Humanity’s rapid expansion leads to environmental destruction, starvation and ravaged biodiversity. Population growth needs to be ended as soon as possible for sustainability.
In 1800, the world’s population was 1 billion, but in 2022 we exceeded 8 billion and are now growing by about 80 million a year. At the same time species and ecosystems are declining and disappearing through our overexploitation: more than one in four of 150,000 reviewed species are threatened, half of which are vascular plants.
Among 71,000 animal species studied, almost half are decreasing, and only 3 percent are increasing. And it goes fast. Since 1970, populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish have declined on average about 70 percent. The reasons are many. Overexploitation in forestry, hunting, and fishing. Agriculture and livestock farming over expanding areas. Infrastructure and buildings such as housing, industries, roads, and mines. Our spread of invasive organisms.
Read the full article here.