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Destruction of nature is as big a threat to humanity as climate change.

By Michael Le Page

Farming and housing occupies large amounts of land globally

Farming and housing occupies large amounts of land globally

Steve Proehl/Getty

We are destroying nature at an unprecedented rate, threatening the survival of a million species – and our own future, too. But it’s not too late to save them and us, says a major new report.

“The evidence is incontestable. Our destruction of biodiversity and ecosystem services has reached levels that threaten our well-being at least as much as human-induced climate change.”

With these words chair Robert Watson launched a meeting in Paris to agree the final text of a major UN report on the state of nature around the world – the biggest and most thorough assessment to date, put together by 150 scientists from 50 countries.

The report, released today, is mostly grim reading. We humans have already significantly altered three-quarters of all land and two-thirds of the oceans. More than a third of land and three-quarters of freshwater resources are devoted to crops or livestock.

Around 700 vertebrates have gone extinct in the past few centuries. Forty per cent of amphibians and a third of coral species, sharks and marine mammals look set to follow.

Less room for wildlife

Preventing this is vital to save ourselves, the report says. “Ecosystems, species, wild populations, local varieties and breeds of domesticated plants and animals are shrinking, deteriorating or vanishing,” says one of the the report’s authors, Josef Settele. “This loss is a direct result of human activity and constitutes a direct threat to human well-being in all regions of the world.”

The main reason is simple. Our expanding farms and cities are leaving less room for wildlife. The other major causes are the direct exploitation of wildlife such as hunting, climate change, pollution and the spread of invasive species. Climate change is set to become ever more destructive.

Read more: Is life on Earth really at risk? The truth about the extinction crisis

But we can still turn things around, the report says. “Nature can be conserved, restored and used sustainably while simultaneously meeting other global societal goals through urgent and concerted efforts fostering transformative change,” it states.

It also says that where land is owned or managed by indigenous peoples and local communities, there has been less destruction and sometimes none at all.

The aim of the report, by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), is to provide an authoritative scientific basis for international action . The hope is that it will lead to the same pressure for action as the latest scientific report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), on limiting warming to 1.5°C.

“Good knowledge is absolutely essential for good governance,” says Watson, who chaired the IPCC from 1997 to 2002 . “I’m optimistic that this will make a difference.”

Bioenergy threat

But the challenge is immense. All countries except the US have ratified the 1992 UN Convention of Biodiversity and are supposed to be conserving biodiversity and promoting its sustainable use.

Despite this, more than 80 per cent of the agreed international targets for 2020 will not be met, says the report. In fact, as of 2016, half the signatory countries hadn’t yet drawn up plans on how to meet the targets .

The problem isn’t just our focus on economic growth regardless of the impact on the natural world. Current plans for reducing carbon dioxide emissions to net-zero to limit climate change rely heavily on bioenergy, which requires a lot of land. This will accelerate species loss as well as threatening food and water security, says the report.

Read more: Rewilding: Can we really restore ravaged nature to a pristine state?

In fact, the bioenergy push is already causing harm. For instance, rainforests are being cut down in Indonesia and Malaysia to grow palm oil to make biodiesel for cars in Europe .

Transforming our civilisation to make it more sustainable will require more connected thinking, the report says. “There’s a very fragmented approach,” says Watson. “We’ve got to think about all these things in a much more holistic way.”

For instance, there are ways of tackling climate change that will help biodiversity too, such as persuading people to eat less meat and planting more trees. But the devil is in the detail – artificial plantations would benefit wildlife far less than restoring natural forests.

Some of the solutions set out in the report may not be welcome to all. In particular, it effectively calls for wealthy people to consume less, suggesting that changing the habits of the affluent may be central to sustainable development worldwide.

Read more: Half the planet should be set aside for wildlife – to save ourselves

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What are the threats to nature?

portrait of Paul de Zylva, Friends of the Earth campaigner

There’s no mystery about why nature is under threat. The assault on the natural world comes from all directions but especially from harmful human activity.

For thousands of years much of human civilisation and advancement has come at the expense of other species and our environment.

Not everyone has been responsible. Many cultures have always lived in step with nature. Many have understood that their lives today and tomorrow are entwined with having vibrant, abundant nature .

But in the main, humans have found clever ways to lay waste to the Earth and to push countless species to the edge of existence.

But we can use our supreme brain power and, if needed, self-interest. There is enough evidence of nature’s decline – and our knowledge of how we could put things right is becoming ever more sophisticated.

It is time to put human ingenuity to use in truly cleverer ways.

photo of pedestrians and tree-lined path

Habitat loss: getting out of the habit

For nature to thrive, not just survive, we now need to transform how land is used. This includes how we farm, how we live in cities, our use and re-use of energy and materials and how we tackle poverty without undermining nature.

First, let’s get the C-word out of the way. We can’t entirely predict how things will play out, but climate change is already affecting nature in the UK and globally – see our nature and climate article for more.

Apart from climate change, the main threat to nature starts with habitat loss. This is the number one threat to the diversity of species and to the healthy functioning of the natural systems we rely on for water, food, materials and more of the things we often take for granted. These natural systems are often referred to as eco-systems.

Habitat loss is not an activity in itself. You won’t see a company HQ or a warehousing somewhere with a ‘Habitat Loss “‘R” Us’ neon sign. But habitat is being lost all of the time because it has become implicit in how our economy, stock markets and businesses work and profit from a long list of daily activities we have grown used to as normal. For instance:

  • How we farm land for food and others crops in intensive industrial ways is affecting wildlife and the quality of soils and water.
  • The way we clear forests for timber, to grow palm oil and to make way for farming and cattle ranching.
  • Mining for minerals and for fossil fuels is fundamentally dirty and destructive on land and, increasingly, at sea.
  • Construction of leisure resorts, roads and dams all too often harms nature and turns beauty spots into tourist hotspots or industrial zones which then bring pollution and over-use of water.

photo of burnt tree stumps, Amazon, Brazil

Destroying nature for profit

It is unlikely that you will see any of this damage reflected in the price of goods in the shops. It is also rare for any of these true costs to appear in company annual reports or the FTSE or Dow Jones indices.

But make no mistake, the real costs are being passed on to someone somewhere.

Some in business, finance and government now realise that nature’s decline represents as much of a rising risk for investors as the funding of oil, coal and gas. Most such fossil fuels can never be burned if we’re to stay within safe global temperatures.

Meanwhile, the circulation of money between companies, banks, pension funds, insurance companies, and even by governments using our taxes, is driving nature’s demise.

It's doing so by funding destructive development and operations: dams harming entire rivers, road schemes cutting across fragile nature zones, oil palm plantations replacing rainforests and mining and oil and gas operations polluting and scarring landscapes and sea beds.

Some funds also find their way to corrupt regimes, black markets and hired hands who oppress and even murder people who seek to defend nature, land and livelihoods.

Indeed, the huge flows of money behind these and other activities could be the main driver of nature's decline.

Threats to nature globally

Species have been disappearing at 50-100 times the natural rate. Current trends indicate that 34,000 plant and 5,200 animal species now face extinction. This includes 1 in 8 of the world's bird species. The world’s forests are home to many species but about 45% of the planet’s original forests have been cleared. This has happened mostly during the past century. Replanting trees can help, depending on how it’s done. But forests are still being lost especially in the tropics and other biodiversity hotspots.

Biodiversity loss in Borneo

Borneo is one of the globe's most precious nature hotspots. But here the creep of oil-palm plantations means a fifth of rainforests have been cleared to produce palm oil – that’s used as an ingredient in biscuits, cakes, margarine and other processed foods.

Not all trees are the same. The new oil-palm plantations cannot support the rich and diverse range of plants, insects and animals in a naturally diverse rainforest. Borneo’s altered landscape may look lush and green but it’s no longer supporting as many species. One sign of a healthy natural ecosystem is a wide range of predators. Borneo is losing predators such as mongoose, otters, civets and sun bears. For now the Monitor lizards rule.

photo of Asian water monitor lizard

Loss of coral reefs and mangroves

Coral reefs are among the richest of ecosystems. Some 10% of the world’s reefs have been destroyed by direct damage and by pollution. A third of remaining reefs face bleaching and collapse in the coming 10-20 years.

Photo of fish swimming at Great Barrier Reef

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is dying. The cause is a combination of dumping of waste, and land clearances for development and sugar cane plantations which mean soils and pesticides run off into the sea.

This is self-inflicted harm. The reef has been estimated to be worth AU$52 billion to Australia’s communities and businesses. The loss of the reef as a tourist attraction will affect 90% of those.

Similarly, half of the world’s coastal mangroves have been lost to development and damage. Their loss ruins vital nursery habitats for countless species and undermines mangroves’ vital role in lessening the effects of storm surges.

Threats to UK nature

Are you ready for this? Nature is also in trouble in the UK. In the past 50 years more than half of our wild species have declined. If the prime minister told parliament that 56% of the nation’s assets had declined, it would be front page news for weeks.

Litter, pollution and nature

Even if you don’t live near the sea the chances are that the beaches you might like to visit are littered with stuff that was first discarded in your street. Much of the litter dropped in towns and on roads gets washed or blown into rivers to eventually reach the sea.

photo of rubbish piled on a beach

Plastic pollution and nature

Plastic gets everywhere. It comes in many hazardous shapes and sizes – from single-use drinks bottles to packaging for toys, cosmetics and food.

Turtles mistake plastic bags for jelly fish and eat them. This blocks their systems and causes them to starve.

Even clothes now contain tiny plastic fibres that get washed into soils, waters and wildlife when we do the laundry. Those and other plastics can harm wildlife – and even end up in the fish and seafood we eat.

Building, development and nature

The growth and design of our towns and cities drives inefficient, wasteful use of land. Too many roads and infrastructure schemes are still being routed through precious habitats. The new high speed rail link (HS2) threatens more than 90 irreplaceable ancient woodlands.

photo of roadbuilding through Twyford Down

Chemicals and nature

The widespread use of artificial pesticides and herbicides is just one reason why current farming methods are a main driver of nature’s decline in the UK.

It is claimed that we need intensive farming to feed the world. But that looks absurd when so much nature is harmed and about a third of food that is grown is wasted in the supply chain, or dumped by consumers.

Invasive species

The health of natural systems is also threatened when invasive non-native species take over from native species.

For example, Himalayan balsam is a lovely plant when it’s in the Himalayas. But in the UK it dominates river banks and crowds out other plants needed by bees, birds and other UK wildlife. Invasive creatures such as the Harlequin ladybird and Asian hornet also prey on native species.

photo of Himalayan Balsam, invasive species, N Yorks

Of course, change is unavoidable. And competition between species is part of the natural order of things. Some species do just go extinct – their time is up.

The question is whether this is happening naturally and in a way that maintains a healthy diversity of species. Or is human activity hastening nature’s decline to such an extent that it will no longer furnish us with the fundamentals for a healthy life – clean air, water, food, and a stable climate?

Naturally-occurring forest fires help regenerate forests. But fires caused by a carelessly-discarded cigarette are not the same.

The benefits of protecting nature

There is no silver-bullet solution to halting and then reversing nature’s decline. Turning things around will require lots of actions by lots of players.

The United Nations’ Global Biodiversity Outlook report is clear that “continuing with … our present patterns of behaviour, consumption, production and economic incentives will not allow us to realise the vision of a world with ecosystems capable of meeting human needs into the future.”

The report adds that ending threats to nature would

  • reduce hunger and poverty
  • improve human health
  • support sustainable supplies of energy, food and clean water
  • combat desertification and land degradation
  • reduce our vulnerability to natural and climate change-related disasters.

That sounds like a great deal. Besides which, healthy nature is a prize in itself.

photo of swampland nature reserve with reflected sky

Changing the way we live

It’s not inevitable that nature must suffer for us all to make a living. It makes no sense to allow an economy to surge at the expense of nature. If anything, it’s a false promise: our economy and quality of life ultimately depend on a healthy, functioning environment.

The good news is that many millions of people are making it their business to push companies and governments to change their practices and policies, to switch investments from fossil fuels to clean energy and, for example, help bees and pollinators.

Other clever people are exploring ways to make life on Mars possible in case we drop the ball we call home.

Friends of the Earth would rather the rest of us focused on making all life on Earth possible. We have the brains, we have the means and each of us can play a part in making this happen.

Why not join us to help us give nature a better chance?

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Forest clearance in Indonesia

Human society under urgent threat from loss of Earth's natural life

Scientists reveal 1 million species at risk of extinction in damning UN report

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Human society is in jeopardy from the accelerating decline of the Earth’s natural life-support systems, the world’s leading scientists have warned, as they announced the results of the most thorough planetary health check ever undertaken.

From coral reefs flickering out beneath the oceans to rainforests desiccating into savannahs, nature is being destroyed at a rate tens to hundreds of times higher than the average over the past 10m years, according to the UN global assessment report .

The biomass of wild mammals has fallen by 82%, natural ecosystems have lost about half their area and a million species are at risk of extinction – all largely as a result of human actions, said the study, compiled over three years by more than 450 scientists and diplomats.

Bleached coral reef on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia

Two in five amphibian species are at risk of extinction, as are one-third of reef-forming corals, and close to one-third of other marine species. The picture for insects – which are crucial to plant pollination – is less clear, but conservative estimates suggest at least one in 10 are threatened with extinction and, in some regions, populations have crashed . In economic terms, the losses are jaw-dropping. Pollinator loss has put up to $577bn (£440bn) of crop output at risk, while land degradation has reduced the productivity of 23% of global land.

The knock-on impacts on humankind, including freshwater shortages and climate instability, are already “ominous” and will worsen without drastic remedial action, the authors said.

“The health of the ecosystems on which we and other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide,” said Robert Watson, the chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (Ibpes). “We have lost time. We must act now.”

The warning was unusually stark for a UN report that has to be agreed by consensus across all nations. Hundreds of scientists have compiled 15,000 academic studies and reports from indigenous communities living on the frontline of change. They build on the millennium ecosystem assessment of 2005, but go much further by looking not just at an inventory of species, but the web of interactions between biodiversity, climate and human wellbeing.

Over the past week, representatives from the world’s governments have fine-tuned the summary for policymakers, which includes remedial scenarios, such as “transformative change” across all areas of government, revised trade rules, massive investments in forests and other green infrastructure, and changes in individual behaviour such as lower consumption of meat and material goods.

Following school strikes , Extinction Rebellion protests , the UK parliament’s declaration of a climate emergency and Green New Deal debates in the US and Spain, the authors hope the 1,800-page assessment of biodiversity will push the nature crisis into the global spotlight in the same way climate breakdown has surged up the political agenda since the 1.5C report last year by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Combine harvesters crop soybeans in Mato Grosso, Brazil

David Obura, one of the main authors on the report and a global authority on corals, said: “We tried to document how far in trouble we are to focus people’s minds, but also to say it is not too late if we put a huge amount into transformational behavioural change. This is fundamental to humanity. We are not just talking about nice species out there; this is our life-support system.”

The report shows a planet in which the human footprint is so large it leaves little space for anything else. Three-quarters of all land has been turned into farm fields, covered by concrete, swallowed up by dam reservoirs or otherwise significantly altered. Two-thirds of the marine environment has also been changed by fish farms, shipping routes, subsea mines and other projects. Three-quarters of rivers and lakes are used for crop or livestock cultivation. As a result, more than 500,000 species have insufficient habitats for long-term survival. Many are on course to disappear within decades.

What are the five biggest threats to biodiversity?

According to the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity there are  five main threats  to biodiversity. In descending order these are: changes in land and sea use; direct exploitation of natural resources; climate change; pollution and invasive species. 

1. For terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, land-use change has had the largest relative negative impact on nature since 1970.  More than a third of the world’s land surface and nearly 75% of freshwater resources are now devoted to crop or livestock production. Alongside a doubling of urban area since 1992, things such as wetlands, scrubland and woodlands – which wildlife relies on – are ironed out from the landscape. 

2. The direct exploitation of organisms and non-living materials, including logging, hunting and fishing and the extraction of soils and water are all  negatively affecting ecosystems .   In marine environments, overfishing is considered to be the most serious driver of biodiversity loss. One quarter of the world’s commercial fisheries are overexploited, according to a 2005  Millennium Ecosystem Assessment . 

3. The climate crisis is dismantling ecosystems at every level. Extreme weather events such as tropical storms and flooding are destroying habitats. Warmer temperatures are also changing the timing of natural events – such as the availability of insects and when birds hatch their eggs in spring. The distribution of species and their range is also changing. 

4. Many types of pollution are increasing. In marine environments, pollution from agricultural runoff (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) do huge damage to ecosystems. Agricultural runoff causes toxic algal blooms and even  "dead zones"  in the worst affected areas. Marine plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980, affecting at least 267 species.

5. Since the 17th century, invasive species have  contributed to 40%  of all known animal extinctions. Nearly one fifth of the Earth’s surface is at risk of plant and animal invasions. Invasive species change the composition of ecosystems by outcompeting native species. 

Eduardo Brondizio, an Ibpes co-chair from Indiana University Bloomington, said: “We have been displacing our impact around the planet from frontier to frontier. But we are running out of frontiers … If we see business as usual going forward then we’ll see a very fast decline in the ability of nature to provide what we need and to buffer climate change.”

Agriculture and fishing are the primary causes of the deterioration. Food production has increased dramatically since the 1970s, which has helped feed a growing global population and generated jobs and economic growth. But this has come at a high cost. The meat industry has a particularly heavy impact. Grazing areas for cattle account for about 25% of the world’s ice-free land and more than 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Crop production uses 12% of land and creates less than 7% of emissions.

The study paints a picture of a suffocating human-caused sameness spreading across the planet, as a small range of cash crops and high-value livestock are replacing forests and other nature-rich ecosystems. As well as eroding the soil, which causes a loss of fertility, these monocultures are more vulnerable to disease, drought and other impacts of climate breakdown.

In terms of habitats, the deepest loss is of wetlands, which have drained by 83% since 1700, with a knock-on impact on water quality and birdlife. Forests are diminishing, particularly in the tropics. In the first 13 years of this century, the area of intact forest fell by 7%, bigger than France and the UK combined. Although the overall rate of deforestation has slowed, this is partly an accounting trick, as monoculture plantations replace biodiverse jungle and woodland.

Oceans are no longer a sanctuary. Only 3% of marine areas are free from human pressure. Industrial fishing takes place in more than half the world’s oceans, leaving one-third of fish populations overexploited.

A dead scalloped hammerhead shark

Climate change, pollution and invasive species have had a relatively low impact, but these factors are accelerating. Emissions continue to rise. Last week, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere passed the 415 parts per million mark for the first time. Even if global heating can be kept within the Paris agreement target of 1.5C to 2C, the ranges of most species will shrink profoundly, the paper warns.

Population growth is noted as a factor, along with inequality. Individuals in the developed world have four times as much of an economic footprint as those in the poorest countries, and the gap is growing.

Our species now extracts 60bn tons of resources each year, almost double the amount in 1980, though the world population has grown by only 66% in that time. The report notes how the discharges are overwhelming the Earth’s capacity to absorb them. More than 80% of wastewater is pumped into streams, lakes and oceans without treatment, along with 300m-400m tons of heavy metals, toxic slurry and other industrial discharges. Plastic waste has risen tenfold since 1980, affecting 86% of marine turtles, 44% of seabirds and 43% of marine mammals. Fertiliser run-off has created 400 “dead zones”, affecting an area the size of the UK.

Andy Purvis, a professor at the Natural History Museum in London and one of the main authors of the report, said he was encouraged nations had agreed on the need for bitter medicine.

An olive ridley turtle snarled up in plastic waste near Contadora Island in Panama

“This is the most thorough, most detailed and most extensive planetary health check. The take-home message is that we should have gone to the doctor sooner. We are in a bad way. The society we would like our children and grandchildren to live in is in real jeopardy. I cannot overstate it,” he said. “If we leave it to later generations to clear up the mess, I don’t think they will forgive us.”

The next 18 months will be crucial. For the first time, the issue of biodiversity loss is on the G8 agenda. The UK has commissioned Partha Dasgupta, a professor at Cambridge University, to write a study on the economic case for nature, which is expected to serve a similar function as the Stern review on the economics of climate change. Next year, China will host a landmark UN conference to draw up new global goals for biodiversity.

Cristiana Pașca Palmer, the head of the UN’s chief biodiversity organisation, said she was both concerned and hopeful. “The report today paints quite a worrying picture. The danger is that we put the planet in a position where it is hard to recover,” she said. “But there are a lot of positive things happening. Until now, we haven’t had the political will to act. But public pressure is high. People are worried and want action.”

The report acknowledges current conservation strategies, such as the creation of protected areas, are well-intended but inadequate. Future forecasts indicate negative trends will continue in all scenarios except those that embrace radical change across society, politics, economics and technology.

A rhinoceros walks through a wildfire in a field at Pobitora wildlife sanctuary in Assam state, India

It says values and goals need to change across governments so local, national and international policymakers are aligned to tackle the underlying causes of planetary deterioration. This includes a shift in incentives, investments in green infrastructure, accounting for nature deterioration in international trade, addressing population growth and unequal levels of consumption, greater cooperation across sectors, new environmental laws and stronger enforcement.

Greater support for indigenous communities and other forest dwellers and smallholders is also essential. Many of the last holdouts for nature are in areas managed by such groups, but even here, the pressures are beginning to take a toll, as wildlife declines along with knowledge of how to manage it.

Josef Settele, an Ipbes co-chair and entomologist at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Germany, said: “The situation is tricky and difficult but I would never give up. The report shows there is a way out. I believe we can still bend the curve.

“People shouldn’t panic, but they should begin drastic change. Business as usual with small adjustments won’t be enough.”

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Humans are causing life on Earth to vanish

Ecosystems, the fabric of life on which we all depend, are declining rapidly because of human actions. But there is still time to save them.

Human pressure on nature has soared since the 1970s. We have been using more and more natural resources, and this has come at a cost.

If we lose large portions of the natural world, human quality of life will be severely reduced and the lives of future generations will be threatened unless effective action is taken.

Over the last 50 years, nature's capacity to support us has plummeted. Air and water quality are reducing, soils are depleting, crops are short of pollinators, and coasts are less protected from storms.

Prof Andy Purvis, a Museum research leader,  has spent three years studying human interactions with nature. Alongside experts from more than 50 different countries, he has produced the most comprehensive review ever of the worldwide state of nature, with a summary published in the journal Science .

It was coordinated by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), an independent body that provides policymakers with objective scientific assessments about the state of knowledge regarding the planet’s biodiversity.

The latest report paints a shocking picture. We are changing nature on a global scale and the impacts of our actions are being distributed unequally.

'It was terrifying to see how close we are to playing Russian roulette with the only world we have,' says Andy. 'But it's also been inspiring, because there is a way out of this.

'What has given hope to the many scientists who worked on this report has been the way the public are fully aware of the dangers and want action. We just need to make sure the politicians remember that too.'

A diagram showing the risk of extinction in different groups

A diagram from the report showing the risk of extinction in different groups of species, assuming that species with limited or no data are equally threatened as other species in their taxonomic group.

Nature feeling the squeeze

Since the 1970s, Earth's population has doubled, and consumption has increased by 45% per capita.

The world is increasingly managed in a way that maximises the flow of material from nature, to meet rising human demands for resources like food, energy and timber.

As a result, humans have directly altered at least 70% of Earth's land, mainly for growing plants and keeping animals. These activities necessitate deforestation, the degradation of land, loss of biodiversity and pollution, and they have the biggest impacts on land and freshwater ecosystems.

About 77% of rivers longer than 1,000 kilometres no longer flow freely from source to sea, despite supporting millions of people.

The main cause of ocean change is overfishing, but 66% of the ocean's surface has also been affected by other processes like runoff from agriculture and plastic pollution.

Live coral cover on reefs has nearly halved in the past 150 years and is predicted to disappear completely within the next 80 years. Coral reefs are home to some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.  

The number of alien species - species found outside their natural range - has risen, as humans move organisms around the world, which disrupts and often diminishes the richness of local biodiversity. This, combined with human-driven changes in habitat, also threatens many endemic species.

In addition, fewer varieties of plants and animals are being preserved due to standardisations in farming practices, market preferences, large-scale trade and loss of local and indigenous knowledge.

Nature also benefits humans in non-material ways. We learn from it and are inspired by it. It gives us physical and psychological experiences and supports our identity and sense of place. But its capacity to provide these services has also diminished.

What's causing it?

The loss of ecosystems is caused mainly by changes in land and sea use, exploitation, climate change, pollution and the introduction of invasive species.

Some things have a direct impact on nature, like the dumping of waste into the ocean.

Other causes are indirect. Those include demographic, economic, political and institutional arrangements underpinned by social values, and they interact with one another.

For example, vast areas of land managed by Indigenous Peoples are experiencing a decline in ecosystems at a slower rate than everywhere else. But the rights of Indigenous Peoples are being threatened, which could result in faster deterioration of these areas. This would have a detrimental impact on wider ecosystems and societies.

A bleached reef

Coral reefs are bleaching at an unprecedented rate

Trading overseas has increased by 900% since the start of the post-industrial era and the extraction of living materials from nature has risen by 200%.

The growing physical distance between supply and demand means people don't see the destruction caused by their consumption.

'Before the Industrial Revolution, people had to look after the environment around them because that's where they got their products from,' says Andy. 'If they didn't look after it, they would face the consequences.

'Now with globalisation, we have massive environmental impacts a long way from where we live. But we are insulated from these impacts, so they are abstract to us.'

Overseas trading also creates and increases inequality. The pressure for material goods comes mostly from middle and high-income countries and is often met by low to middle-income countries.

For example, Japan, US and Europe alone consumed 64% of the world's imports of fish products. High income countries have their own fisheries but most of these have collapsed. Fishing now takes place in previously unexploited or underexploited fisheries, most of which belong to low-income countries.

'With the massive increase in trade, there is no longer that imperative to make sustainable choices,' says Andy. 'We can overexploit natural resources somewhere else in the world and the magnitudes of our choices are invisible to us.'

What does the future hold?

The report analysed in detail how the world will look under three very different scenarios.

  • Global sustainability: the whole world shifts towards sustainability by respecting environmental boundaries and making sure economic development includes everyone. Wealth is distributed evenly, resources and energy are used less, and emphasis is on economic growth and human wellbeing.
  • Regional competition: there is a rise in nationalism with the focus mostly on domestic issues. There is less investment in education, particularly in the developing world. High-income countries will continue exporting the damage, resulting in some strong and lasting environmental destruction for future generations to deal with.
  • Economic optimism: the world puts faith in new and innovative technologies that are still to be invented, which help us cope with environmental problems. Emissions will continue, but with the idea that technology will mitigate them. There will be stronger investment in health and education, and global markets are reasonably integrated with shared goals.

Combating the loss of ecosystems is going to be complex and will require a nexus approach. This means thinking about how different components of the problem such as nature, politics and socioeconomics all interact with one another.

An example of a nexus approach would be to reduce biodiversity loss by changing how we farm, while at the same time making sure people have enough food, their livelihoods are not undermined, and social conflicts are not aggravated.

The way to avoid some of these issues may be to focus on regenerating and restoring high-carbon ecosystems such as forests and wetlands. Similarly the need for food could be met by changing dietary choices and reducing waste.

Switching to clean energy is an important step which would allow other changes to happen more easily. Obtaining coal and gas involves destroying vast amounts of land and seascapes as well as polluting the environment beyond extraction.

But in order to achieve this fully, the world needs to revaluate current political structures and societal norms, which tend not to value nature. One way of doing that is by improving existing environmental policies and regulations, as well as removing and reforming harmful policies.

'I hope people can see that this is not a drill,' says Andy. 'This really is an emergency and I hope they act on it.'

The Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have decided that the IPBES Global Assessment Report will form the scientific and technical evidence base for the intergovernmental negotiations in 2020, to agree on a global biodiversity framework for the next decade and to replace the Aichi Biodiversity Targets that expire next year.

IPBES Chair Anna Maria Hernandez concludes, 'This new article makes it even more clear that we need profound, system-wide change and that this requires urgent action from policymakers, business, communities and every individual.

'Working in tandem with other knowledge systems, such as Indigenous and local knowledge, science has spoken, and nobody can say that they did not know. There is literally no time to waste.'

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How are climate change and biodiversity loss linked?

The climate crisis and biodiversity loss are closely connected but the good news is, so are the solutions.

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The world is in trouble: one million animals and plants face extinction

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January 13, 2021

Worried about Earth's future? Well, the outlook is worse than even scientists can grasp

by Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Daniel T. Blumstein and Paul Ehrlich, The Conversation

Worried about Earth's future? Well, the outlook is worse than even scientists can grasp

Anyone with even a passing interest in the global environment knows all is not well. But just how bad is the situation? Our new paper shows the outlook for life on Earth is more dire than is generally understood.

The research published today reviews more than 150 studies to produce a stark summary of the state of the natural world. We outline the likely future trends in biodiversity decline, mass extinction , climate disruption and planetary toxification. We clarify the gravity of the human predicament and provide a timely snapshot of the crises that must be addressed now.

The problems, all tied to human consumption and population growth , will almost certainly worsen over coming decades. The damage will be felt for centuries and threatens the survival of all species, including our own.

Our paper was authored by 17 leading scientists, including those from Flinders University, Stanford University and the University of California, Los Angeles. Our message might not be popular, and indeed is frightening. But scientists must be candid and accurate if humanity is to understand the enormity of the challenges we face.

Getting to grips with the problem

First, we reviewed the extent to which experts grasp the scale of the threats to the biosphere and its lifeforms, including humanity. Alarmingly, the research shows future environmental conditions will be far more dangerous than experts currently believe.

This is largely because academics tend to specialize in one discipline , which means they're in many cases unfamiliar with the complex system in which planetary-scale problems—and their potential solutions—exist.

What's more, positive change can be impeded by governments rejecting or ignoring scientific advice, and ignorance of human behavior by both technical experts and policymakers.

More broadly, the human optimism bias – thinking bad things are more likely to befall others than yourself—means many people underestimate the environmental crisis.

Numbers don't lie

Our research also reviewed the current state of the global environment . While the problems are too numerous to cover in full here, they include:

  • A halving of vegetation biomass since the agricultural revolution around 11,000 years ago. Overall, humans have altered almost two-thirds of Earth's land surface
  • About 1,300 documented species extinctions over the past 500 years, with many more unrecorded. More broadly, population sizes of animal species have declined by more than two-thirds over the last 50 years, suggesting more extinctions are imminent
  • About 1 million plant and animal species globally threatened with extinction. The combined mass of wild mammals today is less than one-quarter the mass before humans started colonizing the planet. Insects are also disappearing rapidly in many regions
  • 85% of the global wetland area lost in 300 years, and more than 65% of the oceans compromised to some extent by humans
  • A halving of live coral cover on reefs in less than 200 years and a decrease in seagrass extent by 10% per decade over the last century. About 40% of kelp forests have declined in abundance, and the number of large predatory fishes is fewer than 30% of that a century ago.

A bad situation only getting worse

The human population has reached 7.8 billion – double what it was in 1970—and is set to reach about 10 billion by 2050. More people equals more food insecurity, soil degradation, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss.

Worried about Earth's future? Well, the outlook is worse than even scientists can grasp

High population densities make pandemics more likely. They also drive overcrowding, unemployment, housing shortages and deteriorating infrastructure, and can spark conflicts leading to insurrections, terrorism, and war.

Essentially, humans have created an ecological Ponzi scheme . Consumption, as a percentage of Earth's capacity to regenerate itself , has grown from 73% in 1960 to more than 170% today .

High-consuming countries like Australia, Canada and the US use multiple units of fossil-fuel energy to produce one energy unit of food. Energy consumption will therefore increase in the near future, especially as the global middle class grows.

Then there's climate change. Humanity has already exceeded global warming of 1°C this century, and will almost assuredly exceed 1.5 °C between 2030 and 2052. Even if all nations party to the Paris Agreement ratify their commitments, warming would still reach between 2.6°C and 3.1°C by 2100.

The danger of political impotence

Our paper found global policymaking falls far short of addressing these existential threats. Securing Earth's future requires prudent, long-term decisions. However this is impeded by short-term interests, and an economic system that concentrates wealth among a few individuals.

Right-wing populist leaders with anti-environment agendas are on the rise, and in many countries, environmental protest groups have been labeled "terrorists." Environmentalism has become weaponised as a political ideology, rather than properly viewed as a universal mode of self-preservation.

Financed disinformation campaigns against climate action and forest protection , for example, protect short-term profits and claim meaningful environmental action is too costly—while ignoring the broader cost of not acting. By and large, it appears unlikely business investments will shift at sufficient scale to avoid environmental catastrophe.

Changing course

Fundamental change is required to avoid this ghastly future. Specifically, we and many others suggest:

  • Abolishing the goal of perpetual economic growth
  • Revealing the true cost of products and activities by forcing those who damage the environment to pay for its restoration, such as through carbon pricing
  • Rapidly eliminating fossil fuels
  • Regulating markets by curtailing monopolisation and limiting undue corporate influence on policy
  • Reining in corporate lobbying of political representatives
  • Educating and empowering women around the globe, including giving them control over family planning.

Don't look away

Many organizations and individuals are devoted to achieving these aims. However their messages have not sufficiently penetrated the policy, economic, political and academic realms to make much difference.

Failing to acknowledge the magnitude and gravity of problems facing humanity is not just naïve, it's dangerous. And science has a big role to play here.

Scientists must not sugarcoat the overwhelming challenges ahead. Instead, they should tell it like it is . Anything else is at best misleading, and at worst potentially lethal for the human enterprise.

Provided by The Conversation

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Humans Are Speeding Extinction and Altering the Natural World at an ‘Unprecedented’ Pace

essay about nature is in danger

By Brad Plumer

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WASHINGTON — Humans are transforming Earth’s natural landscapes so dramatically that as many as one million plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction, posing a dire threat to ecosystems that people all over the world depend on for their survival, a sweeping new United Nations assessment has concluded.

The 1,500-page report, compiled by hundreds of international experts and based on thousands of scientific studies, is the most exhaustive look yet at the decline in biodiversity across the globe and the dangers that creates for human civilization. A summary of its findings , which was approved by representatives from the United States and 131 other countries, was released Monday in Paris. The full report is set to be published this year.

Its conclusions are stark. In most major land habitats, from the savannas of Africa to the rain forests of South America, the average abundance of native plant and animal life has fallen by 20 percent or more, mainly over the past century. With the human population passing 7 billion, activities like farming, logging, poaching, fishing and mining are altering the natural world at a rate “unprecedented in human history.”

At the same time, a new threat has emerged: Global warming has become a major driver of wildlife decline , the assessment found, by shifting or shrinking the local climates that many mammals, birds , insects, fish and plants evolved to survive in. When combined with the other ways humans are damaging the environment, climate change is now pushing a growing number of species, such as the Bengal tiger , closer to extinction.

As a result, biodiversity loss is projected to accelerate through 2050, particularly in the tropics, unless countries drastically step up their conservation efforts.

The report is not the first to paint a grim portrait of Earth’s ecosystems. But it goes further by detailing how closely human well-being is intertwined with the fate of other species.

“For a long time, people just thought of biodiversity as saving nature for its own sake,” said Robert Watson, chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which conducted the assessment at the request of national governments. “But this report makes clear the links between biodiversity and nature and things like food security and clean water in both rich and poor countries.”

A previous report by the group had estimated that, in the Americas, nature provides some $24 trillion of non-monetized benefits to humans each year. The Amazon rain forest absorbs immense quantities of carbon dioxide and helps slow the pace of global warming. Wetlands purify drinking water. Coral reefs sustain tourism and fisheries in the Caribbean. Exotic tropical plants form the basis of a variety of medicines.

But as these natural landscapes wither and become less biologically rich, the services they can provide to humans have been dwindling.

Humans are producing more food than ever, but land degradation is already harming agricultural productivity on 23 percent of the planet’s land area, the new report said. The decline of wild bees and other insects that help pollinate fruits and vegetables is putting up to $577 billion in annual crop production at risk. The loss of mangrove forests and coral reefs along coasts could expose up to 300 million people to increased risk of flooding.

The authors note that the devastation of nature has become so severe that piecemeal efforts to protect individual species or to set up wildlife refuges will no longer be sufficient. Instead, they call for “transformative changes” that include curbing wasteful consumption, slimming down agriculture’s environmental footprint and cracking down on illegal logging and fishing.

“It’s no longer enough to focus just on environmental policy,” said Sandra M. Díaz, a lead author of the study and an ecologist at the National University of Córdoba in Argentina. “We need to build biodiversity considerations into trade and infrastructure decisions, the way that health or human rights are built into every aspect of social and economic decision-making.”

Scientists have cataloged only a fraction of living creatures, some 1.3 million; the report estimates there may be as many as 8 million plant and animal species on the planet, most of them insects. Since 1500, at least 680 species have blinked out of existence, including the Pinta giant tortoise of the Galápagos Islands and the Guam flying fox.

Though outside experts cautioned it could be difficult to make precise forecasts, the report warns of a looming extinction crisis, with extinction rates currently tens to hundreds of times higher than they have been in the past 10 million years.

“Human actions threaten more species with global extinction now than ever before,” the report concludes, estimating that “around 1 million species already face extinction, many within decades, unless action is taken.”

Unless nations step up their efforts to protect what natural habitats are left, they could witness the disappearance of 40 percent of amphibian species, one-third of marine mammals and one-third of reef-forming corals. More than 500,000 land species, the report said, do not have enough natural habitat left to ensure their long-term survival.

Over the past 50 years, global biodiversity loss has primarily been driven by activities like the clearing of forests for farmland, the expansion of roads and cities, logging, hunting, overfishing, water pollution and the transport of invasive species around the globe.

In Indonesia, the replacement of rain forest with palm oil plantations has ravaged the habitat of critically endangered orangutans and Sumatran tigers. In Mozambique, ivory poachers helped kill off nearly 7,000 elephants between 2009 and 2011 alone. In Argentina and Chile, the introduction of the North American beaver in the 1940s has devastated native trees (though it has also helped other species thrive, including the Magellanic woodpecker).

All told, three-quarters of the world’s land area has been significantly altered by people, the report found, and 85 percent of the world’s wetlands have vanished since the 18th century.

And with humans continuing to burn fossil fuels for energy, global warming is expected to compound the damage . Roughly 5 percent of species worldwide are threatened with climate-related extinction if global average temperatures rise 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, the report concluded. (The world has already warmed 1 degree.)

“If climate change were the only problem we were facing, a lot of species could probably move and adapt,” Richard Pearson, an ecologist at the University College of London, said. “But when populations are already small and losing genetic diversity, when natural landscapes are already fragmented, when plants and animals can’t move to find newly suitable habitats, then we have a real threat on our hands.”

The dwindling number of species will not just make the world a less colorful or wondrous place, the report noted. It also poses risks to people.

Today, humans are relying on significantly fewer varieties of plants and animals to produce food. Of the 6,190 domesticated mammal breeds used in agriculture, more than 559 have gone extinct and 1,000 more are threatened. That means the food system is becoming less resilient against pests and diseases. And it could become harder in the future to breed new, hardier crops and livestock to cope with the extreme heat and drought that climate change will bring.

“Most of nature’s contributions are not fully replaceable,” the report said. Biodiversity loss “can permanently reduce future options, such as wild species that might be domesticated as new crops and be used for genetic improvement.”

The report does contain glimmers of hope. When governments have acted forcefully to protect threatened species, such as the Arabian oryx or the Seychelles magpie robin, they have managed to fend off extinction in many cases. And nations have protected more than 15 percent of the world’s land and 7 percent of its oceans by setting up nature reserves and wilderness areas.

Still, only a fraction of the most important areas for biodiversity have been protected, and many nature reserves poorly enforce prohibitions against poaching, logging or illegal fishing. Climate change could also undermine existing wildlife refuges by shifting the geographic ranges of species that currently live within them.

So, in addition to advocating the expansion of protected areas, the authors outline a vast array of changes aimed at limiting the drivers of biodiversity loss.

Farmers and ranchers would have to adopt new techniques to grow more food on less land . Consumers in wealthy countries would have to waste less food and become more efficient in their use of natural resources. Governments around the world would have to strengthen and enforce environmental laws, cracking down on illegal logging and fishing and reducing the flow of heavy metals and untreated wastewater into the environment.

The authors also note that efforts to limit global warming will be critical, although they caution that the development of biofuels to reduce emissions could end up harming biodiversity by further destroying forests.

None of this will be easy, especially since many developing countries face pressure to exploit their natural resources as they try to lift themselves out of poverty.

But, by detailing the benefits that nature can provide to people, and by trying to quantify what is lost when biodiversity plummets, the scientists behind the assessment are hoping to help governments strike a more careful balance between economic development and conservation.

“You can’t just tell leaders in Africa that there can’t be any development and that we should turn the whole continent into a national park,” said Emma Archer, who led the group’s earlier assessment of biodiversity in Africa . “But we can show that there are trade-offs, that if you don’t take into account the value that nature provides, then ultimately human well-being will be compromised.”

In the next two years, diplomats from around the world will gather for several meetings under the Convention on Biological Diversity, a global treaty, to discuss how they can step up their efforts at conservation . Yet even in the new report’s most optimistic scenario, through 2050 the world’s nations would only slow the decline of biodiversity — not stop it.

“At this point,” said Jake Rice, a fisheries scientist who led an earlier report on biodiversity in the Americas, “our options are all about damage control.”

For more news on climate and the environment, follow @NYTClimate on Twitter .

Brad Plumer is a climate reporter specializing in policy and technology efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions. At The Times, he has also covered international climate talks and the changing energy landscape in the United States. More about Brad Plumer

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Largest Compilation of Structured Essays and Exams

Essay on Environment in Danger (876 Words)

March 3, 2018 by Study Mentor Leave a Comment

“We’ve not inherited this world from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children.”

But man has made progress all over the world and this development has endangered the environment around which the man is living.

The result is that big cities came into being and these cities have to accommodate millions of people because they work in these factories and industries.

This accommodation of large people in town and cities proved costly to man. The forest was cleared, the trees were cut down to open new industries.

Now large areas are converting into deserts due to shortage of water . There are droughts and floods. Not only man but animals are also suffering.

Table of Contents

Human Population & Pollution

As the population increases year after year, demands for natural resources increases. These demands eventually lead to pollution and contamination of resources.

Whenever man tried to progress and advance towards growth, pollution took place. The chimneys of the factories began to emit out smoke. This polluted the air.

This smoke is harmful not only for man but also for natural vegetation.

The means of transportation increased and they added greatly to air and noise pollution. Even our river Ganga is also contaminated. Several programs and projects are initiated for its cleanliness and purity.

Waste Material

Man didn’t just pollute air; he also spoiled the river water. The waste material of the industries and factories is thrown into the rivers thus making the water polluted.

It affects the animals which drink the water of the river. When forests were cleared, the cattle were left to graze in open fields. These animals change the grassy land into sandy lands.

Industries and factories emit out smoke and gases. These things make the environment so bad that it becomes difficult to breathe in open atmosphere.

Global Warming

Global warming eventually leads to hotter heat waves, more frequent droughts, heavier rainfall, and more powerful hurricanes.

The temperature of Earth’s oceans is getting higher too. Melting glaciers, early snow melt, and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water shortages and increase the risk of wildfires in the American West.

Allergies, asthma, and infectious disease outbreaks will become more common.

Ozone Deterioration

burning forest

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, one atom of chlorine can destroy more than a hundred thousand ozone molecules.

Species Extinction

Species extinction is happening worldwide at an alarming rate. Endangered animals and plants are at risk of becoming extinct because of threats from changing environments.

To protect species, greater tactics, strategies and policies are needed.

Shocking Statistics about Earth

The population of planet Earth is more than 7.5 billion. To provide resources and absorb the waste of this increasing population we need another planet Earth.

Approximately more than 1 million tons of waste is dumped globally in a year in which approx. 78 lakh tons of plastic waste is dumped in water.

27 Lakh deaths are reported due to dirty water and related diseases globally. Only 30 % of wild forests are left globally and 1 lakh species have already gone extinct.

Every year 6 Lakh deaths are reported due to air pollution in the cities.

UN Initiatives (2016)

  • KIGALI AMENDMENT : In October, nearly 200 countries struck a landmark deal to reduce the emissions of powerful greenhouse gases, hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), to prevent up to 0.5°C of global warming by the end of this century.
  • WILD FOR LIFE CAMPAIGN : UN Environment led to the launch of a global campaign, Wild for Life, to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. The response has been swift: China has announced a total ban on commercial ivory.
  • ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT : By the end of 2016, 11 countries including Brazil, Kenya and the Philippines had operational ecosystem accounts. 13 countries had taken steps to update their water quality frameworks.

Initiatives Taken By The Indian Government (2016 Reports)

The highlights of the initiatives include increase in forest cover, better pollution monitoring and control, 2000 approvals unlocking Rs. 10 lakh crores of investment and a job potential of 10 lakh.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

Launched on October 2, 2014 Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a campaign by the Government of India to keep the streets, roads and infrastructure of the country’s cities, towns and its rural areas clean.

Till date 3 Lakh individual toilets and 2 LAKH community and public toilets were constructed. Its initiative also includes 100% door to door waste collection.

Further this waste is converted to energy (88.4-megawatt current production) and compost (1 lakh metric ton production in year 2016).

Steps to Save Our Environment

Trees should be planted in bulk. Afforestation should be given top priority. It will balance the nature and help in making the environment pure. Man, and animal both will get proper atmosphere on the earth to live safely.

The government should make laws against those factories which do not adopt measures not to spoil the environment.

They should be strictly stopped from diverting their waste material into rivers or seas. Then only the environment can remain pure.

We all need to make an effort to make earth a better place & healthier place to live in.

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Have you Burn Crackers this Diwali ? Yes No

Nature is in its worst shape in human history, UN report says

'this is really our last chance to address all of that,' godfather of biodiversity says.

essay about nature is in danger

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Nature is in more trouble now than at any other time in human history, with extinction looming over one million species of plants and animals, scientists said Monday in the UN's first comprehensive report on biodiversity.

It's all because of humans, but it's not too late to fix the problem, the report by the United Nations says.

Species loss is accelerating to a rate tens or hundreds of times faster than in the past, the report said. More than half a million species on land "have insufficient habitat for long-term survival" and are likely to go extinct, many within decades, unless their habitats are restored. The oceans are not any better off.

"Humanity unwittingly is attempting to throttle the living planet and humanity's own future," said George Mason University biologist Thomas Lovejoy, who has been called the godfather of biodiversity for his research. He was not part of the report.

"The biological diversity of this planet has been really hammered, and this is really our last chance to address all of that," Lovejoy said.

  • What on Earth? Cows and climate change: A closer look

Conservation scientists from around the world convened in Paris to issue the report, which exceeded 1,000 pages. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) included more than 450 researchers who used 15,000 scientific and government reports. The report's summary had to be approved by representatives of all 109 nations.

Some nations hit harder by the losses, like small island countries, wanted more in the report. Others, such as the United States, were cautious in the language they sought, but agreed "we're in trouble," said Rebecca Shaw, chief scientist for the World Wildlife Fund, who observed the final negotiations.

"This is the strongest call we've seen for reversing the trends on the loss of nature."

A Canadian co-author of the UN report explains what the world needs to do to respond:

essay about nature is in danger

'Nature is in decline at unprecedented rates' | Kai Chan

The findings are not just about saving plants and animals, but about preserving a world that's becoming harder for humans to live in, said Robert Watson, a former top NASA and British scientist who headed the report.

"We are indeed threatening the potential food security, water security, human health and social fabric" of humanity, Watson told The Associated Press. He said the poor in less developed countries bear the greatest burden.

'Business as usual is a disaster'

The report's 39-page summary highlighted five ways people are reducing biodiversity:

  • Turning forests, grasslands and other areas into farms, cities and other developments. The habitat loss leaves plants and animals homeless. About three-quarters of Earth's land, two-thirds of its oceans and 85 per cent of crucial wetlands have been severely altered or lost, making it harder for species to survive, the report said.
  • Overfishing the world's oceans. A third of the world's fish stocks are overfished.
  • Permitting climate change from the burning of fossil fuels to make it too hot, wet or dry for some species to survive. Almost half of the world's land mammals — not including bats — and nearly a quarter of the birds have already had their habitats hit hard by global warming.
  • Polluting land and water. Every year, 300 to 400 million tons of heavy metals, solvents and toxic sludge are dumped into the world's waters.
  • Allowing invasive species to crowd out native plants and animals. The number of invasive alien species per country has risen 70 per cent since 1970, with one species of bacteria threatening nearly 400 amphibian species.

Fighting climate change and saving species are equally important, the report said, and working on both environmental problems should go hand in hand. Both problems exacerbate each other because a warmer world means fewer species, and a less biodiverse world means fewer trees and plants to remove heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the air, Lovejoy said.

The world's coral reefs are a perfect example of where climate change and species loss intersect. If the world warms another 0.5 degrees Celsius, which other reports say is likely, coral reefs will probably dwindle by 70 to 90 per cent, the report said. At 1 degree Celsius, the report said, 99 per cent of the world's coral will be in trouble.

"Business as usual is a disaster," Watson said.

essay about nature is in danger

At least 680 species with backbones have already gone extinct since 1600. The report said 559 domesticated breeds of mammals used for food have disappeared. More than 40 per cent of the world's amphibian species, more than one-third of the marine mammals and nearly one-third of sharks and fish are threatened with extinction.

The report relies heavily on research by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is composed of biologists who maintain a list of threatened species.

  • Seychelles president makes underwater plea to protect world's oceans from climate change

The IUCN calculated in March that 27,159 species are threatened, endangered or extinct in the wild out of nearly 100,000 species biologists examined in depth. That includes 1,223 mammal species, 1,492 bird species and 2,341 fish species. Nearly half the threatened species are plants.

Scientists have only examined a small fraction of the estimated eight million species on Earth.

The report comes up with one million species in trouble by extrapolating the IUCN's 25 per cent threatened rate to the rest of the world's species and using a lower rate for the estimated 5.5 million species of insects, Watson said.

Outside scientists, such as Lovejoy and others, said that's a reasonable assessment.

Habitat loss among biggest threats

The report gives only a generic "within decades" timeframe for species loss because it is dependent on many variables, including taking the problem seriously, which can reduce the severity of the projections, Watson said.

"We're in the middle of the sixth great extinction crisis, but it's happening in slow motion," said Conservation International and University of California Santa Barbara ecologist Lee Hannah, who was not part of the report.

Five times in the past, Earth has undergone mass extinctions where much of life on Earth blinked out, like the one that killed the dinosaurs. Watson said the report was careful not to call what's going on now as a sixth big die-off because current levels don't come close to the 75 per cent level in past mass extinctions.

essay about nature is in danger

The report goes beyond species. Of the 18 measured ways nature helps humans, it said 14 are declining, with food and energy production noticeable exceptions. The report found downward trends in nature's ability to provide clean air and water, good soil and other essentials.

Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats, and it's happening worldwide, Watson said. The report projects 25 million kilometres of new roads will be paved over nature between now and 2050, most in the developing world.

  • 'Deadliest disease in all time' wipes out 90 species of frogs and toads

Many of the worst effects can be prevented by changing the way we grow food, produce energy, deal with climate change and dispose of waste, the report said. That involves concerted action by governments, companies and people.

Individuals can help with simple changes to the way they eat and use energy, said the co-chairman of the report, ecological scientist Josef Settele of the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Germany. That doesn't mean becoming a vegetarian or vegan, but balancing meat, vegetables and fruit, and walking and biking more, Watson said.

"We can actually feed all the coming billions of people without destroying another inch of nature," Lovejoy said. Much of that can be done by eliminating food waste and being more efficient, he said.

essay about nature is in danger

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Human Impact on the Environment: Why the Earth is in Danger

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Law Enforcement , Human Impact , Environment Problems

Protection , Water Pollution , World Problems

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13 Essays About Nature: Use These For Your Next Assignment

Essays about nature can look at the impact of human behavior on the environment, or on the impact of nature on human beings. Check out these suggestions.

Nature is one of humanity’s greatest gifts. It provides food, shelter, and even medication to help us live healthier, happier lives. It also inspires artists, poets, writers, and photographers because of its beauty.

Essays about nature can take many different paths. Descriptive essays about the beauty of nature can inspire readers. They give the writer the chance to explore some creativity in their essay writing. You can also write a persuasive essay arguing about an environmental topic and how humans harm the natural environment. You can also write an informative essay to discuss a particular impact or aspect of the natural world and how it impacts the human beings who live within it.

If you need to write a nature essay, read on to discover 13 topics that can work well. For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .

1. How Happiness Is Related to Nature Connectedness

2. why protecting nature is everyone’s responsibility, 3. how technological advancements can help the environment, 4. why global warming is a danger for future generations, 5. how deforestation impacts the beauty of nature, 6. the relationship between plants and human beings, 7. the health benefits of spending time in nature, 8. what are the gifts of nature, 9. the importance of nature to sustain human life, 10. the beauty of non-living things in nature, 11. does eco-tourism help or hurt the natural world, 12. how sustainability benefits the natural environment, 13. does agriculture hurt or help nature.

Essays About Nature

Exposure to nature has a significant positive impact on mood and overall mental health. In other words, happiness and nature connectedness have a close link. Your nature essay can explore the research behind this and then build on that research to show why nature conservation is so important.

This essay on nature is important because it shows why people need the natural environment. Nature provides more than just the natural resources we need for life. Spending time in the fresh air and sunshine actually makes us happier, so behaviors that harm nature harm your potential happiness.

Planet earth is a precious gift that is often damaged by the selfish activities of human beings. All human beings have the potential to hurt the natural environment and the living creatures in that environment, and thus protecting nature is everyone’s responsibility. You can build this into an essay and explore what that responsibility may look like to different groups.

For the child, for example, protecting nature may be as simple as picking up trash in the park, but for the CEO of a manufacturing company, it may look like eco-friendly company policies. For an adult, it may look like shopping for a car with lower emissions. Take a look at the different ways people can protect nature and why it is essential.

Technology is often viewed as the enemy of nature, but you can find technological advancements helping rather than harming nature. For example, light bulbs that use less energy or residential solar panel development have reduced the average home’s amount of energy. Your essay could explore some inventions that have helped nature.

After looking at these technologies, dive into the idea that technology, when used well, has a significant positive impact on the environment, rather than a negative one. The key is developing technology that works with conservation efforts, rather than against them.

Essays About Nature: Why global warming is a danger for future generations

Global warming is a hot topic in today’s society, but the term gets used so often, that many people have tuned it out. You can explore the dangers of global warming and how it potentially impacts future generations. You can also touch on whether or not this problem has been over-blown in education and media.

This essay should be full of facts and data to back up your opinions. It could also touch on initiatives that could reduce the risks of global warming to make the future brighter for the next generation.

Much has been written about the dangers of deforestation on the overall ecosystem, but what about its effect on nature’s beauty? This essay topic adds an additional reason why countries should fight deforestation to protect green spaces and the beauty of nature.

In your essay, strike a balance between limiting deforestation and the need to harvest trees as natural resources. Look at ways companies can use these natural resources without destroying entire forests and ecosystems. You might also be interested in these essays about nature .

People need plants, and this need can give you your essay topic. Plants provide food for people and for animals that people also eat. Many pharmaceutical products come from plants originally, meaning they are vital to the medical field as well.

Plants also contribute to the fresh air that people breathe. They filter the air, removing toxins and purifying the air to make it cleaner. They also add beauty to nature with their foliage and flowers. These facts make plants a vital part of nature, and you can delve into that connection in your nature essay.

Spending time in nature not only improves your mental health, but it also improves your physical health . When people spend time in nature, they have lower blood pressure and heart rates. They also produce fewer damaging stress hormones and reduced muscle tension. Shockingly, spending time in nature may actually reduce mortality rates.

Take some time to research these health benefits, and then weave them into your essay. By showing the health benefits of nature exposure, you can build an appreciation for nature in your audience. You may inspire people to do more to protect the natural environment.

Nature has given people many gifts. Our food all comes from nature in its most basic form, from fruits and vegetables to milk and meats. It provides the foundation for many medicines and remedies. These gifts alone make it worth protecting.

Yet nature does much more. It also gives the gift of better mental health. It can inspire feelings of wonder in people of all ages. Finally, it provides beauty and tranquility that you cannot reproduce anywhere else. This essay is more descriptive and reflective than factual, but it can be an exciting topic to explore.

Can humans live without nature? Based on the topics already discussed, the answer is no. You can use this fact to create an essay that connects nature to the sustenance of human life. Without nature, we cannot survive.

One way to look at this importance is to consider the honey bee . The honey bee seems like a simple part of the natural world, yet it is one of the most essential. Without bees, fruits and vegetables will not get pollinated as easily, if at all. If bees disappear, the entire food system will struggle. Thus, bees, and many other parts of nature, are vital to human life.

Have you ever felt fully inspired by a glorious sunset or sunrise? Have you spent time gazing at a mountain peak or the ocean water crashing on the shoreline and found your soul refreshed? Write about one of these experiences in your essay.

Use descriptive words to show how the non-living parts of nature are beautiful, just like the living creatures and plants that are part of nature. Draw from personal experiences of things you have seen in nature to make this essay rich and engaging. If you love nature, you might also be interested in these essays about camping .

Ecotourism is tourism designed to expose people to nature. Nature tours, safaris, and even jungle or rainforest experiences are all examples of ecotourism. It seems like ecotourism would help the environment by making people more aware, but does it really?

For your essay, research if ecotourism helps or hurts the environment. If you find it does both, consider arguing which is more impactful, the positive side or the negative side. On the positive side, ecotourism emphasizes sustainability in travel and highlights the plight of endangered species, leading to initiatives that protect local ecosystems. On the negative side, ecotourism can hurt the ecosystems at the same time by bringing humans into the environment, which automatically changes it. Weigh these pros and cons to see which side you fall on.

For more help with this topic, read our guide explaining what is persuasive writing ?

Sustainability is the practice of taking care of human needs and economic needs while also protecting the natural environment for future generations. But do sustainable practices work? This essay topic lets you look at popular eco-friendly practices and determine if they are helpful to the environment, or not.

Sustainability is a hot topic, but unfortunately, some practices labeled as sustainable , aren’t helpful to the environment. For example, many people think they are doing something good when tossing a plastic bottle in the recycling bin, but most recycling centers simply throw away the bottle if that little plastic ring is present, so your effort is wasted. A better practice is using a reusable water bottle. Consider different examples like this to show how sustainability can help the environment, but only when done well.

Essays About Nature: Does agriculture hurt or help nature?

Agriculture is one way that humans interact with and change the natural environment. Planting crops or raising non-native animals impacts the nature around the farm. Does this impact hurt or help the local natural ecosystem?

Explore this topic in your essay. Consider the impact of things like irrigation, fertilization, pesticides, and the introduction of non-native plants and animals to the local environment. Consider ways that agriculture can benefit the environment and come to a conclusion in your essay about the overall impact.

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips !

essay about nature is in danger

Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today's online marketing world.

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1 in 5 migratory species are at risk of extinction, says a new UN report

Migratory birds.

From wild salmon to wildebeest, new research finds many migratory species could soon become extinct. Image:  Unsplash/Barth Bailey

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essay about nature is in danger

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Stay up to date:, nature and biodiversity.

  • A UN report highlights the existential threats faced by the world’s migratory species.
  • Almost half of migratory creatures are in decline and 20% could become extinct.
  • The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024 cites biodiversity and ecosystem collapse as a major threat.

Whether it’s a murmuration of starlings, herds of wildebeest crossing the plains of Africa, or shoals of salmon leaping up a cascading river, the mass migrations of animals, birds and fish are some of the most spectacular events in the natural world. But human activity and other pressures are pushing many of these creatures towards oblivion.

The State of the World's Migratory Species repor t, a first-of-its-kind assessment by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) – an environmental treaty of the United Nations – paints a stark picture. One in five migratory species listed by the CMS is at risk of extinction and almost half (44%) are decreasing in numbers.

Have you read?

8 endangered species that are being reintroduced around the world, here's how extreme weather is affecting animal migration, 6 charts that show the state of biodiversity and nature loss - and how we can go 'nature positive'.

State of the world's migratory species.

The biggest concern highlighted in the report is the threat to migratory fish, such as wild salmon. The report finds that 97% of migratory fish species are on the verge of extinction .

The CMS research reflects concerns outlined in the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024 . In its longer-term forecast, the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem collapse is ranked as the third biggest threat the world will face a decade from now.

In the last 100 years, more than 90 percent of crop varieties have disappeared from farmers’ fields, and all of the world’s 17 main fishing grounds are now being fished at or above their sustainable limits.

These trends have reduced diversity in our diets, which is directly linked to diseases or health risk factors, such as diabetes, obesity and malnutrition. One initiative which is bringing a renewed focus on biological diversity is the Tropical Forest Alliance .

This global public-private partnership is working on removing deforestation from four global commodity supply chains – palm oil, beef, soy, and pulp and paper.

The Alliance includes businesses, governments, civil society, indigenous people and communities, and international organizations.

Enquire to become a member or partner of the Forum and help stop deforestation linked to supply chains.

The main threats to migratory creatures

The report cites a wide range of reasons for the growing threat to migratory species. The primary risks are overexploitation and habitat loss due to human activities.

Overexploitation includes the unsustainable and illegal taking of migratory species, such as hunting and fishing, and the incidental capture of non-target species - or bycatch - in fisheries.

The report finds 277 species are endangered by excessive hunting and collecting, and a further 217 are adversely impacted by the overfishing and harvesting of aquatic resources.

Overview of threats to CMS-listed species

The loss, degradation and fragmentation of ecosystems stems from agricultural expansion, urban development and infrastructure projects, which disrupt the natural habitats and migration paths essential for the survival of migratory species, the report explains.

Amy Fraenkel, head of the CMS secretariat, says the conservation of wildlife habitats is critical to the survival of migratory species. “They regularly travel, sometimes thousands of miles, to reach these places. They face enormous challenges and threats along the way as well at their destinations where they breed or feed.”

Climate change also exacerbates the danger to wildlife by altering the timing of migrations, causing heat stress, and driving more frequent and severe weather-related events like droughts and forest fires. It acts as an "amplifier" of existing threats, including pollution and invasive species, further endangering migratory species.

Migratory cranes.

Impact on ecosystems

Migratory species play essential roles in maintaining the world's ecosystems. The report emphasizes their contribution to pollination, seed dispersal, nutrient cycling, and the regulation of ecosystems through predation and grazing. Their decline not only threatens biodiversity but also jeopardizes natural processes that are vital to human agriculture and other economic activity.

The business world has a vital role to play. “Recent data suggests that approximately 55 trillion US dollars, or half of global GDP, is moderately or heavily dependent upon nature," says Jack Hurd, from the World Economic Forum's Centre for Nature and Climate.

He explains: "What that means for companies is they need to start taking steps to assess their impacts and dependencies on nature, to develop longer-term operational plans that seek to mitigate those impacts, and to start pricing impacts and dependencies on nature into their opportunities and into their risks.

"This will change their business models, and it will change the information that they're reporting as part of their environmental obligations.”

Protecting migratory species

Despite the bleak outlook, the UN report finds population and species-wide recoveries are possible with strong, coordinated action at all levels.

One example highlighted explains how bird populations in Cyprus have recovered as a result of local action to outlaw illegal netting. While, in Kazakhstan, the Saiga antelope, once on the brink of extinction, is making a comeback due to integrated conservation and restoration efforts.

The report's findings add up to an urgent call for measures to protect migratory species and their habitats. By addressing the root causes of their decline it is still possible to ensure the survival and recovery of migratory species that play a vital role in both animal and human ecosystems.

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License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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Nature Essay for Students and Children

500+ words nature essay.

Nature is an important and integral part of mankind. It is one of the greatest blessings for human life; however, nowadays humans fail to recognize it as one. Nature has been an inspiration for numerous poets, writers, artists and more of yesteryears. This remarkable creation inspired them to write poems and stories in the glory of it. They truly valued nature which reflects in their works even today. Essentially, nature is everything we are surrounded by like the water we drink, the air we breathe, the sun we soak in, the birds we hear chirping, the moon we gaze at and more. Above all, it is rich and vibrant and consists of both living and non-living things. Therefore, people of the modern age should also learn something from people of yesteryear and start valuing nature before it gets too late.

nature essay

Significance of Nature

Nature has been in existence long before humans and ever since it has taken care of mankind and nourished it forever. In other words, it offers us a protective layer which guards us against all kinds of damages and harms. Survival of mankind without nature is impossible and humans need to understand that.

If nature has the ability to protect us, it is also powerful enough to destroy the entire mankind. Every form of nature, for instance, the plants , animals , rivers, mountains, moon, and more holds equal significance for us. Absence of one element is enough to cause a catastrophe in the functioning of human life.

We fulfill our healthy lifestyle by eating and drinking healthy, which nature gives us. Similarly, it provides us with water and food that enables us to do so. Rainfall and sunshine, the two most important elements to survive are derived from nature itself.

Further, the air we breathe and the wood we use for various purposes are a gift of nature only. But, with technological advancements, people are not paying attention to nature. The need to conserve and balance the natural assets is rising day by day which requires immediate attention.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conservation of Nature

In order to conserve nature, we must take drastic steps right away to prevent any further damage. The most important step is to prevent deforestation at all levels. Cutting down of trees has serious consequences in different spheres. It can cause soil erosion easily and also bring a decline in rainfall on a major level.

essay about nature is in danger

Polluting ocean water must be strictly prohibited by all industries straightaway as it causes a lot of water shortage. The excessive use of automobiles, AC’s and ovens emit a lot of Chlorofluorocarbons’ which depletes the ozone layer. This, in turn, causes global warming which causes thermal expansion and melting of glaciers.

Therefore, we should avoid personal use of the vehicle when we can, switch to public transport and carpooling. We must invest in solar energy giving a chance for the natural resources to replenish.

In conclusion, nature has a powerful transformative power which is responsible for the functioning of life on earth. It is essential for mankind to flourish so it is our duty to conserve it for our future generations. We must stop the selfish activities and try our best to preserve the natural resources so life can forever be nourished on earth.

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Is the nature in danger? how ? discuss about the causes and solutions

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IELTS essay Is the nature in danger? how? discuss about the causes and solutions

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  • Nature Essay

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Essay About Nature

Nature refers to the interaction between the physical surroundings around us and the life within it like atmosphere, climate, natural resources, ecosystem, flora, fauna, and humans. Nature is indeed God’s precious gift to Earth. It is the primary source of all the necessities for the nourishment of all living beings on Earth. Right from the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the house we live in is provided by nature. Nature is called ‘Mother Nature’ because just like our mother, she is always nurturing us with all our needs. 

Whatever we see around us, right from the moment we step out of our house is part of nature. The trees, flowers, landscapes, insects, sunlight, breeze, everything that makes our environment so beautiful and mesmerizing are part of Nature. In short, our environment is nature. Nature has been there even before the evolution of human beings. 

Importance of Nature

If not for nature then we wouldn’t be alive. The health benefits of nature for humans are incredible. The most important thing for survival given by nature is oxygen. The entire cycle of respiration is regulated by nature. The oxygen that we inhale is given by trees and the carbon dioxide we exhale is getting absorbed by trees. 

The ecosystem of nature is a community in which producers (plants), consumers, and decomposers work together in their environment for survival. The natural fundamental processes like soil creation, photosynthesis, nutrient cycling, and water cycling, allow Earth to sustain life. We are dependent on these ecosystem services daily whether or not we are aware.

Nature provides us services round the clock: provisional services, regulating services, and non-material services. Provisional services include benefits extracted from nature such as food, water, natural fuels and fibres, and medicinal plants. Regulating services include regulation of natural processes that include decomposition, water purification, pollution, erosion and flood control, and also, climate regulation. Non-material services are the non-material benefits that improve the cultural development of humans such as recreation, creative inspiration from interaction with nature like art, music, architecture, and the influence of ecosystems on local and global cultures. 

The interaction between humans and animals, which are a part of nature, alleviates stress, lessens pain and worries. Nature provides company and gives people a sense of purpose. 

Studies and research have shown that children especially have a natural affinity with nature. Regular interaction with nature has boosted health development in children. Nature supports their physical and mental health and instills abilities to access risks as they grow. 

Role and Importance of Nature

The natural cycle of our ecosystem is vital for the survival of organisms. We all should take care of all the components that make our nature complete. We should be sure not to pollute the water and air as they are gifts of Nature.

Mother nature fosters us and never harms us. Those who live close to nature are observed to be enjoying a healthy and peaceful life in comparison to those who live in urban areas. Nature gives the sound of running fresh air which revives us, sweet sounds of birds that touch our ears, and sounds of breezing waves in the ocean makes us move within.

All the great writers and poets have written about Mother Nature when they felt the exceptional beauty of nature or encountered any saddening scene of nature. Words Worth who was known as the poet of nature, has written many things in nature while being in close communion with nature and he has written many things about Nature. Nature is said to be the greatest teacher as it teaches the lessons of immortality and mortality. Staying in close contact with Nature makes our sight penetrative and broadens our vision to go through the mysteries of the planet earth. Those who are away from nature can’t understand the beauty that is held by Nature. The rise in population on planet earth is leading to a rise in consumption of natural resources.  Because of increasing demands for fuels like Coal, petroleum, etc., air pollution is increasing at a rapid pace.  The smoke discharged from factory units and exhaust tanks of cars is contaminating the air that we breathe. It is vital for us to plant more trees in order to reduce the effect of toxic air pollutants like Carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, etc. 

Save Our Nature

Earth’s natural resources are not infinite and they cannot be replenished in a short period. The rapid increase in urbanization has used most of the resources like trees, minerals, fossil fuels, and water. Humans in their quest for a comfortable living have been using the resources of nature mindlessly. As a result, massive deforestation, resultant environmental pollution, wildlife destruction, and global warming are posing great threats to the survival of living beings. 

Air that gives us oxygen to breathe is getting polluted by smoke, industrial emissions, automobile exhaust, burning of fossil fuels like coal, coke and furnace oil, and use of certain chemicals. The garbage and wastes thrown here and there cause pollution of air and land. 

Sewage, organic wastage, industrial wastage, oil spillage, and chemicals pollute water. It is causing several water-borne diseases like cholera, jaundice and typhoid. 

The use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in agriculture adds to soil pollution. Due to the mindless cutting of trees and demolition of greeneries for industrialization and urbanization, the ecological balance is greatly hampered. Deforestation causes flood and soil erosion.

Earth has now become an ailing planet panting for care and nutrition for its rejuvenation. Unless mankind puts its best effort to save nature from these recurring situations, the Earth would turn into an unfit landmass for life and activity. 

We should check deforestation and take up the planting of trees at a massive rate. It will not only save the animals from being extinct but also help create regular rainfall and preserve soil fertility. We should avoid over-dependence on fossil fuels like coal, petroleum products, and firewood which release harmful pollutants to the atmosphere. Non-conventional sources of energy like the sun, biogas and wind should be tapped to meet our growing need for energy. It will check and reduce global warming. 

Every drop of water is vital for our survival. We should conserve water by its rational use, rainwater harvesting, checking the surface outflow, etc. industrial and domestic wastes should be properly treated before they are dumped into water bodies. 

Every individual can do his or her bit of responsibility to help save the nature around us. To build a sustainable society, every human being should practice in heart and soul the three R’s of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. In this way, we can save our nature.  

Nature Conservation

Nature conservation is very essential for future generations, if we will damage nature our future generations will suffer.

Nowadays, technological advancement is adversely affecting our nature. Humans are in the quest and search for prosperity and success that they have forgotten the value and importance of beautiful Nature around. The ignorance of nature by humans is the biggest threat to nature. It is essential to make people aware and make them understand the importance of nature so that they do not destroy it in the search for prosperity and success.

On high priority, we should take care of nature so that nature can continue to take care of us. Saving nature is the crying need of our time and we should not ignore it. We should embrace simple living and high thinking as the adage of our lives.  

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FAQs on Nature Essay

1. How Do You Define Nature?

Nature is defined as our environment. It is the interaction between the physical world around us and the life within it like the atmosphere, climate, natural resources, ecosystem, flora, fauna and humans. Nature also includes non-living things such as water,  mountains, landscape, plants, trees and many other things. Nature adds life to mother earth. Nature is the treasure habitation of every essential element that sustains life on this planet earth. Human life on Earth would have been dull and meaningless without the amazing gifts of nature. 

2. How is Nature Important to Us?

Nature is the only provider of everything that we need for survival. Nature provides us with food, water, natural fuels, fibres, and medicinal plants. Nature regulates natural processes that include decomposition, water purification, pollution, erosion, and flood control. It also provides non-material benefits like improving the cultural development of humans like recreation, etc. 

An imbalance in nature can lead to earthquakes, global warming, floods, and drastic climate changes. It is our duty to understand the importance of nature and how it can negatively affect us all if this rapid consumption of natural resources, pollution, and urbanization takes place.

3. How Should We Save Our Nature?

We should check deforestation and take up the planting of trees at a massive rate. It will save the animals from being extinct but also help create regular rainfall and preserve soil fertility. We should avoid over-dependence on fossil fuels like coal, petroleum products, and firewood which release harmful pollutants to the atmosphere. We should start using non-conventional sources of energy like the sun, biogas, and wind to meet our growing need for energy. It will check and reduce global warming. Water is vital for our survival and we should rationalize our use of water. 

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Essay on “Environment in Danger” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

ENVIRONMENT IN DANGER

Synopsis: Environment is in danger and so are life and its quality. Many species of animals and plants are already extinct and many more on the brink of it. The phenomenon known as ‘green house effect’ is one of the greatest dangers to our environment. Enormous emissions of carbon dioxide have assumed alarming proportions and must be addressed immediately.  It has helped spread and growth of our many dangerous diseases. It has also adversely affected the rainfall patterns. Our forest-cover is shrinking rapidly and giving rise to diverse complex problems. Water-pollution has been no less alarming. Discharge of various types of untreated chemical and other wastes are mainly responsible for pollution of our water resources. Industries have been the worst offenders in this respect. Both human and animals life have suffered a lot as a result of it. Foolish and excessive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers has polluted our fruits, vegetables, dairy products and cereals. The residues of these neurotoxins ultimately reach human system causing several diseases. Mother’s milk too is not free from pollution. Some urgent and hard decisions are their implementations are imperative. Noise-pollution and international trade of toxic wastes are other areas of concern. Consequently, the Third World nations have been at the receiving end.

Environment is in danger and so life and its quality. Several factors like population explosion, industrial and technological developments in the last 200 years have done immense harm to environment which supports life and growth. Many species of plants and animals are already extinct and many more are on the road of extinction. Pollution has become a major problem of the present day society. There is too much addition of polluting substances to the environment causing a great imbalance in the elements of atmosphere. This imbalance in biosphere has not only deteriorated the quality of life but has also threatened its very survival. Environment and life are two very unique things found only on the planet earth. These make the earth the only living planet known so far. Environment and life are two aspects of the same coin. If environment is affected, life cannot remain unaffected and immune. As such, environmental pollution is a matter of global concern and needs global remedy. It is a threat to the whole world, nay to the very existence and survival.

            The every thickening blanket of carbon emission is one of the greatest dangers to our environment. It has already caused the warming up of earth’s atmosphere for minus 0.3 0 C in 1870 to plus 0.3 0 c in 1990. This dangerous phenomenon, known as green house effect, has resulted in 30 per cent more carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere today than 200 years ago. Advanced countries in Europe and America produce more than half of the world’s carbon-dioxide emissions. According to a study the U.S. alone has been causing 5.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission per head. East-Europe is producing 3 tonnes per head of carbon dioxide, West Europe 2.1 tonnes, China 0.6 tonnes; Africa 0.3 tonnes followed by India 0.2 tonnes. One of the major factors for this emission is the large scale and indiscriminate use of fossil fuels. During the year 1996 alone, carbon emission from burning fossil fuels all over the worlds accounted for 6.1 million tonnes. It is increasing further rapidly as the number of cars, buses, trucks, scooters and such other vehicles plying on the road is increasing the world over.

            Such emissions cause bronchitis and various other respiratory diseases. The London smog of 1952 killed as estimated 4000 people. According to a WHO report increasing carbon emission has helped many tropical diseases like malaria, dengue, and cholera to assume serious dimensions in Africa and Asia. Besides, it also worsens the problems of malnutrition and water-scarcity. It also adversely effect the rainfall pattern and causes droughts and famines. It is reported that warming of the earth’s surface by 3 or 4 degrees may result in the elimination of 85 per cent of the remaining wetlands and many species of water birds and turtles.

            Records indicate that as a result of the emissions of these greenhouse gases, the year 1995 has been the warmest year so far since record-keeping began some 130 years ago. This increase in earth’s temperature has resulted in dwindling of food grain production, shrinking of forest cover, extinction of many plant and animal species and acid rains. The average global temperature during 1995 was 15.39 0 C, breaking the previous record 15.38 0 C in 1990. The constant rise in temperature makes oceans release more energy into the atmosphere, leading to more violent storms and cyclones.

            The environment is deteriorating rapidly which can be seen and experienced in many ways. For example, the deforestation of the planet continues unabated resulting in soil erosion, flash floods, droughts, the elimination of many species of animals and plants. About 40 per cent of the earth was covered with forests a few decades ago but not it has shrinked to just 20 per cent. And most of this damage has occurred since 1950. The tropical and sub-tropical regions have suffered the most in this respect. Large forest areas have been cleared for the purpose of cultivation and farming. Over-grazing, logging and felling of the trees indiscriminately on a large scale for timber and fuel has further worsened the situation. Rain forests are disappearing at an estimated rate of 4.6 million hectares per year which sustain and support a vast species of animal and plant life. Moreover, the destruction of forest causes soil-erosion which silts the rivers, lakes, canals, streams and other reservoirs.

            Water pollution has also been on increase alarmingly all over the world. Sewage and industrial waste have fouled our seas, rivers lakes and other sources of water. The norms regarding the discharge of industrial effluents are being flouted by the industries with impunity. Even the drinking water being supplied in towns and cities by the civic bodies is not safe. This has directly affected the health of people. They suffer from many diseases, deformities and illness. The destruction of wholesomeness of our water resources is causing havoc. The encroachment upon lakes, rivers and seas by industries is a serious threat to our environment. Since most of our cities are on the banks of the rivers or the coast of the seas, our rivers and seas have turned murky and polluted with industrial and human waste and effluents. The toxic chemicals, industrial wastes discharged into rivers, lakes and seas from mills and factories have proved fatal to all kinds of marine life. People often fall ill by eating fish etc. taken out of these rivers, lakes and seas and they are often poisoned by industrial wastes pumped into these natural sources of water.

            Industries, especially in developing countries, pay no attention towards pollution control measures and treatment of effluents before discharge into rivers and seas. Recently, the Supreme Court of India ordered out the hundreds of industrial units around the Taj Mahal. Similarly, in many States like Delhi, Gujarat etc. the courts have ordered the closure or immediate shifting of the hundreds of manufacturing industrial units. The ostrich-like approach to the problem of pollution by Indian industries is really condemnable. It is better that the industries in India immediately realize that the key to their survival lies not only in their ability to cope with competition but also in pressures of all sorts including that of following zero-pollution norms.

            The indiscriminate use of pesticides like DDT, BHC (Benzene hexachloride) etc. has seriously damaged the fragile ecology of soils by weakening the micro-organisms in it. These pesticides ultimately contaminate fruits, vegetables, cereals, and dairy products. The neurotoxins reach the human body through various food-stuff and severely impair the central nervous system and cause other disorders. The milder forms of pesticide poisoning result in migraine, dizziness, stomach-ache, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Dairy products have been found containing very high levels of pesticides residues. Mother’s milk too is not free from this contamination. Vegetables and fruits suffer from pesticide overload. Insecticides like carbofuran are used to quicken fruiting. Parathion is used to give fruits and vegetables a fresh look. Bananas, grapes, apples etc. are sprayed with harmful ripening agents, fungicides and pesticides.

            Urgent steps need to be taken to stop this deterioration in our atmosphere and environment. The balance of nature should be restored at the earliest. Some hard and effective decisions are the need of the hour. Something should be done to stop the damage caused to the ozone layer by the discharges from the rockets and airplanes besides the emissions of synthetic chemicals, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons and such other substances. The developed countries should immediately phase out the use of these chemicals. With the rapid increase in consumerism and the use of white and brown goods, the demand of appliances that use ozone-depleting substances is growing fast. The cult of owning of refrigeration is spreading fast in the developing and underdeveloped countries.

            Noise pollution and international trade in toxic wastes are other areas of concern. The recyclers and processors of the toxic wastes expose the humanity at large to many hazards. People should be made aware of these hazards. Industrialized countries are dumping their toxic wastes in under-developed countries. All the countries should be obliged to accept the Base Convention to keep the environment clean of such wastes. There should be an effective ban and control on global trade in hazardous wastes. No country should be allowed bartering the health and well being of its people for a few dollars. During April 1996 to January 1997, over 15,000 tonnes of lead and battery wastes were imported in India. During this same period nearly 12,000 tonnes of zinc waste was also imported. In 1996 alone, Australia exported at least 8,500 tonnes of hazardous wastes and 1.9 million scrap batteries, and India, the Philippines and China were it major destinations.

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2024 LIFE - Calls for proposals

Life calls for proposals 2024.

The LIFE Calls for proposals 2024 are expected to be published on the  Funding & tender opportunities portal  on 18 April 2024. 

CINEA will hold virtual information sessions from 23 to 26 April 2024 to guide potential applicants through the LIFE Calls for proposals 2024. See the  LIFE YouTube channel  for previous  recordings .  

Anticipated submission deadlines

Standard Action Projects (SAPs) for circular economy and quality of life Deadline date: 19 September 2024 

Standard Action Projects (SAPs) for nature and biodiversity Deadline date: 19 September 2024 

Standard Action Projects (SAPs) for climate change mitigation and adaptation Deadline date: 17 September 2024   

Coordination and Support Action Grants (CSA) for clean energy transition sub-programme Deadline date: 19 September 2024

  • Concept notes:  Deadline date: 5 September 2024 
  • Full proposals:  Deadline date: 6 March 2025  

Technical Assistance preparation for SIPs and SNAPs: Deadline date: 19 September 2024    

Technical Assistance Replication Deadline date: 19 September 2024  

Framework Partnership Agreements (FPA OG)  Deadline date: 5 September 2024

Specific Operating Grant Agreements (SGA OG)  Deadline date: 17 September 2024 

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Standard action projects (sap).

Projects, other than strategic integrated projects, strategic nature projects or technical assistance projects, that pursue the specific objectives of the LIFE programme.

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Projects that support the achievement of Union nature and biodiversity objectives by implementing coherent programmes of action in Member States in order to mainstream those objectives and priorities into other policies and financing instruments, including through coordinated implementation of the prioritised action frameworks adopted pursuant to Directive 92/43/EEC.

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Projects that implement, on a regional, multi-regional, national or transnational scale, environmental or climate strategies or action plans developed by Member States' authorities and required by specific environmental, climate or relevant energy legislation or policy of the Union, while ensuring that stakeholders are involved and promoting coordination with and mobilisation of at least one other Union, national or private funding source.

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Projects that support the development of capacity for participation in standard action projects, the preparation of strategic nature projects and strategic integrated projects, the preparation for accessing other Union financial instruments or other measures necessary for preparing the upscaling or replication of results from other projects funded by the LIFE programme, its predecessor programmes or other Union programmes, with a view to pursuing the LIFE programme objectives set out in Article 3; such projects can also include capacity-building related to the activities of Member States' authorities for effective participation in the LIFE programme.

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Actions needed for the purpose of achieving the general objective of the LIFE programme, including coordination and support actions aimed at capacity-building, at dissemination of information and of knowledge, and at awareness-raising to support the transition to renewable energy and increased energy efficiency.

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Grants that support the functioning of non-profit making entities which are involved in the development, implementation and enforcement of Union legislation and policy, and which are primarily active in the area of the environment or climate action, including energy transition, in line with the objectives of the LIFE programme.

Project proposals submitted under LIFE calls are evaluated and scored against selection and award criteria.

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Please see our dedicated page on Support for Applicants.

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The LIFE Programme appoints external experts to assist in the evaluation of grant applications, projects and tenders. 

If you have skills and experiences in the sustainable energy field and like to evaluate proposals submitted under the LIFE Clean Energy Transition sub-programme, please register in the European Commission’s database of independent experts . 

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  • NEWS EXPLAINER
  • 12 February 2024
  • Correction 20 February 2024

How journals are fighting back against a wave of questionable images

  • Nicola Jones

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Closeup rear view of a cropped male scientist looking at DNA test results.

Journals are making an effort to detect manipulated images of the gels used to analyse proteins and DNA. Credit: Shutterstock

It seems that every month brings a fresh slew of high-profile allegations against researchers whose papers — some of them years old — contain signs of possible image manipulation .

Scientist sleuths are using their own trained eyes, along with commercial software based on artificial intelligence (AI), to spot image duplication and other issues that might hint at sloppy record-keeping or worse. They are bringing these concerns to light in places like PubPeer, an online forum featuring many new posts every day flagging image concerns.

Some of these efforts have led to action. Last month, for example, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, Massachusetts, said that it would ask journals to retract or correct a slew of papers authored by its staff members. The disclosure came after an observer raised concerns about images in the papers. The institute says it is continuing to investigate the concerns.

That incident was just one of many. In the face of public scrutiny, academic journals are increasingly adopting tricks and tools , including commercial AI-based systems , to spot problematic imagery before, rather than after, publication. Here, Nature reviews the problem and how publishers are attempting to tackle it.

What sorts of imagery problem are being spotted?

Questionable image practices include the use of the same data across several graphs, the replication of photos or portions of photos, and the deletion or splicing of images. Such issues can indicate an intent to mislead, but can also result from an innocent attempt to improve a figure’s aesthetics, for example. Nonetheless, even innocent mistakes can be damaging to the integrity of science, experts say.

How prevalent are these issues, and are they on the rise?

The precise number of such incidents is unknown. A database maintained by the website Retraction Watch lists more than 51,000 documented retractions, corrections or expressions of concern. Of those, about 4% flag a concern about images.

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Meet this super-spotter of duplicated images in science papers

One of the largest efforts to quantify the problem was carried out by Elisabeth Bik, a scientific image sleuth and consultant in San Francisco, California, and her colleagues 1 . They examined images in more than 20,000 papers that were published between 1995 and 2014. Overall, they found that nearly 4% of the papers contained problematic figures . The study also revealed an increase in inappropriate image duplications starting around 2003, probably because digital photography made it easier to alter photos, Bik says.

Modern papers also contain more images than do those from decades ago, notes Bik. “Combine all of this with many more papers being published per day compared to ten years ago, and the increased pressure put on scientists to publish, and there will just be many more problems that can be found.”

The high rate of reports of image issues might also be driven by “a rise in whistle-blowing because of the global community’s increased awareness of integrity issues”, says Renee Hoch, who works for the PLOS Publication Ethics team in San Francisco, California.

What happened at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute?

In January, biologist and investigator Sholto David, based in Pontypridd, UK, blogged about possible image manipulation in more than 50 biology papers published by scientists at the DFCI, which is affiliated with Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Among the authors were DFCI president Laurie Glimcher and her deputy, William Hahn; a DFCI spokesperson said they are not speaking to reporters. David’s blog highlighted what seemed to be duplications or other image anomalies in papers spanning almost 20 years. The post was first reported by The Harvard Crimson .

The DFCI, which had already been investigating some of these issues, is seeking retractions for several papers and corrections for many others. Barrett Rollins, the DFCI’s research-integrity officer, says that “moving as quickly as possible to correct the scientific record is important and a common practice of institutions with strong research integrity”.

“It bears repeating that the presence of image duplications or discrepancies in a paper is not evidence of an author’s intent to deceive,” he adds.

What are journals doing to improve image integrity?

In an effort to reduce publication of mishandled images, some journals, including the Journal of Cell Science , PLOS Biology and PLOS ONE , either require or ask that authors submit raw images in addition to the cropped or processed images in their figures.

Many publishers are also incorporating AI-based tools including ImageTwin, ImaCheck and Proofig into consistent or spot pre-publication checks. The Science family of journals announced in January it is now using Proofig to screen all its submissions. Holden Thorp, editor in chief of the Science family of journals, says Proofig has spotted things that led editors to decide against publishing papers. He says authors are usually grateful to have their errors identified.

What kinds of issues do these AI-based systems flag?

All these systems can, for example, quickly detect duplicates of images in the same paper, even if those images have been rotated, stretched or cropped or had their colour altered.

Different systems have different merits. Proofig, for example, can spot splices created by chopping out or stitching together portions of images. ImageTwin, says Bik, has the advantage of allowing users to cross-check an image against a large data set of other papers. Some publishers, including Springer Nature, are developing their own AI image-integrity software. ( Nature ’s news team is editorially independent of its publisher, Springer Nature.)

Many of the errors flagged by AI tools seem to be innocent. In a study of more than 1,300 papers submitted to 9 American Association for Cancer Research journals in 2021 and early 2022, Proofig flagged 15% as having possible image duplications that required follow-up with authors. Author responses indicated that 28% of the 207 duplications were intentional — driven, for example, by authors using the same image to illustrate multiple points. Sixty-three per cent were unintentional mistakes.

How well do these AI systems work?

Users report that AI-based systems definitely make it faster and easier to spot some kinds of image problems. The Journal of Clinical Investigation trialled Proofig from 2021 to 2022 and found that it tripled the proportion of manuscripts with potentially problematic images, from 1% to 3% 2 .

But they are less adept at spotting more complex manipulations, says Bik, or AI-generated fakery. The tools are “useful to detect mistakes and low-level integrity breaches, but that is but one small aspect of the bigger issue”, agrees Bernd Pulverer, chief editor of EMBO Reports . “The existing tools are at best showing the tip of an iceberg that may grow dramatically, and current approaches will soon be largely obsolete.”

Are pre-publication checks stemming image issues?

A combination of expert teams, technology tools and increased vigilance seems to be working — for the time being. “We have applied systematic screening now for over a decade and for the first time see detection rates decline,” says Pulverer.

But as image manipulation gets more sophisticated, catching it will become ever harder, he says. “In a couple of years all of our current image-integrity screening will still be useful for filtering out mistakes, but certainly not for detecting fraud,” Pulverer says.

How can image manipulation best be tackled in the long run?

Ultimately, stamping out image manipulation will involve complex changes to how science is done, says Bik, with more focus on rigour and reproducibility, and repercussions for bad behaviour. “There are too many stories of bullying and highly demanding PIs spending too little time in their labs, and that just creates a culture where cheating is ok,” she says. “This needs to change.”

Nature 626 , 697-698 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00372-6

Updates & Corrections

Correction 20 February 2024 : An earlier version of this article used an incorrect pronoun to refer to Barrett Rollins. This has now been corrected.

Bik, E. M., Casadevall, A. & Fang, F. C. mBio 7 , e00809-16 (2016).

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Jackson, S., Williams, C. L., Collins, K. L. & McNally, E. M. J. Clin. Invest. 132 , e162884 (2022).

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Are Cheerios and Quaker Oats safe to eat? Experts weigh in on new pesticide concerns. 

Charles passy, an environmental working group study found the pesticide chlormequat in some oat products, including popular breakfast cereal and oatmeal, cheerios and quaker oats are among the products cited by the environmental working group in a report about chlormequat, a pesticide..

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Should you pass on that morning bowl of cereal or oatmeal?

That’s what some people may be asking in light of a study released this week by the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit focused on agricultural and chemical-safety laws in the U.S. The study looked at the prevalence of a pesticide called chlormequat in oat-based food products, including cereals like Cheerios and Quaker Oats. 

The EWG said it found detectable levels of the chemical in 92% of nonorganic oat-based foods purchased in May 2023.

“Studies in laboratory animals show that chlormequat can cause harm to the normal growth and development of the fetus and damage the reproductive system,” Olga Naidenko, vice president at the EWG, told MarketWatch. Those risks, the EWG report noted, can include reduced fertility. 

It has not been proven that the substance affects humans in the same way the studies cited by the EWG found it does lab animals, and there are other studies that have found chlormequat had no effect on reproduction in pigs or mice , or any impact on fertilization rates in mice .

The EWG is still advocating that concerned consumers buy organic oat products as an alternative, however. 

“Certified organic oats are, by law, grown without synthetic pesticides,” Naidenko said. 

Quaker Oats, which is owned by PepsiCo PEP, -0.34% , responded to the EWG study with a statement. “At Quaker, we stand by the safety and quality of our products. We have a comprehensive food safety management system in place. We adhere to all regulatory guidelines to ensure the safest, highest quality products for our consumers,” the company said.

Representatives for General Mills GIS, -0.82% , the company that makes Cheerios, didn’t respond to a request for comment. 

“ ‘Any family raising kids or thinking about starting a family should do whatever they can do to avoid chlormequat. It’s not a safe product.’ ”

The EWG’s recommendation to go organic was echoed by experts that MarketWatch contacted. 

Charles Benbrook, a scientific consultant based in Washington state who focuses on pesticides, said he’s an oatmeal eater who chooses organic oatmeal “when I can get it.”

Regarding chlormequat, Benbrook said, “It’s not a safe product.”

“Any family raising kids or thinking about starting a family should do whatever they can do to avoid chlormequat,” he said.

Melissa Furlong, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Arizona, said it’s important to note that chlormequat is not the only pesticide that is found in oat-based cereals. There’s still much we need to learn about the health effects the substance might have on humans, she added.

“That’s not to say it isn’t the worst [pesticide]. We don’t really know,” Furlong said. 

Chlormequat has not been approved for use on food crops grown in the U.S., according to the EWG, but it can be found in oats and oat products from other countries. Under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency started allowing imports of such products into the U.S., the EWG noted, which is why chlormequat can be found in some cereals sold in this country.

The EPA is considering approving chlormequat for use on crops grown in the U.S., according to the agency’s website. In a call for  public comment on its proposed decision , the agency said, “Based on EPA’s human health risk assessment, there are no dietary, residential, or aggregate (i.e., combined dietary and residential exposures) risks of concern.”

The EPA didn’t respond immediately to a request for comment.

For her part, Furlong said that while she usually buys organic oat products, she isn’t rigid about it — and she might still buy the occasional box of Cheerios.

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Charles Passy covers a variety of topics, including personal finance, food, entertainment and anything and everything trending and quirky. He also writes the Weekend Sip column, which covers wine, spirits and beer. In his spare time, he obsesses about where to find the perfect slice of New York-style pizza.  Follow him on Twitter @CharlesPassy.

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