A million species at risk of extinction

[Halichoeres]

A global assessment of risks to plants and animals, incorporating over 15,000 sources, concludes that more than 1,000,000 species are at risk of extinction. In the oceans, it tends to be overfishing and habitat degradation, but on land it is mostly because we're taking up more space than ever. Some of it is for our homes, lawns, and highways, but a lot of it is just to grow crops, especially crops to feed our livestock. Climate change will require species to shift their ranges poleward or die, but if habitats are too fragmented--if they have to cross suburbs, cornfields, or mines--that becomes impossible.

Grim reading, but with some suggestions for action: https://www.ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment

To me, it seems like we need to eat a lot less meat, drive a lot less, and live in smaller, denser spaces if we can. And we need to vote for governments that will encourage each of those shifts.

[suspsy]

It breaks my heart to know that many of the animals currently alive today will be extinct by the time my son is my age.

Humanity really is a plague on this planet. No point in pretending otherwise.

[CityRaptor]

Yes, humanity is clearly causing the 6th Extinction Event.

[Shonisaurus]

Lifelong animals are disappearing even in cities, for example, sparrows attach news.

https://greentumble.com/when-did-the-sparrows-disappear/

For me apart from the seriousness of the news mentioned is one of the many worrying data.

[Halichoeres]

It's perfectly true that humans will ultimately be responsible for more extinctions than any other lifeform since, I would guess, the advent of cyanobacteria. But I don't think it's helpful as a matter of salesmanship to describe us as a plague. Most people, if they get the impression that human development inevitably leads to extinctions of other animals, will probably just accept that as a price of human development. That is, most people will choose people over other animals if it's framed as a choice between the two. I think it's more helpful to encourage people to think about ways that humans can thrive while minimizing the loss of habitat or the disruption of climate.

[Faelrin]

Even though I was well aware of things heading south (such as the land animals harmed by deforestation, poaching, etc, and amphibians and other species like polar bears at risk/dwindling because of the rapidly changing global climate/melting ice caps/raising sea levels, and lastly the ocean species also being impacted by the plastic waste epidemic and ocean acidification, which I think is in part or directly caused by the changing climate. I have to check that one out again), seeing these numbers really puts things into perspective of how bad things are getting. I will read the article tomorrow and maybe edit this with some more thoughts on this matter, probably.