The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    BLACKPINK Jennie's 'Solo' music video hits record high 900 mil. YouTube views

  • 3

    Japanese students' field trips to Korea resume after pandemic hiatus

  • 5

    Lotte desperate to win LVMH Chairman Arnault's heart

  • 7

    President Yoon refutes criticism of fence-mending summit with Japan

  • 9

    Apple Pay service starts in Korea

  • 11

    US report voices concerns over S. Korea's press freedom

  • 13

    Revenge rises as key theme in K-dramas

  • 15

    Korean firms balk at donating to fund compensating victims of Japan's forced labor

  • 17

    Osstem Implant to invite 1,500 dentists from 22 countries for training

  • 19

    VIDEOMiracle rescue of 200 dogs caged for dog meat

  • 2

    Lee Se-young to lead MBC's new series 'The Story of Park's Marriage Contract'

  • 4

    Possibly next SOHO, Seoul selects 5 neighborhoods for new signature 'K-alleys'

  • 6

    Kakao criticized for half-baked AI chatbot

  • 8

    INTERVIEW'The Flag': Kwon Jin-ah's love letter to people chasing their dreams

  • 10

    Kwon Sang-woo's new series to stream on Disney+ this year

  • 12

    LVMH allegedly joins takeover bid to acquire Missha

  • 14

    Busan to have alternate no-driving days during Expo inspection

  • 16

    Shinhan, Woori shine in overseas business

  • 18

    Korean startup Innospace announces successful test launch of space vehicle HANBIT-TLV

  • 20

    MZ generation-led unions flex muscle across board

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Thu, March 23, 2023 | 11:10
Tribune Service
Wildlife is in a housing crisis - and needs our help
Posted : 2023-01-26 16:00
Updated : 2023-01-26 16:00
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
By Michelle Reynolds

A recent New York Times headline provides what might be the best summation of the biodiversity crisis: "Animals Are Running Out of Places to Live." The world has lost half of its natural ecosystems, and wildlife populations have shrunk by an average of 68 percent since 1970. Why? As the Times article neatly puts it, "Humans are taking over too much of the planet, erasing what was there before."

Although the UN's biodiversity conference and the resulting global agreement to restore and protect 30 percent of the world's land and ocean ecosystems by 2030 (known as "30x30") are welcome steps forward, the general response has been "Fingers crossed." When it comes to international treaties regarding urgent environmental concerns, including the previous global biodiversity pact, our species has a spectacular record of not following through.

The good news is that we don't have to wait and hope for other nations―or even our own government―to take action. Each of us, by virtue of being one of the 8 billion people on the planet, is partly responsible for taking up space formerly occupied by other animals, and each of us can have a role in ecosystem restoration.

Many environmental groups, university research centers, summit reports and members of Gen Z sound like the same broken record, but what they're saying is true: The number one thing that any of us can do to stop wrecking the planet and save endangered species is to pivot away from animal agriculture.

A UN-backed report from the think tank Chatham House found that animal agriculture is the number one threat to 86 percent of the 28,000 species at risk of extinction. Farming animals and growing the crops to feed them requires massive amounts of land and produces a comparatively small amount of consumable calories. This unsustainable practice fuels not only world hunger but also the destruction of ecosystems in the Amazon, the Himalayas, the Congo Basin, the Cerrado and other vulnerable places around the globe. Eating plants directly, rather than feeding them to animals and then killing those animals for their flesh, would allow us to rewild much of that land, giving us a chance to meet the UN's "30x30" goal. By embracing vegan foods instead of meat, eggs and dairy, we could feed our own growing masses and still leave space for the rest of the Earth's inhabitants.

In addition to taking over natural habitats for agriculture, humans are razing more and more animal dwellings in order to build our own housing, so another vital thing that each of us can do for wildlife stems from a lesson we learned as young children: Share. Sure, most of us don't want to turn our pantries or attics into chez petit animale, but they didn't want us to turn their forest homes into subdivisions either. As we force animals to compete for fewer and fewer resources, they may try to find food or protection inside our residences. When that happens, the least we can do―instead of subjecting them to painful deaths in glue traps or by poison―is to use live traps, humanely escort them back outside and then seal off potential entry points in order to prevent future encounters.

And we can make it a little easier for them to survive outside. Replacing hard-to-maintain grass areas with native plants and trees provides food sources and habitat. Using Earth-friendly lawn-care methods keeps dangerous chemicals out of the soil, water and plants that animals depend on. Keeping trash in tightly sealed containers prevents wildlife from getting stuck in or injured by it. We can easily assist turtles crossing the road and report injured animals to humane officials or wildlife rehabilitators. And we can be a little more understanding when birds nest and geese honk or when deer munch a few flowers or mice nibble a few morsels in our gardens. For every perceived conflict with wildlife, there's a humane solution.

No one wants a world without wildlife. And if we take action now, we won't have to live in one.


Michelle Reynolds is a wildlife research specialist for the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) Foundation (www.PETA.org). This article was distributed by Tribune Content Agency.


 
LG Group
Top 10 Stories
1Korean firms balk at donating to fund compensating victims of Japan's forced laborKorean firms balk at donating to fund compensating victims of Japan's forced labor
2Sexual assaults by Korean diplomats continue despite zero-tolerance policy Sexual assaults by Korean diplomats continue despite zero-tolerance policy
3Consumers choose to travel abroad over purchasing luxury goods Consumers choose to travel abroad over purchasing luxury goods
4Main opposition leader indicted, faces calls to resign Main opposition leader indicted, faces calls to resign
5World water day World water day
6Outback Steakhouse sees sales soar as it opens stores in large shopping malls Outback Steakhouse sees sales soar as it opens stores in large shopping malls
7Samsung, SK avoid worst-case scenario as US 'guardrails' are less stringent than feared Samsung, SK avoid worst-case scenario as US 'guardrails' are less stringent than feared
8Korean pension fund hit by overseas banking crisis Korean pension fund hit by overseas banking crisis
9[INTERVIEW] Retired FSC chief finds inspiration exploring Koreans' ancestral roots INTERVIEWRetired FSC chief finds inspiration exploring Koreans' ancestral roots
10Campaign launched to promote equal treatment for multicultural families Campaign launched to promote equal treatment for multicultural families
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Lee Se-young to lead MBC's new series 'The Story of Park's Marriage Contract' Lee Se-young to lead MBC's new series 'The Story of Park's Marriage Contract'
2[INTERVIEW] 'The Flag': Kwon Jin-ah's love letter to people chasing their dreams INTERVIEW'The Flag': Kwon Jin-ah's love letter to people chasing their dreams
3Kwon Sang-woo's new series to stream on Disney+ this year Kwon Sang-woo's new series to stream on Disney+ this year
4Revenge rises as key theme in K-dramas Revenge rises as key theme in K-dramas
5From sky to deserted islands, two artists' documentation of nature adds surreal touch to reality From sky to deserted islands, two artists' documentation of nature adds surreal touch to reality
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group