Trophy hunting is not the only danger that endangered and threatened species are facing at this time.
Critical wildlife habitats are being threatened by oil and gas companies that could be moving into the Arctic region. At the same time, the expansion of logging into U.S. federal forests that span nearly 280 million acres is home to wildlife that is already in need of our protection.
The truth is that wildlife constitutes only 4% of all biomass on Earth, and we continue to lose animal species at an alarming rate. A report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services found that approximately 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. The threats to the existence of wildlife are the result of our actions.
And while many of us may not encounter wildlife daily, wildlife is integral to our lives. An article in the journal Nature Climate Change suggests that protecting and rewilding African forest elephants, American bison, fish, gray wolves, musk oxen, sea otters, sharks, whales, and wildebeest could help remove 500 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2100.
The ongoing loss of wildlife species leads to a cascading effect across our ecosystems. After all, the ecosystem services that wildlife support, such as clean air, carbon absorption, and water filtration, are essential for our survival. This illustrates the essence of interconnection and is fundamental to life on Earth.
The question becomes, will we prioritize wildlife the same way we prioritize ourselves? To debate the future of wildlife shouldn’t be a negotiation.
Take Action: Contact your federal representatives and ask him/her to support the ProTECT Act, H.R. 7840, to protect endangered and threatened species because the loss of wildlife is our loss.
You can find your federal representative here.
Please share this petition far and wide.
References:
1. Schmitz, O.J., Sylvén, M., Atwood, T.B. et al. 2023. “Trophic rewilding can expand natural climate solutions.” Nat. Clim. Chang. 13, 324–333. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01631-6
2. Ritchie, Hannah. 2018. “Distribution of mammals on Earth.” www.ourworldindata.org https://ourworldindata.org/wild-mammals-birds-biomass