Some animals and wildlife species are currently dwindling down to very small numbers. This scenario is unprecedented. If we don't take action and conserve them, these creatures will be gone forever. There are many reasons to protect these animals. Different species interact with each other and the environment. If one animal becomes extinct, there could be unthinkable outcomes. For example, grass-eating animals can reduce the destruction of wildfires. These grass-grazing animals eat the grass that can fuel forest fires.
Many conservation groups have worked tirelessly to save these animals. While there is still a lot of hard work left to be done, there are still triumphs we can celebrate.
The ocean is vast and many animals depend on it for survival. Many humans' livelihoods also rely on the ocean. There is no doubt that the ocean is very important to life on Earth. But there is a lot of plastic waste in our waters. Many birds and aquatic life get caught in the plastic, ropes, and nets. Sea turtles often devour plastic bags, thinking they're jellyfish. Plastic pollution is a huge problem across the globe.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an organization that tries to stop the destruction of wildlife and the natural world. They partnered with different groups and scientists to come up with the first solar-powered LED net. These nets light up. Many animals that are looking for food tend to avoid these lights. Early studies show that this new net can save thousands of turtles every year in just one region.
The population of the greater one-horned rhinos once dwindled down to very low numbers. This was due to poaching. In the 20th century, there were only 200 of them left in the wild. But they're making a comeback thanks to conservation efforts. Strict protection laws were put in place. There are now over 3000 greater one-horned rhinos.
Whaling has been done since at least 3000 BC. People hunted the whales for food and their blubber. They used every part of the whale. The whale would sustain the community for a long time. But soon the blubber was used as oil for lamps, machines, and makeup. People now wanted to hunt whales to make money.
With improvements in technology, more ships were built just for whaling. This caused whales to be hunted to almost extinction. People were hunting whales faster than they could be born. Sometimes an entire family of whales would be killed.
Conservation laws were put in place to protect whales. Some countries have agreed not to hunt whales. Others agreed to put restrictions in place. Also, scientists made materials that can be used instead of whale blubber.
Seafood traceability is important in order to make sure all the seafood obtained is procured legally. It's about being able to trace our seafood from the water to our plates. That way consumers will know exactly how and where the seafood was caught. It forces companies to be more transparent about their catches and even address sustainability issues.
The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement that aims to reduce greenhouse gases released into the air. It was named after the Japanese city, Kyoto. The protocol encourages countries to develop technology that can reduce these harmful gases.
All these solutions tackle different issues and have their own merits. There are lots of great minds that can stem the flow of pollution. Their innovative solutions are revered by many. Perhaps the next big conservation effort would be done through crowdsourcing. If all of us humans can have more empathy and think about what is happening to our planet and its inhabitants, we will surely reach more conservation milestones soon! Everyone can play a part to achieve a climate-friendly Earth.