WHAT CAN BE DONE

 Animals are going extinct—but it’s not too late

Around the world, animals are facing extinction. For some, there may be time for us to change their fate.

Research shows that animal agriculture is a major threat to many species facing extinction, from habitat loss to deforestation and more. Climate change, putting countless animals and ecosystems at risk, is also driven in part by animal agriculture, which causes an estimated 14.5 to 51 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN reports that around 44 percent of livestock emissions are in the form of methane gas, and 27 percent in the form of carbon dioxide. So, with animal agriculture taking such a heavy toll in the climate crisis, is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint enough?

Many experts and environmental advocates say that dietary change is also needed, and individuals who are able to can take action by reducing or eliminating our consumption of meat. This is especially needed in the U.S., where meat consumption is growing at an alarming rate and around 99 percent of farmed animals are raised on industrial factory farms.  

One step you can take today is to calculate your carbon footprint using this tool from the Nature Conservancy, then work to reduce it. 

Dr. Jane Goodall has said, “With language, we can ask, as can no other living being, those questions about who we are, and why we are here. And this highly developed intellect means, surely, that we have a responsibility toward the other life forms of our planet whose continued existence is threatened by the thoughtless behavior of our own human species.” 

Just as we have the power to threaten other species, we have the power—and the responsibility—to save them.

Here are some other ways which we can help:

•  Be sure that fish and other food you buy don’t come from overharvested areas.
• Before you buy wood, make sure it comes from a “sustainable forest,” a forest where trees are replanted.
• Don’t let your pets hunt wild animals.
• Don’t use many plastic bags when they’re not necessary.
• Help reduce traffic and exhaust: Support bike-friendly cities and roads. Use public transportation when you can.
•  Don’t buy wood or wood products from threatened native forests like Pacific maple, California redwood, mahogany, ebony, or teak.
• Don’t release pets—including aquarium fish, turtles, and birds—into the wild.
• Always make sure you throw away your garbage in a trash can and avoid releasing balloons into the air.
• Save energy: Use energy efficient light bulbs and appliances. Turn off power when it’s not in use.
• Buy recycled or salvaged wood whenever possible.
• Don’t travel with wild plants and animals.
• Buy Eco-friendly products
• Follow the 3 Rule - Reuse, Reduce, Recycle
• Don't buy souvenirs made from endangered (or any wildlife) species 
• Eat less meat
• Spread Awareness : Get involved 

We have the power to stop animal extinction, and we must act now. Everyone can make a change, small may it be, to protect not only the animals, but the whole environment (including ourselves).

“The sixth mass extinction we are going through could be the most serious environmental threat to the survival of our civilization since it is irreversible”

By killing them, we are actually killing ourselves.