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Canadian Biodiversity Article
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What The Loss Of Biodiversity Really Means To Us
from:There has been a rapid loss of biodiversity due to the huge increase in populations and the ongoing consumption of natural resources to support those increased numbers of people. This has caused a vast depletion and/or loss of the goods and services on which we depend for sustenance.
There are many reasons the loss of biodiversity occurs. Some are natural, such as changes in climate. Others, such as deforestation or the contamination of lakes, are caused by humans.
The economic context of civilization, with its ill-thought-out policies, its squabbles over land, water and air rights, and the use and abuse of the resources we have is the largest culprit, although there is some degree of loss due to nature itself. Even a country like the United States has no unified policy, just a hodgepodge of Federal and local restrictions which often conflict with themselves and each other. Agencies fight literal turf wars to have their pet projects approved, and projects of other agencies defeated. The boondoggles and delays only further the loss of biodiversity, by preventing funds from being allocated and actions being taken that would combat the destruction of precious natural resources.
Greenhouse gas emissions, which are a major source of global warming are a prime cause of the loss of biodiversity. Global warming is expected to contribute to the earth eventually becoming uninhabitable by most of the species of plants and animals that now exist. Already, the polar ice caps are beginning to melt, with accompanying rises in sea levels. Concurrently, smaller inland seas, such as the Aral Sea, are evaporating due to changes in atmospheric temperature, seepage from irrigation channels, and changes in the composition of the water itself, which destroy the life they formerly supported.
Another facet of the problem is that, aside from environmental groups and the government agencies they prod into action, many people have very little awareness of the impact they make on biodiversity. Yes, recycling has been made into law in many places, but there are other actions people can choose, which they can turn into habits fairly quickly, that would go a long way to preserving resources and energy. Taking shorter showers, using a plain old fan or a ceiling fan instead of air-conditioning when possible, bringing a reusable bag to the grocery store, riding a bike instead of driving for local errands – all of these contribute to preserving the resources we depend on.
In the long-run, loss of biodiversity will be much more costly to both the planet and the human race than the short-term loss of profits needed to implement measures to preserve it.
Canadian Biodiversity Specific links
Canadian Biodiversity News
Habitat matters for Canadian wildlife species - PR Newswire (press release)
Habitat matters for Canadian wildlife species PR Newswire (press release) Habitat loss and degradation are the most common cause of species decline worldwide and Canada's freshwater fishes are no exception. It's not just freshwater fishes that rely on streams and rivers; a very large fraction of Canadian biodiversity ... |
Wildsight supports Canadian Cancer Society stance on pesticide report - The Nelson Daily
Wildsight supports Canadian Cancer Society stance on pesticide report The Nelson Daily ... legislative committee on pesticides are in for a disappointment according to Wildsight, a group based in the East Kootenay formed to protect biodiversity and encourage sustainable communities in Canada's Columbia and southern Rocky Mountain region. |
WWF report calls on Canada to ease demands on its resources, protect the planet - Calgary Herald
 CBC.ca | WWF report calls on Canada to ease demands on its resources, protect the planet Calgary Herald The report says biodiversity has declined globally by about 30 per cent between 1970 and 2008 while demands on natural resources have gone up. Canadians in particular are using approximately 3.5 times their share of the Earth's annual productivity, ... Canada and US Among Top 10 Fossil-Fuel Gluttons: WWF WWF report criticizes Canada's ecological footprint WWF International report slams Canadians' ecological footprint |
Canada can't hide poor emissions record - Victoria Times Colonist
Canada can't hide poor emissions record Victoria Times Colonist Hundreds of scientists from around the world were in Montreal to discuss the dramatic changes to the Arctic's biodiversity, energy dynamics and ice melt. Canada, in the form of Stephen Harper's government, was not interested in discussing any of these ... |
The Gem of Canadian Science that Harper Killed - TheTyee.ca
The Gem of Canadian Science that Harper Killed TheTyee.ca As PM re-engineers Canadian society, he never lets facts get in the way. Over the Victoria Day weekend Canadians lost another vital national institution that quietly stood on guard for the nation's 4 million lakes. Just as citizens flocked to their ... |