Three environmental catastrophes this year show why conservation is so badly needed around the world.
We have witnessed the hottest year ever on record, magnified by the Russian heat wave and wildfires, and devastating floods in Pakistan. We are also witnessing the continuing extinction of species world-wide; scientists estimate that 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird, and mammal become extinct every 24 hours.
While a single weather event alone cannot be attributed to climate change, the increasingly amounts of extreme weather events can be. We are currently seeing twice as many record highs being set as record lows. Eventually that ratio could be 50-t0-1.
“We will always have climate extremes. But it looks like climate change is exacerbating the intensity of the extremes,” said Omar Baddour, chief of climate data management applications at WMO headquarters in Geneva.
At Rare, we’re working to protect forests, which help soak up greenhouse gases. We are working to prevent deforestation by getting villagers off of fuelwood by using fuel efficient stoves, solar water heaters, and energy-efficient light bulbs. We are also working to get farmers and ranchers to trade in their fields and cattle for environmentally-friendly bee keeping and by setting up and enforcing protected areas.
If we cannot come together empathetically now to conserve our planet and species, what kind of environmental catastrophes will be required to inspire conservation?
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