Stop species extinction - What can I do about it?

Wondering what you can do about species extinction? Then you have a really great attitude! In fact, every eighth animal and plant species is acutely threatened with extinction. Around 500,000 species have already lost the habitat necessary for their long-term survival to us humans.₁ Among other things, because rainforest has to make way for the cultivation of animal feed or palm oil every minute - or because we are fundamentally exacerbating global warming through our everyday behavior.

But each of us can do something to help preserve biodiversity on this planet. Here are 10 tips to help you make your own personal contribution to the conservation of biodiversity. Environmental problem species extinction to stop.

Here is a short Overview about the tips from this post:

Stop meat consumption
Do without palm oil
Live more climate friendly
Garden sustainable design
Vegan lifestyle
Organic shopping
Rethinking your own consumption
Start and sign petitions
Support animal and nature conservation organizations
Becoming active for biodiversity

10 tips - What to do against species extinction?

We are shocked when we witness that the last female Sumatran rhino died in Malaysia and the animal species is thus extinct there. And we can hardly watch how a starving polar bear tries with its last strength to find something edible. But in the same time we do (mostly unintentionally) also things which provoke the respective evil. But as soon as we know what we did wrong, we can behave better.

So here are the promised 10 tips with which you can stop the extinction of species every day. Let's go!

1. reduce or stop meat consumption

The enormous Land consumption for animal feed cultivation and grazing areas. The livestock industry, which is responsible for 15 percent of all greenhouse gases caused by humans worldwide.₂ The fishing industry, which has ensured that around 90 percent of all fish stocks are fished to the maximum or already overfished.₃ The consumption of animal products such as meat, but also eggs and cow's milk, is a major driver the Deforestation, the Overfishing of the seas and of the Climate change - and thus also of the global decline in the number of animal and plant species.

If you want to stop the extinction of species, your first step should be to reconsider your meat consumption, reduce it and, in the best case, stop the consumption of animal foods altogether.

Here are more articles on the topics:

2. renounce palm oil

Global consumption of palm oil is steadily increasing, nearly tripling from 2002 to 2018.₄ In addition to livestock, it is another key driver of deforestation and reduced habitat for a variety of animal and plant species. Natural rainforests have to make way for monotonous, lifeless palm oil plantations - for a cheap oil that is found in almost every supermarket product these days. You can learn more about this under How palm oil destroys the rainforest.

Therefore, try to specifically avoid buying foods with palm oil. Whether Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Ethyl palmitate, Palmolein or Palmitic acid - Palm oil has many names and is sometimes hard to spot in the ingredient list of supermarket products. Just use the App CodeCheckwhich allows you to scan the barcode and uncover and avoid palm oil products at a glance.

3. live more climate friendly

The world's climate has a decisive influence on the diversity of animal and plant species on earth. We humans are the reason that the climate is changing so drastically and rapidly that most species cannot begin to adapt to the changing conditions. For example, scientists suggest that with a global temperature increase of 2°C over pre-industrial levels. about 99 percent of all corals in the sea disappeared will be. These in turn are habitats for a variety of marine animals, which in turn are below larger marine mammals in the food chain.₅

That's why it's so important that you basically live in a more climate-friendly way. By avoiding animal-based foods, but also with the help of the following tips, for example:

4. garden sustainable design

You know those gray, lifeless, noiseless gravel gardens? Creepy, don't you think? The fact that more and more people are opting for such "low-maintenance" gardens is also a key reason for global species extinction. Because through them disappears, for example, the Food base for many bird species - and also the Shelters are few and far between.

If you want to do something against species extinction, you should rather turn your garden (or even balcony) into a real Mecca of biodiversity make and the Birdsong enjoy from the hammock. Just use the tips from the following articles:

5. live vegan

It is one thing to stop the consumption of animal foods. But if you want to stop the extinction of species completely, you should think even further outside the box and live completely vegan. There is one essential Difference between plant-based diet and veganism: plant-based diet is a nutritional approach, while veganism is a way of life. Vegans want to Stop animal exploitation altogether. You renounce Zoo visits and also on the Circus with animals. And For example, vegans also do not eat honey. Through this attitude to life, they counteract the extinction of species in an even more targeted manner. Because lions, elephants and other wild animal species can stay where they belong and reproduce. And honey bees, which are susceptible to disease because they are bred, do not transmit diseases to wild bee populations.

So try, live vegan. If you still lack the motivation for it, then be sure to check out now the article about my reasons for veganism an.

Tip: The Dominion film revolves around the topic of factory farming. It has personally opened my eyes and given me lasting motivation for the vegan lifestyle.

6. organic shopping

Modern agriculture uses on a large scale Pesticides to control weeds and pests - and to generate higher yields. In the long term, however, this harms yields, as beneficial insects such as wild bees also disappear and soil fertility declines.

If you want to do something for higher biodiversity, you'd better give preference to plant food organic farming set. For example, I go to the weekly market every Saturday, because farmers from the region also sell their products there. But of course you can also find them in the organic market or in classic supermarkets.

7. question own consumption

You want to stop the extinction of species? As long as our daily consumer behavior is itself part of the problem, we should of course start with ourselves first. For example, we produce a lot of Plastic waste released into the environment and costs the lives of millions of marine animals every year. Whether it's a plastic cup or any other consumer product, every time we buy something, we should ask ourselves: do I really need this? Does it have to be Vacation souvenir from ivory or the Fur coat and Leather be? Probably not.

Just use the posts below to learn more about these examples and the opportunities for more sustainable, animal-friendly consumerism:

8. start and sign petitions

Now you have learned many tips that you can implement at home. In order to do something for a higher biodiversity, you can now also motivate other people. A good opportunity for this is the Support or start online petitions. In the process you collect digital signatures against a specific grievance or for a specific project that affects the protection of species.

For example, you can apply for the End of whale watching in the Faroe Islands or against the agricultural use of the pesticide glyphosate make a strong case to support the biodiversity referendum.

9. support animal and nature conservation organizations

You alone can help every day to ensure that animal and plant species are not further threatened. But there are also countless organizations that fight on a daily basis to protect biodiversity on a grand scale and can use support. Support in financial but also in energetic form.

Here are some organizations that you Promote in the fight against species extinction can:

Nature Conservancy Germany (NABU)
Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany e.V. (BUND)
Foundation Pro Biodiversity

Tip: I have also given you a detailed Comparison of the best animal welfare organizations created. Feel free to have a look!

10. become active and stand up for biodiversity

Activism to stop species extinction — A poster against the keeping of animals in zoos / Credits: PETA Germany e.V.

Your private everyday life is already focused on the protection of biodiversity? Then you can now go one step further and get involved. as activist or in a political party engage to help even more people achieve a more species-friendly everyday life.

Countless organizations regularly plan Awareness campaigns in the pedestrian zonesthat you can support. For example Anonymous For The Voiceless To promote the vegan lifestyle in our society. Or the NABU in the campaign for the biodiversity referendum. By actively supporting such actions, you can ultimately inspire even more people to protect species.

Stop species extinction and promote diversity of animal and plant species every day!

As you can see, it's not that difficult to stop the extinction of species. The important thing is to be aware of the consequences of your own behavior for animal and plant species - and what you can change yourself. Once you have made your everyday life more species-friendly, you can inspire other people to do the same and contribute to a more sustainable way of life in our global society.

I hope you were able to take away some tips from this post to do something about species extinction. Do you have any questions or further ideas for species protection? Then just write me a comment.

Stay sustainable,

Living plastic-free - Less plastic waste in the environment

PS: You want to do more for the animals? Then be sure to check out my post about the Animal welfare in everyday life on!

References:
₁ Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, IPBES, 06.05.2019, p.13.

₂ Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): livestock's long shadow environmental issues and options, available at https://t1p.de/2044 [03.11.2020].

₃ H. Vesper; WWF Germany: What we must do to save the oceans (Apr. 17, 2018), available at https://t1p.de/oori. [03.11.2020].

₄ Statista GmbH: Consumption of palm oil worldwide from 2002/03 to 2020/21 (as of September 2020), available at https://t1p.de/w9u9. [03.11.2020].

₅ J. Wille: When the corals die, the coasts die (as of Jan. 30, 2020), available at https://t1p.de/cqck. [03.11.2020].

Stop species extinction - 10 things everyone can do for species protection