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Causes of Biodiversity Loss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXJiHr8jWBs -…
Climate Change
Nineteen of the hottest years have occurred since 2000, with the exception of 1998.
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While Earth’s climate has changed throughout its history, the current warming is happening at a rate not seen in the past 10,000 years.
Human emissions of heat-trapping gases have already warmed the climate by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) since pre-Industrial times (starting in 1750).
While the Sun has played a role in past climate changes, the evidence shows the current warming cannot be explained by the Sun. It is caused by an increase of greenhouse gas emissions.
Carbon Dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons are the four major gases contributing to the greenhouse effect.
Destruction of Habitat
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Habitat destruction also includes filling in wetlands, dredging in rivers, and mowing fields.
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17% of the Amazon rainforest has been lost in the last 50 years due to forest conversion and cattle ranching.
Deforestation weaks the soil, meaning soil will become increasingly fragile, leaving the area more vulnerable to natural disasters such as landslides and floods.
Invasive Species
An invasive species is any kind of living organism that is not native to an ecosystem and causes harm.
Invasive species usually spread through human activity when we transport ourselves and goods across the world. These vessels often carry species native to one area with them, making them an invasive species.
The reason that invasive species grow so fast is because they have no natural predators or controls in the area. The natural wildlife has no defense over the invasive species.
Cogongrass is an Asian plant that arrived in the United States as seeds in packing material. It has now spread all over the Southeast, providing no food value for native wildlife and increasing the likelihood of wildfire as it burns faster than the native species.
You can reduce the spread of invasive species by removing any invasive plant species you see (but be aware that they are difficult to get rid of) and planting native plants in its place.
Pollution
There are three major types of pollution: air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution.
Although pollution is the most dense in urban areas, pollutants have been found in areas uninhabited by humans. Pesticides and other chemicals have been found in Antarctic ice sheets.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing over 2 million animals to die. Oil spills are a major source of pollution.
Trash incinerators seem helpful because they reduce land pollution, but they also increase air pollution because of the toxic chemicals that are released into the air when the trash is burned.
Natural Disasters
A natural disaster is defined by the UN as: “the consequences of events triggered by natural hazards that overwhelm local response capacity and seriously affect the social and economic development of a region.”
There are currently around 400 natural disasters that occur every year. This is worrisome because it is double the number from 20 years ago.
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The increase of extremes will lead to an increase in droughts, heatwaves, and forest fires, which are all detrimental to the environment.
Natural disasters aren't just destroying environments, they are killing an average of 115 people each day.