Biodiversity is becoming the new IT topic. In India, people are talking about the green covers of Hyderabad and Mumbai. Globally Colossus is “bringing back” long extinct animals. But when there is so much conversation about biodiversity, biodiversity loss, and conservation, there is ultimately the one question that comes to me.
What can I do- as an individual do- to combat biodiversity loss? And while there is much from donating to conservation efforts to becoming a wildlife researcher or even joining programs where people volunteer to protect biodiversity, I was thinking more on what I can do in my almost everyday life to help keep species alive.
And so, I turned to my Sustainability Studies Masters books to understand what are the primary causes of biodiversity loss, what scholars and my opinions say about we can do- other than respect sacred forests, follow the rules of protected areas, support national parks, and look forward to ex-situ efforts in labs etc.
What are the causes of biodiversity loss and what an individual can do against each
While the exact causes differ from region to region, humans and biodiversity have been at odds for a while, according to Hannah Ritchie, PhD. We cleared forests for land, we hunted down predators, and we are contributing towards climate change.
While developed nations stand to reap the benefits of biodiversity conservation, developing nations struggle to meet sustainable development for they need land for food and construction but also need to protect biodiversity services like medical herbs, culture preservation.
So striking that balance becomes more important, a part of which is making biodiversity conservation economically profitable, as suggested by Climate Journalist newswithnavya. Yet, despite the need to keep individual and your countries goals and be realistic about what can be achieved, below are some ways to combat few of the biggest drives of biodiversity loss. Because we must push for sustainable development as much as viable and endeavor to increase that viability.
-habitat fragmentation
Habitat is the place where an animal or plant or fungus or any other species lives. When human beings clear lands, usually forests, for agriculture or construction or natural calamities like wildfires happen, this habit is threatened or even destroyed or repurposed for human activities. And this causes the animals and plants there to loss their homes, which leads to their deaths and displacement which in turn can threaten other eco-systems.
As such one of the best ways to ensure biodiversity is protected, especially in ecologically sensitive regions or in biodiversity hotspots is to advocate for sustainable development, take action such as protests and signing petition when safe and legal against felling of trees and clearing of natural ecosystems, support farming which keeps forests intact or works alongside the natural ecosystems, advocate for fertilizers and pesticides which keep pollinator populations safe and are good for soil and water health, and try to maximize the amount of food we can get from a lesser amount of land. The last one is suggested by Hannah Ritchie, PhD, in her book Not the End of the World.
But what does this mean for you?
One action you can take is switch to a seasonal diet and if possible, add more plant-based items in your diet. Go for low-impact food when possible, instead of just focusing on local and organic.
Many governments give you the chance to send your thoughts on particular developments and if possible, learn about the ecological impacts and say your piece or raise awareness. For example, Mangroves can help battle soil erosion and flood, and cutting or relocating them can increase a city’s chances of not being able to hold back floods.
Another action that can be taken is to support development and agriculture which is using land that is already open instead of upsetting new ecosystems. Agriculture that listens to the wisdom of people who have lived on that land is also important as they know how to get services from forests that are economically viable without disrupting the balance.
And as always, educate yourself when possible, about the ecosystems near you. This can range from supporting regenerative farms to not buying from monocultures or even knowing native species in your species and ensure your society plants those in the society garden.
One way I do this is by printing my books on recycled paper as far as possible to ensure new trees don’t need to be cut. Another way I do this is buy thrifting as much as I can, so no new resources are needed and when I do buy new clothes, for example, I tend to go for sustainably sourced certified materials like linen. But I am not perfect and I recently let someone gift me cotton that was locally made…so there’s that.
Another reason why habitat fragmentation is so destructive is that it increases human-animal conflicts by putting them in our way. For example, if a forest is cleared animals might enter cities or nearby farms. While farmers have to protect their families and crops, if possible, help these animals get rescued by contacting local NGOs that work with such animals.
– over hunting
Yet another reason for biodiversity loss is excessive human activity like over-hunting, over-grazing, poaching etc. Hence, know which species are protected and do not become part of those illegal trades. Moreover, know where your everyday items come from. For example, “natural” sandalwood might seem more sustainable but overconsumption of this in beauty products has led to Indian sandalwood trees being labelled endangered.
Hence, instead of jumping on trends or falling for misleading marketing, get items that genuinely add vale to your life, reduce waste, and know when to opt for natural, what is less impactful when made in a lab (like essential oils), and what’s better organic and what is better when farmed conventionally. While this might sound like a lot of research and it is, if done as a community, you can eventually reach products which are genuinely low-impact.
Zoobop is a good place to start for personal care products, even if they focus unnecessarily on organic and clean trends, but sometimes at least organic can be better for the environment.
There is a reason underconsumption core, not denial core, but underconsumption core is good for the wallet and the planet.
– invasive species
Another big factor that destroys ecosystems and biodiversity is invasive species. What is that? Well, it is when one species which did not belong in an ecosystem somehow landed up there and disrupted the entire balance. Sometimes, a species can fit into or adapt to a new environment, other times it makes the whole thing go arse over teakettle. And climate change and human littering as well as our habit of getting “exotic” animals to where they don’t belong all play a part in this.
What can you do?
We can be part of our local cleanup projects to ensure there is no litter on which wildlife can choke or worse, use as a means to get from one ecosystem to another. Aka, do not litter in forests or natural trails when you go visit, especially non-biodegradable waste.
Even at home, dispose of your waste in a responsible manner. Segregate your waste, make sure plastic is used for a long-time and then sent for repurposing or disposed of safely, ensure your pads, diapers etc. aren’t ingested by animals, ensure that you have not littered on the beach etc. etc. For pads, I suggest PadCare. And of course when possible switch to low-impact alternatives.
These might seem small but beach cleanups do have an impact, even if it is not the biggest. But that leads to another thing.
While doing what we can is important, if we have a limited capacity, ensuring that we do what has the most impact as much as possible- both on a personal and planetary level- is important. Replacing light bulbs is not as impactful as one less flight, for instance as mentioned in Not the End of the World. And also you can do all the high-impact actions but unless you feel you’ve done something meaningful, you won’t feel motivated to show up everyday. Whether that means tracking your actions in our low-impact life planner, or sharing them with people, or just doing some actions which are high-impact and also have measurable or visible results, depends on you.
And this finally leads us to the last point I will touch on in terms on what causes biodiversity loss.
– climate change
Now look, climate change is causing biodiversity loss in different regions at different rates.
As mentioned, there is the idea that developing nations need more land and energy and it is injustice to tell them to give up on better lifestyles but we also need to reduce fossil fuel usage now, achieve food security and sovereignty on less land, protect ecological balance, have fresh water, and more.
Aka, we need sustainable lifestyles, sustainable development, and systemic change.
While there is a lot of discourse on whether low-impact lifestyles or underconsumption or eco-minimalism or voting with your wallet or eco-socialism or green capitalism or solar punk or green socialism is the way to go, this is a huge topic.
What you can do to combat climate change ranges from reducing your waste or consumption, looking at the lifecycles of products, reducing plastic but also knowing when it is the better option, spreading awareness, cleaning up nature, voting for better leaders, and so much more. One of the biggest ways is reducing food waste without using lingo that leads to eating disorders. Others say composting and bioenzyme making is great. And many disagree and agree on the voting with your wallet side of the solution.
Essentially, combating climate change will require everyone to show up however they can in a healthy manner with their unique solutions, which also means we have to let others be on their own journey while also sharing ours.
I share such solutions on my socials such as my YouTube channel for urban Indians. So do many others.
And there are international sustainability enthusiasts too whose efforts and research you can see to understand what you can do, such as ClimateAdam.
The trick is knowing when your being given false information and that is why I feel that one of the biggest weapons we have against climate change is education and changing our lifestyles to be more eco-friendly and socially ethical. To see how I try to do that, you can check out some of my blogs and videos!
And don’t forget to comment and tell me which is your favourite animal in the wild!
