Aniysiah Butler GSC-111-01 Prof. Mccarthy Position Paper 4/19/22 My name is Aniysiah Butler and I represent all the scientists at the Wildlife Conservation Society. I want to kind of give you an introduction to what biodiversity is. Biodiversity loss refers to the decline or disappearance of biodiversity, understood as the diversity of organisms inhabiting the planet, its various levels of biological tissue and their genetic diversity, and the natural patterns of ecosystems. I believe that biodiversity is the foundation on which our planet is built. We all depend on nature and its biodiversity. If the endangered species continues unabated, our country will lose its unique landscapes, wildlife, and biodiversity forever. “It is as fundamental and foundational to all-natural systems that support human health and livelihoods. Addressing the biodiversity crisis is essential to protecting against future pandemics as well as to meeting our urgent goals related to climate change. A robust future where both humans, wildlife, and the natural environment thrive can only be achieved by elevating biodiversity protection to the highest priority” (said Azzedine Downes, CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare). Mass extinction is a short period of geological time in which a high percentage of biodiversity, or distinct species—bacteria, fungi, plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates—dies out (WCS Newsroom,2022). In this definition, it’s important to note that, a ‘short’ period can mean thousands or even millions of years. The planet has experienced five previous mass extinction events, the last one occurring 65.5 million years ago which wiped out the dinosaurs from existence (WCS Newroom,2022). Experts now believe we’re in the midst of sixth mass extinction. The sixth mass extinction of the planet’s biodiversity is currently underway, according to a new study confirming previous warnings that the Earth’s species have been dying off at an accelerated rate in the last few centuries (Sankran,2021). Extinction is a natural part of evolution along with speciation. Speciation creates new species, and extinction makes them extinct. The normal extinction rate is 1 species per 5,000 species per century. However, mass extinction, which kills more than 70% of the Earth's species, is not a necessary part of evolution. The current rate is 100 times the original rate. Past extinction events were caused by extreme temperature changes, sea-level rise or fall, and one-off catastrophic events such as a large volcanic eruption or an asteroid colliding with Earth. Scientists have concluded that the 6th man-made mass extinction is probably accelerating for some of the reasons. First, many species were driven to the edge of probably untimely extinction. Second, the distribution of those species very intently coincides with the loads of different endangered species that exist in rather anthropogenic areas, suggesting a decline in biodiversity withinside the region. is continuing. Third, the near ecological interactions of species on the edge generally tend to push different species towards extinction as they disappear—extinction ends in extinction. Finally, human strain in the biosphere is growing rapidly, and the latest instance is the coronavirus pandemic (Covid19), related to the flora and fauna trade. Personally, we all believe that we can contribute to the fight against biodiversity loss. How? Prioritize sustainable mobility and nutrition, responsible consumption and recycling practices, reducing polluted small-scale behavior, help raise awareness of small-scale behavior through environmental education, and ultimately biodiversity. We support all actions to protect sexuality. Other things, such as the number of species currently threatened by habitat loss, will improve if we can work to reduce the negative impacts on the climate. I believe that prioritizing the protection and conservation of nature over the interests of financial systems will bring about the changes we need to see most quickly. It is way more effective for policymakers and businesses to reduce emissions, focusing on the major emitters. The ultimate fate of our reality depends very much on our forewarning of what is perhaps the largest global effort in history to reduce human impact. In general, we have a functional role, which requires a profound change in our qualities, attitudes, and behaviors. Works Cited https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/17228/Environmenta l-Organizations-Federal-and-State-Leaders-Call-for-a-National-Biodiversity-Strategy-to-Combat -the-Escalating-Extinction-Crisis.aspx https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-mass-extinction-and-are-we-facing-a-sixth-one.html https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1922686117 https://www.altmetric.com/blog/research-reveals-the-sixth-mass-extinction-and-a-potential-way-t o-stop-it/ https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/sixth-mass-extinction-global-biodiversity-b 1994346.html \
