Article #2
Wake up!
Every year
2000 animal species disappear from the earth!
The Amazon rainforest is said to be the lungs of the earth. It is home to countless jungle trees, so large and beautiful that it is hard to imagine. A treasure of immeasurable value, not only in diversity and life, but also in an ecosystem that supports the entire ecosystem of the world, but not only that: the Amazon rainforest is home to countless animal species, and many of them have not even been discovered yet. The dark side of this is that every day, right there in the middle of the abundance of life, areas that could fill entire countries are being cleared, and with their disappearance, animal species that we don't even know about are also disappearing. They are dying out before we have even had the chance to notice them. An incredible loss that we are often unable to comprehend in our everyday lives. But the reality is:
We are in the midst of the greatest extinction of species,
since the time of the dinosaurs!
From the Amazon to the wilderness of Africa:
Habitat is becoming scarce there too. Lush nature is giving way to agriculture, oil drilling, etc. in every nook and cranny. While we humans are becoming more, the animals are becoming fewer, and worse still, are dying out. We are no longer talking about the famous rhinos, whose loss has been reported in the mainstream media, but about many other species. I have put together some figures for you:
- ... around 100 years ago there were still 10 million elephants, today there are only around 300,000
- ... there are only around 500 lions left in western Africa, some of which live in isolation.
- ... half of all coral reefs have disappeared since the 19th century.
- ... a third of all lemurs have disappeared from the trees in recent years.
- ... more than half of all primate species in Africa are endangered.
- ... In 2018, only around 250 right whales were counted because they were hunted too much.
- ... the last gorillas on earth live in small populations and are closely guarded.
But it doesn't always have to be so far away!
The local meadows and forests also show alarming figures: there used to be millions of hamsters, but today they are threatened with extinction. Songbirds have declined drastically in recent years, and insects, bees and small animals are also becoming increasingly extinct. All of this is happening quietly. Mostly without us knowing about it. The fact is: the figures are frightening. It is time to wake up, because we are paying with nature through our perpetual growth. And with it our livelihood!
There is nothing cheap.
We pay a high price for our growth. Whenever something becomes more, something else becomes less.
We pay with our nature!
The causes of species extinction are manifold: habitat loss, pollution of air, water and soil, industrial agriculture, spray poisons ... the list is longer than we think. A fundamental problem with our current system is that it is not diversity that is being promoted, but simplicity. The preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems is not a priority and this is precisely what is putting us in an increasingly precarious situation!
However, we are not only losing our livelihood, but also the majority of what makes life what it is. Because the earth is the only place we know of where there is such beauty and diversity. What would it be without lions, without elephants, without wild natural places? What would your life be without all this?
"What you do makes a difference,
and you HAVE to decide what kind of difference you want to make.
(Jane Goodall)
The "Window of Time"
The famous chimpanzee researcher and environmental activist Jane Goodall speaks of a "window of time" in which we currently find ourselves. This means that we are at a critical point where we can still turn the tide. Nature is capable of amazing things, it can recover if we give it the chance.
A wonderful example of this is Yellowstone National Park:
Since the wolves were released back into the wild there, nature has been recovering rapidly.
The ecosystem is more and more intact, which means that nature is being brought back into balance
and can therefore heal itself.
You can do this for nature now:
- Reduce your consumption to the bare essentials.
- Don't buy products for which the Amazon rainforest has been cut down - research carefully, the information is often concealed.
- Reduce the consumption of animal products - they consume huge amounts of resources.
- Buy regional and seasonal products.
Take care of native animals, such as birds.
Support petitions that campaign against toxic pesticides. - Support organizations that are committed to biodiversity.
- Start with the little ones.
- Talk about it: Many people simply don't know. You can educate those around you.
And get back into nature yourself: realize how valuable it is for your life.
And never forget:
You are more powerful than you think. What you do in small ways every day will make a big difference.
Because the earth of tomorrow grows from you.
Let's make nature great again!
If this article has inspired you, I would be delighted if you would share it with others,
and join me on my mission to create a new awareness of - our own - nature.
