10/06/2014
Earth Has Lost Half Its Vertebrate Wildlife Since 1970: WWF
According to a new "Living Planet" study published by the World Wide Fund for Nature, the populations of Earth's vertebrates — mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and birds — have declined by 52 percent since 1970. Also, nations such as Qatar and the U.S. are consuming large amounts of the planet's resources. If everyone on Earth consumed as much as the average person in Qatar, the WWF says we would need 4.8 planets. If it were the U.S, we'd need 3.9 planets.
■Class discussion: Does the loss of half the world's wildlife concern you? Why or why not? What are the major reasons for the dramatic loss? Does the continued loss of animal species threaten our own future? Can we continue to live as we are without using up all of the Earth's resources? What would changing our lifestyles do to the economy? Do you think political leaders are doing enough to deal with environmental threats? Do business interests block action on the environment?