World Wildlife Day 2017

Today is UN World Wildlife Day. Set up just 4 years ago, it aims to remind us of, and celebrate, the wide, wide variety of flora and fauna on our planet.
All over the world people unite their voices to speak out against wildlife crime; an act of inequality to the many species around us.
The genius theme for this year is “Listen to the Young Voices,” giving those aged 10-24 the loudest say in a topic that will determine the future earth which they, I, will have to inhabit & govern once our present leaders pass on.


Your background, ethnicity, gender; none of it matters when we all strive to care for the creatures that are marginalised by humans.
We always hear about how conservation efforts need to be made and that many species are nearing extinction - some well known (tigers) and some not so (saola) - but aside from the magnificent diversity they possess, why actually bother trying to protect the animals? What benefit does this actually provide to us?

Biodiversity is essential for all life to flourish. Including humans. Here are some reasons why:

  • Ecosystem services (various ways in which an ecosystem supports a community) - cleaning water, decomposing waste, pollination and keeping soil fertile thus giving us food. The quantities of organisms affects the climate too.
  • Our lifestyle - discovering medicines e.g. aspirin from willow trees for pain relief. Quinine, from the Chinchona tree for treating malaria. Paper & furniture as well as a place of tranquillity away from busy cities.
  • Culture - human adaptation to an environment's 'sense of place' has provided us with the diverse cultures we yearn to travel to today. 
  • The economy - when it comes down to our current mindset, the economy is always something that grabs the nation's attention. The global economic value of pollination services performed by insects has been valued at $217 billion per year (Gallai et al. 2009). If we loose the bees, not only will humans die off, so will our financial system. All businesses will be affected if biodiversity is lost. Effects to the economy could, in turn, lead to more humanitarian disasters and wars.

We know that extinction is a natural thing, 95% of all species that ever lived are now extinct and sometimes, I feel we need to remind ourselves that not all members of a species need to be saved, and neither do they all need to be killed. A balance is required so that evolution can still occur without playing havoc with our fragile ecosystems. Extinction and evolution are natural processes.
The problem occurs when we, the 'intelligent' humans, although this is often lead by 1 individual/company, develop ways to increase exploitation of an area for the profits we gain in money. This is opposed to the profits we would gain as a community in future sustainability & the wondrous wildlife around us. The drive for profit is no longer strategic but manipulative.

When you look out into space and past the stars, you see many wonderful planets - but there is no life there. There's no intelligence there.
The amount of life upon our earth is falling, whilst I struggle to see signs of intelligence here as well. Which is causal to which?
The significance of us
http://scinotions.com/the-scale-of-the-universe-video/
The rate of destruction is growing and growing as more and more people develop the technologies to make money for themselves. This is where we need to stop. We need to allow an alternative to our currently messed up pathway and provide the new generation, 1/4 of the world's people, the chance to give their say. Decide for themselves, decide for ourselves, what future we want to have. This is why World Wildlife Day is so clever.

The next few decisions made by today's leaders are crucial to the lives lived by the next generation. If you want to live in a world where we have the freedom to live in peace and stability, you must raise your voice now. Young or old, rich or poor, male or female. The words you speak next are crucial.

Bibliography
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/saola
http://wildlifeday.org/
http://www.un.org/en/events/wildlifeday/
http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/conservation-of-biodiversity-13235087
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Anti-platelets-aspirin-low-dose-/Pages/Introduction.aspx#uses

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