Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Gmail Peter Burgess
The planet in crisis
1 message
Diego Casaes - Avaaz
Mon, Jul 9, 2018 at 6:11 AM
To: 'peterbnyc@gmail.com'

There's only 12 vaquitas left, down from 30 last year! But it's not just the vaquitas we're losing -- we're seeing a sixth mass extinction, and it's human-made. Top scientists are backing an ambitious plan to put half of the earth under protection so species can recover but we urgently need governments to get on board. A massive nature summit is happening RIGHT NOW -- sign the global campaign for nature and Avaaz will deliver our call straight to the meeting!

Dear friends,

We just found out that vaquitas -- the super-cute 'mini-dolphins' that live off the coast of Mexico -- probably won't survive. We've been fighting for them, but there are now only 12 left, down from 30 last year!

It’s not just vaquitas being driven into oblivion. A sixth mass extinction is underway and humans are almost entirely to blame. Almost two-thirds of wild animals have disappeared in the last 50 years!

Scientists say the solution is to protect half the planet, letting nature recover and restore itself -- but our governments are dragging their feet because this crisis, and its solution, isn't at the top of headlines!

But we have a small window to change that: a key nature summit is happening RIGHT NOW in Montreal, where our governments will discuss the course of protection for the next 30 years! Sign the global campaign for nature -- Avaaz will take our message to the summit and tell the story we need our leaders to hear:

Click to stop the extinction crisis

Overfishing, deadly pesticides, deforestation, poaching -- you name it. Humans are putting every animal and plant in the world in danger. Including ourselves. A UN-backed panel of 550 scientists just confirmed that this massive loss of biodiversity can disrupt our global food system, our oceans, the air we breathe, and even our economies.

But it doesn't have to be this way -- if we can kick start a plan to live in harmony with nature, setting aside half the land and sea, and sustainably managing the other half, we can stop this slide to oblivion.

We need to start paying attention to this crisis now -- Avaaz has already met with world leaders and each time they say 'we need to see that people care, it's not in the news!” But they said the same thing about climate change, until we rallied millions across the world and campaigned massively to make it the top of the headlines. The result was the historic Paris Climate Agreement.

Now we need to do the same for nature -- let's sound the alarm for our governments and make sure protection is at the top of their list. Add your name now for our plants and animals:

Click to stop the extinction crisis

Our movement has been at the front lines of environmental defense globally -- just recently, 1.8 million Avaaz members pushed Brazil to protect a swath of the Amazon the size of Denmark, FOUR times we've helped create a new standard for the largest marine reserve on the planet to save our oceans, and much more. It's time to unite again, to protect our fellow animals and plants who share this planet with all of us.

With hope and determination,

Diego, Marigona, Danny, Alice, Patri and the rest of the Avaaz team.

SOURCES:

Scientists call for a Paris-style agreement to save life on Earth (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2018/jun/28/scientists-call-for-a-paris-style-agreement-to-save-life-on-earth

Only 12 vaquita porpoises remain, watchdog group reports (MongaBay) https://news.mongabay.com/2018/03/only-12-vaquita-porpoises-remain-watchdog-groups-report/

Life on Earth Is Under Assault—But There’s Still Hope (National Geographic) https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/ipbes-biodiversity-report-conservation-climate-change-spd/

Last male northern white rhino's death highlights 'huge extinction crisis' (the Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/20/last-male-northern-white-rhinos-death-highlights...

Sixth mass extinction: The era of 'biological annihilation' (CNN) https://www.cnn.com/2017/07/11/world/sutter-mass-extinction-ceballos-study/index.html

Could we set aside half the Earth for nature? (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2016/jun/15/could-we-set-aside-half-the-earth-for-nature

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