might not be part of it.

If we take care of nature, nature will take care of us.