Humans – Wildlife’s Greatest Enemy

A report put out by World Wildlife Fund stated that humans are consuming more food and resources destroying much of the wildlife on this planet earth.  About 89% of mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles have been wiped out since 1970 and half of all plants.  Humans are destroying nature at an alarming rate, which threatens the wellbeing of future and current generations. We need nature to help with our wellbeing, culturally and spiritually but we are destroying natural habitats.   The loss of habitats is a threat to wild animals by animal agriculture that is destroying 90% of the Amazon rainforest.

The devastation of the Amazon rain forests is a growing concern due to the fact that it is losing plants, animals, and insect species every day.  The tropical rainforests are home of an estimated 10 million species of animals and plants.  It is estimated that we are losing 50,000 species every year and this is a major cause of extinctions than any other cause.  This is not just happening in the Amazon.  It is happening around the world as we clear land for farm animals and crops the indigenous species get pushed out.  Homes for elephants and jaguars are being destroyed so that palm plantations can be planted to feed the animals that are kept on factory farms. Cattle farms are taking the place of some national parks where animals like zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, and rhinos call their home. Their food supply is being taken over by the cattle for grazing.

The fishing industries are driving more than 300 mammals into extinction by killing them for food.  The oceans are being over fished and causing some of the fish that rely on other fish for food to decline.   We may be out of fish by the year 2048 because of this over fishing of the oceans.  The main food source for the Southern Resident orcas is the Chinook salmon.  We have over fished them since 2015 so these orcas are not getting the nutrition that they need to survive.  When a pregnant orca doesn’t have the nutrients, they need they start to lose their offspring before its at full term.  Now the Southern Resident Orcas are at only 80 remaining.

The whales, dolphins, and porpoises are also being killed by the fishing equipment that is being used to catch the fish for market.  They get caught in the fishing nets and the gear.  More than 300,000 die every year a result of being caught in this equipment and nets.

We need to wake up and take some action to help the beings that are a part of this world by avoiding animal products.  If we do this, we can reduce our carbon footprint by nearly 73%.