Wildlife is struggling. The increase in the number of species classified as “threatened” on recently updated IUCN Red List was appalling. While there has been much conservational efforts in the recent past, more involvement of the general public is required if we truly want to save wildlife. Many have wonder about how can we conserve wildlife. Here is a list of 5 simple ways.
Avoiding Single Use Plastic
India annually generates 9.46 million metric tonnes of plastic, a majority of which is single-use, and 40% of this remains uncollected. The global scenario is even gloomier. Since 1950, 8.3 billion tons of plastic has been produced, 60% of which has ended up in landfills. To make matters worse, plastics are rarely biodegradable and take thousands of years to decompose.
With the majority of plastic waste finding its way to the world’s oceans, plastics have instigated an ecological disaster. Plastic ingestion impacts over 700 species of animals, killing 1 million seabirds annually. Apart from harming our world’s biodiversity, plastic waste, particularly in oceans, is also catalysing climate change. For example, Coral bleaching is enhanced by plastic waste, through the spread of pathogens and the deprivation of oxygen and sunlight. This is a major issue because coral reefs play a vital role in carbon sequestration in marine ecosystems. Oceans absorb nearly a third of humanity’s carbon dioxide emissions.
Furthermore, landfills, which are filled with plastics, are also a source of a public health crisis. Landfills promote population growth of pests such as rats and feral dogs. This is associated with the spread of rabies, which kills nearly 60,000 people annually. Rabies also causes US$5.5 billion per year of indirect economic costs.
Reducing plastic consumption is a necessity!
Plant a tree
With over 80 million hectares of rainforests chopped down since 1990, deforestation continues to be a primary contributor to the world’s climate crisis. Forests, in particular trees, play a crucial role in carbon sequestration and in regulation of the climate and water cycles. They also form a refuge for a large plethora of wildlife.
While restoring a forest may not be practical for most, simply planting a tree can benefit the environment immensely. While the exact figures vary based on species and size, it is estimated that a mature tree can absorb about 20kg of carbon dioxide annually. In return, it can release more than 120kg of oxygen. This makes tree plantations a vital nature-based solution to mitigate carbon emissions.
Diligent research, however, is due prior to planting a tree. It is critical to plant only species native to the area. The ecological damage associated with non-native species can often offset the benefits of planting a tree.
Sustainable Palm Oil
Palm oil is the most consumed vegetable oil globally. It is an ingredient which cannot be separated from many popular packaged products and foods, including soaps, detergent, lipstick, ice cream, chocolates and instant noodles. However, palm oil plantations are one of the largest threats to global biodiversity.
Large patches of rainforest around the globe are being burned down to make way for palm oil monocultures. Currently 90% of the world’s palm oil is currently produced in a few islands of Malaysia and Indonesia, which are some of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. Plantation owners clear forests using the highly destructive slash and burn method which have led to a recurrent annual haze crisis in South East Asia. Furthermore, the habitats of critically endangered species such as the Sumatran Tiger, Javan Rhino, Pygmy Elephant and Orangutan are being decimated in the process. In fact, 43% of the Tesso Nilo National Park in Sumatra has been replaced by illegal palm oil plantations. To make matters worse, with increasing restrictions in South East Asia, palm oil producers are now targeting the rainforests of Africa, India and South America.
Boycotting palm oil is not the solution, as other vegetative oils have far more drastic impacts on biodiversity. Instead, it is essential to try and use products which utilize sustainable palm oil. It is vital to check product labels to see if they are certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) which certifies palm oil plantations based on eight underlying sustainability principles.
Participate in Citizen Science
Given the enhancement of technology, citizen science is growing in prominence in the field of conservation. From understanding the geographic range of a species, to mitigating wildlife roadkills, citizen science certainly is proving to be an effective conservation method
The simplest method to participate in citizen science is just by reporting observations of wildlife in your daily life. Softwares such as iNaturalist and eBird allow users to upload information pertaining to wildlife sightings. Through the use of Artificial Intelligence, iNaturalist also supports users in species identifications. Other applications, such as Roadkill, have also depended on public observation to understand threats to wildlife. Organizations, such as the Wildlife Trusts and the Zoological Society of London, have more specific projects which require public engagement.
Donating
The conservation sector is always running tight on resources. Help us Help Them! Think Wildlife Foundation is a non profit organization with various conservation initiatives. Our most prominent campaign is our Caring for Pari intiative. Pari is a rehabilitated elephant at the Wildlife SoS Hospital. 25% of the profits from our store are donated to the elephant hospital for Pari. Other than buying our wonderful merchandise, you could donate directly to our Caring For Pari fundraiser.