A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE IN OUR HANDS - To Parent Directory

Natural resourcesFrom sharks to mice,the sixth mass extinctionis underway!51%53%40%birds12%mammals (goats)23%amphibians (frogs, toads)31%fishreptiles (lizards, snakes, turtles)invertebrates (insects, snails, crabs)Percentage of species classified as threatened* International union for conservation of nature & natural resources (2006)Didyou know…For decades people have beentalking of deforestation in theAmazon but Singapore has lost95% of its forests and, if the fellingremains at its current rate, SouthEast Asia may lose 74% of itsforests by 2100Situation on the groundYou would think that with supplies running out we would makebetter use of what we have. The United States Geological Survey(USGS) analysed the proportion of our consumption that is metby recycled materials and found that, globally, we recycle just 26%of the tin we use, 31% of the copper and 26% of the zinc.While the supply of minerals becomes exhausted under ground,above ground things are also looking grim. Coral reefs, cloudforests, prairies - all are being eroded by fishing or farming,impacted by trawling or cleared to make way for cattleranches, coffee or soy plantations. Civil engineeringprojects such as roads and dams tear up wildernessand silt up rivers.Climate change also has a large role to play: recentmodelling by the International Union forConservation of Nature and Natural Resources(IUCN) predicts dramatic reductions in sea ice coverageover the next 50 to 100 years due to globalclimate change. This will have a devastating impact on038