What's behind the biodiversity loss crisis? How bad is it? How does it relate to climate change? We explore these questions and more with Dr. Rebecca Shaw at the WWF.
Option #1
Call on your representative to end fossil fuel subsidies
The subsidies drive both climate change and biodiversity loss
Post on social media, tag them, and encourage your friends to do the same
Representative’s track social closely so it’s a great way to get the message across quickly
Option #2
Set a goal for reducing your weekly meat consumption, especially red meat
Establish a target that's a day or two less than the number of days / week you currently eat meat
Then decide which days of the week you want to go meat free
Remember, reducing your animal protein intake not only benefits biodiversity but cuts carbon emissions and is better for your health!
Resources -Build Your Diet (panda.org)
Maryland couple fights their HOA to keep their native plants
Homeowner associations by one measure govern some 74 million people nationwide
Lawns make up one-third of the country’s 135 million acres of residential landscaping
According to National Wildlife Federation, in 2020 there was 50% increase in people creating wildlife gardens certified by the organization
Sources
They Fought the Lawn. And the Lawn’s Done. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Intro
On average, global populations of wildlife declined 69% between 1970 and 2016
Farmed animals (mainly cows and pigs) constitute 60% of global biomass of all mammals, humans make up 36%, and wild mammals make up just 4%
Planet-Based Diet
Interactive report by World Wildlife Fund
United States Example
Montreal Biodiversity Conference - COP 15 Outcomes
Nations agreed to set aside 30% of their land and water by 2030 (30 x 30)
Sources
What is biodiversity and how are we protecting it? - BBC News
Why Are Diets and Biodiversity Linked? | Planet-Based Diets | WWF (panda.org)
Cop15: historic deal struck to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 | Cop15 | The Guardian