We need IMMEDIATE action to stop extinction crisis, David Attenborough - BBC
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Published 2020-09-23
Watch the BBC first on iPlayer 👉 bbc.in/iPlayer-Home With a million species at risk of extinction, Sir David Attenborough explores how this crisis of biodiversity has consequences for us all, threatening food and water security, undermining our ability to control our climate and even putting us at greater risk of pandemic diseases.
Extinction is now happening up to 100 times faster than the natural evolutionary rate, but the issue is about more than the loss of individual species. Everything in the natural world is connected in networks that support the whole of life on earth, including us, and we are losing many of the benefits that nature provides to us. The loss of insects is threatening the pollination of crops, while the loss of biodiversity in the soil also threatens plants growth. Plants underpin many of the things that we need, and yet one in four is now threatened with extinction.
Last year, a UN report identified the key drivers of biodiversity loss, including overfishing, climate change and pollution. But the single biggest driver of biodiversity loss is the destruction of natural habitats. Seventy-five per cent of Earth's land surface (where not covered by ice) has been changed by humans, much of it for agriculture, and as consumers we may unwittingly be contributing towards the loss of species through what we buy in the supermarket.
Our destructive relationship with the natural world isn’t just putting the ecosystems that we rely on at risk. Human activities like the trade in animals and the destruction of habitats drive the emergence of diseases. Disease ecologists believe that if we continue on this pathway, this year’s pandemic will not be a one-off event.
Extinction: The Facts | BBC
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All Comments (21)
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What is frustrating, is that this is not frontline news every single day. The large multi-national corporations, which do not have fundamentally good ethical & ecological practices are not being held accountable. The same messages are being portrayed by Sir David over and over again but nobody seems to be listening.
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"The first step to solving a problem is recognizing that there is one". Sadly there are a huge number people who do not acknowledge such problems exist.
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When he said I might not see it, I almost cried.
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It's years that i'm trying to exlpain this to my family, they think i'm mental.
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Money really is the root to all evil
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as a 14 year old, I get really annoyed and shocked about what people in the past generations have done to the planet.
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Sir David Attenborough "i may not be here to see this"😢 When this legend speaks everyone listen
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Many environmental activists are being killed in my country. If the lawmakers protect them and the international community then we could have prevented more disasters
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I hope everyone is now listening. At 12 years old in 1999 when I watched David Attenborough on wildlife on one I made the decision to be veggie and now as an adult im vegan. I've chosen not to live in a house (I live on a narrowboat) to reduce my energy usage from the grid and use solar. I have now managed finally to get a job where i can work from home thus lowering my emissions further. I've chosen this life and the best part is people only see my loss but don't see what I gain! I have no bills! I have complete freedom! I have SO much money left over at the end of the month I can go on fantastic holidays and see the world rather than paying for the privilege of a house and I have no children. A choice by me because we don't need more people on this planet, but I love to educate other peoples children. I hope 🙏 that everyone now listens and helps to save their world , because its all we have 🌎 🗺
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“How if we act now, we can yet put it right” - David Attenborough
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"it's not about saving the planet, it's about saving ourselves" Watch A life on our planet of you haven't already
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There are too many people who don't and will never care. Too many people on this planet for it to last anyway.
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Nice to see all the idiots on these comments trying to say this video is wrong by complaining about their personal pet peeve: a valuable lesson for us, because these are the sort of people and the sorts of arguments we need to practice overcoming.
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just imagine all of the kids scared to grow up in this messed up world.
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It gives me goosebumps to see what we have done to our planet. I've changed my life in such a way that it creates less impact on our planet but only a few people's efforts are not enough to see the visible changes or save our one and only home. We have to work collectively to ensure that this planet could be home to our future generations. Otherwise, we are heading to extinction.
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Most people I know watched it and went "wow what can I do about it..this is so sad" , while they munch into their beef burger. The suggestion to go plant based is just unthinkable for them.. even if it means extinction of life as we know it on earth. We are literally eating ourselves to extinction.
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watching this video brings tears to my eyes. Well done Sir David you did great work to bring awareness of our earth. Sir David is a true Treasure. god bless you
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Greed... human greed.... this is just heartbreaking that one cannot change the nature of man.
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Humans truly are the best and worst of the planet. Imagine how sad I was learning food is thrown away even if it's perfectly fine to eat but asymmetrical. Quite odd for an intelligent species.
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This documentary was really upsetting but eye opening!!! Everyone needs to watch it!!
