Earth is most likely experiencing its sixth mass extinction. The planet has been through at least five such catastrophes before, but this is the first one in human history — and the first one with human fingerprints. 58 percent of Earth’s vertebrate animals have been lost since 1970. Habitat loss and wildlife crime are the […]
Tag: mass extinction
POLL: Do We Need an International Agreement to Halt Mass Extinction?
We are in the midst of the sixth major extinction event in the history of the planet — one that is entirely human-caused. And this alarming and ever increasing rate of extinction shows no sign of halting. Based on estimates of total global biodiversity and annual rate of species loss, well over 10,000 species could […]
POLL: Should there be a global treaty on biodiversity based on the Paris climate deal?
How is that fun?” asked US talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel in a segment about trophy hunting aired after Cecil, a well-known lion tagged by researchers, was killed in Zimbabwe by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer in 2015. Kimmel choked up as he asked viewers to donate to Oxford University’s conservation research programme, and his shame and […]
Everyday Extinction: An Instagram Campaign Raising Awareness of Species Extinction
The current rate of biodiversity loss has thrust the world into a sixth extinction event and much of the blame falls on humanity, as does the responsibility for combating the severe losses. Raising public awareness on the rapid extinction of species is one of the most important actions we can take. In response to this […]
For Species At Risk of Extinction, Size Matters
Scientists have been warning about a sixth mass extinction, and when it comes to species at risk of disappearing, size is going to matter a lot, according to a new study. For the study, which was just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, an international team of scientists from the U.S., […]
Giraffes facing extinction after devastating decline
The world’s tallest animal is at risk of extinction after suffering a devastating decline in numbers, with nearly 40% of giraffes lost in the last 30 years, according to the latest “red list” analysis. The authoritative list, compiled by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has also added more than 700 newly […]
World on track to lose two-thirds of wild animals by 2020
The number of wild animals living on Earth is set to fall by two-thirds by 2020, according to a new report, part of a mass extinction that is destroying the natural world upon which humanity depends. The analysis, the most comprehensive to date, indicates that animal populations plummeted by 58% between 1970 and 2012, with […]
World’s mammals being eaten into extinction, report warns
Hundreds of mammal species – from chimpanzees to hippos to bats – are being eaten into extinction by people, according to the first global assessment of the impact of human hunting. Bushmeat has long been a traditional source of food for many rural people, but as roads have been driven into remote areas, large-scale commercial […]
