Conservation: Today's Need

Global Warming

Significant changes in physical and biological systems are occurring on all continents and in most oceans, with a concentration of available data in Europe and North America. Most of these changes are in the direction expected with warming temperature. These changes in natural systems since at least 1970 are occurring in regions of observed temperature increases, and that these temperature increases at continental scales cannot be explained by natural climate variations alone. Given the conclusions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report that most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-twentieth century is very likely to be due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations, and furthermore that it is likely that there has been significant anthropogenic warming over the past 50 years averaged over each continent except Antarctica, we conclude that anthropogenic climate change is having a significant impact on physical and biological systems globally and in some continents.

Humans have destroyed more than 30 per cent of the natural world since 1970,
WWF has announced.
A stark new report, the Living Planet Index, analyses the deterioration of the world's forest, freshwater and marine ecosystems between 1970 and 1995, and it reveals that global consumption pressure has doubled in a generation.
"The results are chilling" said Jorgen Randers, deputy director general of WWF International, at a press conference in London.
The Living Planet Index reveals that since 1970, wood and water consumption has almost doubled; carbon dioxide emissions have increased two and a half times; freshwater systems have declined by 50 per cent; and the world's forest cover has decreased by 13 per cent.
"This has been the most destructive period in the history of the natural world since the extinction of the dinosaurs 60 million years ago" declared Jorgen Randers. "If we continue without change, the economic, social and environmental costs will be catastrophic."

Biodiversity

The variety of life on Earth, its biological diversity is commonly referred to as biodiversity. The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous diversity of genes in these species, the different ecosystems on the planet, such as deserts, rainforests and coral reefs are all part of a biologically diverse Earth. Appropriate conservation and sustainable development strategies attempt to recognize this as being integral to any approach. Almost all cultures have in some way or form recognized the importance that nature, and its biological diversity has had upon them and the need to maintain it. Yet, power, greed and politics have affected the precarious balance.

But why is Biodiversity important? Does it really matter if there aren't so many species?

Biodiversity actually boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play and that it is this combination that enables the ecosystem to possess the ability to prevent and recover from a variety of disasters. This is obviously useful for mankind as a larger number of species of plants means more variety of crops and a larger number of species of animals ensure that the ecosystem is naturally sustained.
It is feared that human activity is causing massive extinctions. From various animal species, forests and the ecosystems that forests support, marine life. The costs associated with deteriorating or vanishing ecosystems will be high. However, sustainable development and consumption would help avert ecologica
The World Resources Institute reports that there is a link between biodiversity and climate change. Rapid global warming can affect an ecosystems chances to adapt naturally.