"We devour the planet": a report on biodiversity warns that humanity is in danger

"We devour the planet. And this deterioration on a global scale also means the mbadive deterioration of a satisfying and satisfying life for all, now and for the next decades.", with this strong sentence Sandra Díaz, the Argentinean scientist who co-chaired the Global Assessment of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

The expert refers to the report, which required three years of work and which has just been known, in which it is determined that we are confronted with the possibility of a mbad extinction in which between 500,000 and a million species are at risk. And, the main causes are due to the overexploitation of resources by the man: overfishing, bad land use and generation of greenhouse gases. The report details what is happening in different parts of the world and highlights the urgency of actions for a substantial change in life on Earth.

Native species in most major terrestrial habitats have been reduced by at least 20% since 1900. More than 40% of amphibian species, nearly 33% of corals and more than one third of all marine mammals threatened. The picture is less clear for insect species, but the available evidence supports a preliminary estimate that 10% is threatened. Since the 16th century, at least 680 species of vertebrates have been destroyed and more than 9% of all domestic mammal breeds used for food and agriculture have disappeared in 2016, with at least 1,000 breeds threatened.

"Argentina is a good example of what we are seeing: the production of goods takes place in some areas, but they are not consumed in the same place and, paradoxically, a good thing causes collateral damage." This report raises the complexity of the challenge. For example, planting has been proposed to generate biofuels as valuable options because they sequester carbon, but the problem is that they are negative for biodiversity. it's about maximizing just one of these goals, you have very negative consequences for others, "the scientist told a press conference with Latin American journalists in which she participated. Infobae.

The work shows these contradictions: since 1970, agricultural production has increased by 300% and yet, 11% of the world's population is undernourished and about 860 million people are facing food insecurity only during the last years. Africa and Asia

As if to give an idea, the report states that about one third of the land area and 75% of the world's freshwater resources are devoted to agricultural production or livestock production. Between 1980 and 2000, 100 million hectares of tropical forests were lost, mainly due to livestock farming in Latin America (about 42 million hectares) and plantations in Southeast Asia (about 7 million hectares). 5 million hectares, of which 80% is palm oil, mainly used in food, cosmetics, cleaning products and fuels).

"In the Americas, the richness of biodiversity contributes greatly to quality of life by helping to reduce poverty, while strengthening economies and livelihoods," said Jake Rice (Canada), Co-Chair of the United Nations. evaluation of the Americas with Cristiana Simão Seixas (Brazil) and María Elena Zaccagnini (Argentina).

"The economic value of Earth's land-based contributions to the people of the Americas is over $ 24 trillion a year – which equals the region's GDP, but nearly two-thirds – 65 percent – of these contributions. they are decreasing, with a significant decrease of 21 %.Man-induced climate changes, which affect temperature, precipitation and the nature of extreme events, lead increasingly to a loss of biodiversity and a decrease in contributions. from nature to humans, exacerbating the impact of habitat degradation, pollution, invasive species and overexploitation of natural resources, "they added.

According to the report, Taking a typical scenario into account, climate change will be the fastest growing factor that will negatively affect biodiversity by 2050 in the Americas., becoming comparable to the pressures imposed by land-use change. Today, on average, species populations in an area are almost 31% smaller than at the time of European colonization. The increasing effects of climate change adding to other factors, it is expected that this loss will reach 40% by 2050.

"We hope that the report is an instrument of change, it seems to us that many social actors have woken up, that they have understood that without a scenario of more or less healthy life, there is no future for us poor countries that we can not afford, we must all act, of course, there are more responsible actors than others, but without change of the "status quo" (BAU ), there is no way we can meet in 30 years objectives of minimum protection of biodiversity, climate change mitigation and sustainability, "added Díaz.

According to published information, the study shows that 75% of the planet's surface, 40% of its oceans and half of its inland waters have been "severely altered" by humans. Almost every human being on the planet can feel these impacts, as they affect more than three-quarters of the world's food crops that depend on pollination of animals. Habitat loss is the main cause of the reduction of wildlife.

A coalition of more and more scientists, philanthropists and non-governmental organizations is calling on countries to commit to protecting at least 30% of the world's land and water by 2030 when it next meeting in China next year to establish global biodiversity policy for the next decade.

Claudio Bertonatti, Argentine naturalist and conservationist at the Azara Foundation, said: "Science recognizes just over 1.7 million species, and there are many more to discover and describe. In fact, biological inventories are obsolete and incomplete. We still do not know what we have and that in many cases is threatened. Therefore, we ignore the role and importance of all life forms at the scale of the species.. But yes, we know that as a whole and in every wild ecosystem, they produce oxygen, protect or regulate water cycles, maintain soil fertility, produce plants and animals, and contribute if that was not enough, to stabilize the climate. of the planet. But since these services are free, silent and constant, we do not evaluate them. And we even have the false belief that humanity can happen to them. Who holds it? The set of genes, species and ecosystems that we collect under the name of biodiversity ".

The oceans are fundamental when we talk about protection. Pollution from plastics has increased tenfold since 1980. 300 to 400 million tonnes of heavy metals, solvents, toxic sludges and other wastes from industrial facilities are discharged annually into the waters of the planet and the world. fertilizers penetrate ecosystems. coastal areas produced more than 400 oceanic 'dead zones', totaling more than 245 000 km2 (591-595) – a combined area greater than that of the United Kingdom.

Sofia Heinonen, Conservation Land Trust, said: "The Campaign for Nature is promoting the protection of half of the planet by 2050 with an interim target of 30% by 2030. To achieve these goals, we must create new protected areas, restore ecosystems and support for new green businesses that contribute to the development of regional economies. Argentina set a record last year with the creation of six national parks, including two seafarers, and we now have almost 15% of the territory protected, but we believe that it is possible to continue to consolidate new spaces and to support us in nature as a tool capable of creating jobs, create roots and strengthen communities in the interior of the country. "

Some data that the report shows:

– About 25% of greenhouse gas emissions come from land clearing, crop production and fertilization. Feed of animal origin contributes 75% to this figure.

– Every year, 5.6 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions are captured in marine and terrestrial ecosystems, accounting for 60% of global fossil fuel emissions.

– Smallholder farms not only contribute to the maintenance of high biodiversity, but also contribute more per hectare to world agricultural production and food production than large farms: +/- 30%: global crop production and L & # 39 World food supply is manufactured in small farms.

– 68% of foreign capital destined for the soybean and beef sectors (leading in the transformation of the Amazon) are channeled through tax havens.

– In 2015, it is estimated that in the OECD countries, financial badistance of 100 billion dollars has been allocated to agriculture, which could harm the environment.

– It is estimated that almost one-third of the world's forest area has been lost from pre-industrial levels.