UN biodiversity report: What extinctions mean for humanity | DW News
Summary
TLDRThe UN's first report on biodiversity warns of an unprecedented decline in nature, with a million species at risk of extinction due to climate change, overfishing, and pollution. Key species like the vaquita porpoise and Amur leopard face critical threats, with populations dwindling to mere dozens. The report underscores the urgency of immediate action, emphasizing that protecting biodiversity is crucial for human survival. It calls for transformative policy changes, including shifts in consumption patterns and a reevaluation of economic growth models. The script also highlights the plight of bees, essential for crop pollination, and introduces a digital bee-sharing platform as a potential solution to their decline.
Takeaways
- 🌏 The first United Nations report on biodiversity warns of an unprecedented decline in nature, with a million species at risk of extinction due to climate change, overfishing, and pollution.
- 🐬 Some animal populations have declined drastically, such as the vaquita porpoise, which is down to an estimated 30 individuals, and the Amur leopard, with only 84 remaining.
- 🦅 Vultures, despite not being considered beautiful, are crucial to the ecosystem, and 11 out of 16 species are at risk of extinction.
- 📉 The rate of species extinction is accelerating, but the report suggests that immediate action can make a difference.
- 🌱 Protecting biodiversity is equated with protecting human life, as humans fundamentally depend on the diversity of life on Earth.
- 🌾 The decline in biodiversity threatens our food supply, as it is dependent on a variety of species for crop growth and healthy soils.
- 🌿 The number of species providing our crops has significantly decreased, with nine plant species providing two-thirds of global crop output.
- 🔄 Transformative policy changes are required to address the decline in biodiversity, moving away from the current economic growth paradigm.
- 🐝 The report also highlights the threat to insects like bees, which are essential for pollination of crops, with many bees disappearing and dying under mysterious circumstances.
- 📱 A new digital bee-sharing platform in Germany connects beekeepers with farmers to ensure pollination, offering a potential solution to the decline in bee populations.
Q & A
What is the main conclusion of the first United Nations report on biodiversity?
-The main conclusion is that an unprecedented decline in nature is threatening humanity, with a million species at risk of extinction primarily due to human activities such as climate change, overfishing, and pollution.
Which species are mentioned as being critically endangered in the report?
-The report mentions the vaquita, a porpoise native to the waters of California with only around 30 individuals left, and the Amur leopard native to China and Russia, with a population down to approximately 84.
What role do vultures play in the ecosystem according to the report?
-Vultures, despite not being considered beautiful, are a key part of the ecosystem as they help maintain ecological balance by scavenging on carcasses.
What is the significance of the accelerating rate of species extinction mentioned in the report?
-The accelerating rate of species extinction signifies that the current loss of biodiversity is happening at an alarming pace, which poses a significant threat to ecosystems and, by extension, to human life.
How does biodiversity loss impact human food supply according to the report?
-Biodiversity loss impacts human food supply by reducing the variety of species that contribute to crop growth and by damaging the health of soils, which are essential for agriculture. This could lead to an inability of the food system to cope with future demands.
What actions can be taken to address the decline in biodiversity as suggested by the report?
-The report suggests that transformative policy changes are needed, including changes in consumption patterns by individuals and radical suggestions for governments to move away from the current economic growth paradigm.
What is the role of insects like bees in the context of the report?
-Insects like bees play a crucial role in pollinating crops, which is essential for food production. The report warns of the threats to these insects, which could have major consequences for agriculture.
How is the digital bee-sharing platform mentioned in the script helping with the bee population decline?
-The digital bee-sharing platform connects beekeepers with farmers, allowing for the renting of bee colonies to pollinate crops. This not only helps in the pollination process but also provides beekeepers with an income and encourages the maintenance of healthy bee populations.
What are the challenges faced by beekeepers and farmers as highlighted in the script?
-Beekeepers and farmers face challenges such as the disappearance of bees, the risk of disease, and the improper use of pesticides. The script mentions the importance of disease prevention and agreements with farmers to protect bees from harmful practices.
What is the potential impact of the bee-sharing business on the agricultural sector as suggested by the script?
-The bee-sharing business has the potential to improve harvests of various crops by providing necessary pollination services, while also offering beekeepers a source of income, thus supporting both agriculture and bee conservation.
Outlines
🌿 Unprecedented Biodiversity Decline Threatens Humanity
The first United Nations report on biodiversity warns of an alarming decline in nature, with a million species at risk of extinction due to climate change, overfishing, and pollution. Animal populations have plummeted, with examples like the vaquita porpoise down to about 30 and the Amur leopard to merely 84. The report emphasizes the urgency of immediate action and the importance of protecting biodiversity to safeguard human life on Earth. It highlights the interconnectedness of human beings with the ecosystem and the dependency on its diversity. The report calls for transformative policy changes, urging consumers to reduce consumption and waste, and governments to move away from the current economic growth paradigm that is contributing to biodiversity loss.
🐝 Bees in Decline: Digital Solutions for Crop Pollination
The script addresses the critical issue of disappearing bees, which are essential for the pollination of crops globally. In Germany, where bees are dying in large numbers, a new digital bee-sharing platform is introduced to connect beekeepers with farmers. The platform allows farmers to order bees for pollination, as demonstrated by Sabina Domon, who ordered 500 colonies to pollinate her apple trees. The platform ensures disease prevention and proper bee care, with strict regulations to prevent harm from pesticides. The bees are hired out for 60 euros per deployment, providing beekeepers with an income source while potentially improving harvests for farmers. This innovative approach showcases a digital solution to a pressing environmental problem.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Biodiversity
💡Extinction
💡Climate Change
💡Overfishing
💡Pollution
💡Ecosystem Services
💡Transformative Policy Change
💡Sustainable Consumption
💡Vultures
💡Pollination
Highlights
The first United Nations report on biodiversity reveals an unprecedented decline in nature, threatening humanity.
A million species are at risk of extinction due to climate change, overfishing, and pollution.
Some animal populations have plummeted to critically low numbers, such as the vaquita porpoise with only around 30 remaining.
The Amur leopard, native to China and Russia, has a population of just 84 individuals.
Vultures, though not conventionally seen as beautiful, are crucial for ecosystem health, with 11 of 16 species at risk of extinction.
The report emphasizes the urgency of immediate action to protect biodiversity, which is directly linked to human survival.
Protecting biodiversity is equated with protecting human life, as humans are fundamentally dependent on the diversity of life.
The report indicates that human activities have led to overfishing, deforestation, and pollution, causing massive damage to nature.
The decline in biodiversity is compared to the threat of climate change, highlighting its severity.
The loss of species has significant impacts on food supply, as crop growth relies on a shrinking number of species.
The extinction of key species like fungi and earthworms threatens the health of soils essential for agriculture.
The report suggests that humanity's existence is at risk due to the decline in species, emphasizing the need for transformative change.
Transformative policy changes are required to address the loss of biodiversity, including changes in consumption and economic growth paradigms.
Consumers are encouraged to consume less and waste less to help mitigate the decline in biodiversity.
The report calls for a shift away from the current economic growth model, which is deemed unsuitable for combating biodiversity loss.
In Germany, a new app helps farmers locate bees for pollination, addressing the decline in bee populations.
Beekeepers and farmers are connected through a digital platform, offering bees for hire to ensure pollination of crops.
The platform operator emphasizes disease prevention and regulations to protect bees from harmful pesticides.
Bees for hire could improve harvests and provide a significant income source for beekeepers, showcasing a practical solution to the pollinator crisis.
Transcripts
an unprecedented decline in nature
threatening humanity that's the
conclusion of the first United Nations
report on biodiversity a million species
are risk from extinction from climate
change overfishing and pollution some
animal populations have dropped to the
dozens the vaquita
kind of poise which is a native to
waters of California is down to an
estimated 30 the Amur leopard native to
China in Russia is just down up to 84 we
don't have the picture for that is it
there you have it the Amur leopard
vultures may not be your idea of beauty
but they're a key part of the ecosystem
11 of 16 species are at risk of
extinction and the reports say that the
species are dying off at an accelerating
rate but there's a chance to make a
difference if action is taken
immediately and UN officials are
pointing out that protecting diversity
also means protecting human life on
Earth scudi what this report is telling
us is that protecting humanity means
protecting biodiversity because we human
beings fundamentally depend on the
diversity of life we are part of this
ecosystem but we are not conscious
enough of the extent to which we benefit
from it
joining me now is Ajith neurontin his
deed abuse environment reporter if
you've already read the report it sounds
very serious but tell us first why are
these particular species at risk from
extinction a million of them you're
right I'm Rita it's one of the most
comprehensive studies of life on Earth
and its main finding is that a million
species at risk of extinction primarily
through human activity and you can see
that in the way we've treated nature
around us the scientists are telling us
that we've over fished oceans we've
raised rainforests we've polluted
waterways and poisoned our air and the
consequences of that is damage to nature
that is on such a scale that
scientists are comparing it the threat
to humanity on the level of climate
change and I think that's such a big
finding from today's report to say that
actually this is biodiversity and
species loss and damage to ecosystems is
something that we need to take as
seriously and tell us a little bit more
ajith about what is the impact of losing
these species there are wide-ranging
impacts of losing species but one of the
biggest and I think one of the ones the
scientists have highlighted the most in
this report is on our food supply now
food supply is dependent on growing
crops and also on having healthy soils
in which those crops grow and what we've
seen is that the number of different
species that are providing our crops has
plunged dramatically so I think the UN
of recent UN reports separate one found
that nine species of plant provide two
thirds of global crop output now combine
that with damage that we're doing to
soil the extinction of individual
species such as fungi and earthworms and
so on and you have a clear picture where
essentially our food system isn't
necessarily going to be able to cope in
the future with the damage being done to
it so it sounds like that our very
existence is under threat of humanity's
under threat by the decline of these
species can anything be done to arrest
this decline I think that's a good news
that the report makes very clear that
actually this is something we can change
that we can turn this around and that
but the problem with that is that it
requires what they called transformative
policy change now
they've listed many different areas in
which they want governments to pay more
attention to one aspect which they've
highlighted for consumers and for people
is our consumption choices and how we
need to make sure that we spend we that
we consume less for for starters but
also that we waste less and what's
particularly interesting on this sort of
governmental level on the broader level
is that they really have made some quite
radical suggestions such as saying that
we need to steer
selves away from what they call this
limited paradigm of economic growth so
what they're saying is that our current
economic system is not really fit for
fighting the loss of biodiversity that
we're seeing and the consequence of that
has for us
absolutely lots of food for thought on
that report
Ajith in the Ranji indeed Abbie's
environment reporter thank you very much
for that assessment
thank you one of the warnings in the
report has to do with a threat of
insects threat to insects such as bees
which are essential in the pollination
of crops globally we've been seeing an
alarming development with bees
disappearing and dying under mysterious
circumstances and their fears that this
could have major consequences for
farmers in Germany a new app could help
have a look how many of the apple
blossoms in her orchard will be
pollinated this year it's a question
that fruit farmer Sabina Domon asks
herself time and again because in
northern Germany as in other places many
bees are dying dozen of moths losing up
to 40% of a colony as a regular
occurrence and those are the bees that
you miss now when plants begin flowering
whether it's rapeseed or fruit they're
just not there if you and iron fall
Domon has turned to a new digital be
sharing platform for help
it brings together beekeepers and
farmers online the Beast that will
pollinate Dahl Mons trees arrived on a
truck from the neighboring Netherlands
she ordered 500 colonies and after
taking a little while to acclimatize
they get straight to work platform
operator niels gaba has assumed
responsibility for the hardworking
insects it would be terrible for the
start-ups image if they came to harm
disease prevention is a big issue
bringing healthy bees plays a central
role on the one hand on the other we
have close agreements and binding
regulations with the farmers to ensure
the bees aren't damaged through the
improper use of pesticides that could
hurt or destroy them the
hasn't happened yet yet so far gaba has
registered over a thousand beekeepers on
his platform the bees cost 60 euros per
deployment so did they get the job done
we're lucky because our orchard is
pretty far away from other orchards like
it so we thought about it and decided to
take a chance on it to give it a shot
and see how things go and so far the
cooperation has gone very well we
haven't been disappointed once isn't
missing twice Gordon the beekeepers get
to keep the honey it's still early days
for the be sharing business in Germany
but there's potential demand for
hundreds of thousands of colonies among
farmers all over the country bees for
hire could help improve harvests of all
kinds of produce and at the same time
provide their owners with a great source
of income
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