Can we turn the tide? Experts have warned that human-driven environmental destruction is killing off our wildlife at staggeringly rapid rates. Have we finally reached our tipping point?
Wildlife numbers down 73% in 50 years
Can we turn the tide? Experts have warned that human-driven environmental destruction is killing off our wildlife at staggeringly rapid rates. Have we finally reached our tipping point?
The natural world offers all manner of wonders and delights. The chinstrap penguin "microsleeps" 10,000 times per day, in tiny four-second bouts of peaceful slumber.1 Amazon river dolphins, with their cheerful pink faces, have 40% more brain capacity than humans. Each Amur leopard can be identified by its unique spots, like human fingerprints.
But recently, there are horrors too. Chinstrap penguin populations have declined by 61% since 1980 due to loss of krillSmall marine crustaceans eaten by whales and other sea creatures., their main food source. Amazon river dolphin populations have declined by 65% since 1994. It is thought that there are only 100 Amur leopards left.
The WWF and Zoological Society of London's latest Living Planet Report, which catalogues the state of the natural world at regular intervals, has confirmed our worst fears. It claims that we have seen a shocking 73% average decline in wildlife populations since 1970.
The index measures 35,000 population trends across 5,495 species of birds, fish, amphibians, mammals and reptiles. Among freshwater species the decline was most stark: a staggering 85%.
What does it mean for us? Every species has its humble role in the great webWhen an ecologist injected radioactive carbon into a birch tree, the radioactive carbon moved through the fungal network into an entirely different nearby species, a Douglas fir. of our ecosystem. But if just part of that web breaks, it can have catastrophic implications.
You might not have heard of the parrotfish. These iridescent, sociable fish play a vital role. They feed on the algae and microbes on coral reefs, restoring reefs to good health, giving them light and nutrients to grow.
Parrotfish are overfished in several parts of the world. But when they die, so do the many other fish and invertebrate populations that rely on the coral reefs that parrotfish keep healthy.
When one link breaks, millions more become vulnerable. Without the many species each doing their little bit to sustain the environment, the whole ecosystem threatens to collapse.
But tackling species loss is complex and multifacetedHaving many sides.. Habitat degradation and destruction is the biggest threat to wildlife, but associated issues, mostly human-induced, are endless, from overexploitation and disease to climate change and pollution.
The report warns that we are rapidly approaching a tipping pointThe point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change., where our actions will soon become irreversible.
But it is not too late to change the outcome. We need to reduce food waste, change farming practices, eat more planet-friendly diets, stop overfishing, ditch fossil fuels for good, expand our protected areas and support conservation efforts to bring our world back from the brink.
Can we turn the tide?
Yes: The report authors made it clear that there is still much we can do to turn the tide on the scale of wildlife damage we are seeing. It needs far more effort, far more investment, and far more co-ordination between international parties - but we can do it.
No: We are constantly talking about red lines and tipping points, but the people with power do nothing to stop us from crossing them. It is not in their interests to act boldly on the climate, so it will not happen.
Or... Wildlife loss is just one of the huge existential issues facing mankind at present, and we should not divert all of our resources to it. Instead, we should be thinking about the implications of AI and the possibility of nuclear war.
Krill - Small marine crustaceans eaten by whales and other sea creatures.
Web - When an ecologist injected radioactive carbon into a birch tree, the radioactive carbon moved through the fungal network into an entirely different nearby species, a Douglas fir.
Multifaceted - Having many sides.
Tipping point - The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change.
Wildlife numbers down 73% in 50 years

Glossary
Krill - Small marine crustaceans eaten by whales and other sea creatures.
Web - When an ecologist injected radioactive carbon into a birch tree, the radioactive carbon moved through the fungal network into an entirely different nearby species, a Douglas fir.
Multifaceted - Having many sides.
Tipping point - The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change.