Jacinta Reid

Australia is killing its native animals! The absence of native animals in Australia is appalling and this is because of the human race. I believe we need to take action quickly on this issue before it gets worse. The top three causes of this are deforestation, climate change and pollution.

 Deforestation is the major cause of habitat loss for many threatened and endangered species. In 2015 WWF conducted more than 80% of deforestation between now and 2030. 177,000 square kilometers of forest are lost each year, and we only have 31% of earth's greenland left while 80% has been destroyed for housing. Deforestation is killing animals in australia. If we think it's okay to destroy native animals' habitats then we need to be responsible for fixing it. Do you still believe deforestation has nothing to do with the lack of animals? Are we prepared to do anything about it? 

The emerging driver of habitat loss is climate change. The earth is 1.1 degrees warmer than what it was in the 1800, rising temps affect vegetation, food sources and access to water. Snow cover has declined by 10% since the 1960’s and sea level is predicted to rise between 26 to 98 cm by 2100. Climate change will become more of an issue as time goes on, if we continue living how we are and using fossil fuels. The poor native animals will have nothing left. Do some research and learn a little something about climate change. Be a part of this change and take action.

Pollution releases chemicals into the air which poisons animals. Studies show that even pets suffer an increased risk of tumors when exposed to polluted air. Over 100,000 sea mammals are killed by pollution each year. Increased number of studies demonstrated that pollutants trigger bizarre behavior in animals. If nothing changes this problem will get bigger and bigger, hence the push for electric cars as a start. Australia is already behind the rest of the world in the push to improve pollution levels. Why do you think this is? Please take a second to think about how you are living and put yourself in the animals shoes. How would you like to be poisoned by pollution? 

There are many things that contribute to the loss of native animals. Deforestation is killing their habitats, climate change is affecting how animals live and pollution is releasing harmful chemicals into the air. If you don’t listen and don't change your ways there will be no native wildlife left in Australia.