New Report Finds that Humanity Has Wiped Out 60 Percent of All Animal Life Since 1970

Wildlife experts are deeply concerned about the future of animal life and the world as a whole.

According to The Guardian, the “Our Living Planet Report 2018” from the World Wildlife Federation claims that humanity is responsible for a 60 percent decline in all animal populations — including birds, fish, mammals and reptiles — since 1970.

The 59 scientists who contributed to the study found that the increasing number of humans and their consumption of food and resources is wreaking havoc on the “web of life” created over Earth’s history, and that by tampering with this balance, the world’s clean air, water and more are being affected negatively, too.

“We are sleepwalking towards the edge of a cliff,” Mike Barrett, executive director of science and conservation at WWF, told The Guardian. “If there was a 60 percent decline in the human population, that would be equivalent to emptying North America, South America, Africa, Europe, China and Oceania. That is the scale of what we have done.”

The biggest factors contributing to the demise of our life support system, according to the report, are the destruction of natural habitats, killing for food and chemical pollution.

While conservation efforts are helping some species, the scientists involved believe it will take worldwide commitment to using sustainable resources and consumption methods only to give the Earth a chance to come back from this loss.

To continue reading: https://people.com/pets/report-humanity-killing-animals-wwf/