UN biodiversity report: What extinctions mean for humanity | DW News

Summary

The 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

00:00

🌿 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.

05:02

🐝 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.

Keywords

💡Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, encompassing the diversity of species, ecosystems, and genetic variation. It is crucial for maintaining the health of ecosystems and the services they provide to humans. In the video, the United Nations report highlights the unprecedented decline in biodiversity, which threatens human well-being, as it affects food security, climate regulation, and the overall stability of ecosystems.

💡Extinction

Extinction is the permanent loss of a species, where no individuals of that species exist anywhere in the wild. The video emphasizes the alarming rate at which species are at risk of extinction due to human activities such as climate change, overfishing, and pollution. The example of the vaquita and the Amur leopard illustrates the severity of this issue, with their populations critically low.

💡Climate Change

Climate change is a long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns, often attributed to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, which increase greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The video script mentions climate change as one of the primary drivers of biodiversity loss, affecting species' habitats and leading to shifts in ecosystems' balance.

💡Overfishing

Overfishing is the practice of catching fish at a rate faster than they can reproduce, leading to a decline in fish populations. In the context of the video, overfishing is cited as a significant threat to marine biodiversity, with consequences for both the marine ecosystem and human food sources that depend on sustainable fish populations.

💡Pollution

Pollution refers to the contamination of the environment, often by substances or energy that are harmful to living organisms. The video script discusses pollution as a factor contributing to the decline in biodiversity, particularly through the degradation of waterways and the poisoning of air, which can lead to the extinction of sensitive species.

💡Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem services are the benefits that humans obtain from ecosystems, such as food, water purification, and climate regulation. The video underscores the importance of protecting biodiversity to maintain these services, which are essential for human survival and well-being. The decline in biodiversity can disrupt these services, potentially leading to food shortages and other environmental crises.

💡Transformative Policy Change

Transformative policy change implies fundamental shifts in governance, economic systems, and societal behaviors to address complex challenges like biodiversity loss. The video suggests that such changes are necessary to reverse the current trend of species extinction and ecosystem degradation, requiring a move away from traditional economic growth models that often contribute to environmental degradation.

💡Sustainable Consumption

Sustainable consumption involves using resources in a way that meets current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The video script highlights the importance of sustainable consumption in the context of biodiversity, urging consumers to reduce waste and make choices that minimize harm to the environment and support the conservation of species.

💡Vultures

Vultures are scavenging birds that play a critical role in ecosystems by cleaning up carcasses and preventing the spread of disease. The video mentions vultures as an example of species that, despite not being considered 'beautiful,' are essential for maintaining the health of ecosystems. The decline in vulture populations could have significant negative impacts on ecosystem functioning.

💡Pollination

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from a male part of a plant to a female part, enabling fertilization and the production of seeds. The video discusses the importance of pollinators like bees for the reproduction of many plant species, including those that are crucial for human food production. The decline in bee populations, as mentioned in the script, poses a threat to global food security and the health of ecosystems.

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