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Kudos to the human race for being sooo thoughtful about our environment (insert sarcasm here). Seriously, it's like determining our own fate (a.k.a. SUICIDE!!!) and we don't even know it; let alone care about it. We just go about our daily lives wasting 
the natural resources that are there for us and just take them for granted. It disgusts me...
the natural resources that are there for us and just take them for granted. It disgusts me...We live in cities and urban areas. We need this to cope with everyday life. We have adapted to our environment so it can meet our needs. But what about the needs of our very own Mother Nature? What about all the other creatures that live on this Earth? Are we that selfish? The Nature Conservancy and Harvard University (that's right... the Harvard University) released a study that urban growth has been a very dangerous factor to our environment. In 2007, the United Nations revealed that 50% of the entire population on Earth live in cities. That 50% will go up to about 60% around the year 2030. That means TWO BILLION new city residents; coming in from rural areas. According to the study, humans are building cities the size of Vancouver every week!!! I think one Vancouver is enough.
Robert Kareiva (the chief scientist of the Nature Conservancy) and Robert McDonald (the study's lead author) have created possible scenarios in the year 2030 if our rate or urbanization continues at this rate:
1) Natural areas are most affected by urbanization. They harbour the most indigenous species of the world. The Wimmer's Shrew is one example of these species. It resides in Côte d'Ivoire, on the west coast of Africa. It is very unlikely that it would survive because of the expansion Abidjan (the largest city in the nation). Poor shrew...
2) Would you believe me if I said that 8% of vertebrae species are now considered endangered because of urbanization? And that this number may continue to grow because of urban growth and expansion? You probably wouldn't. Pity. Denial is bad.
3) Right now, there are protected areas where our natural resources are under watch. In Eastern Asia, the average distance between a city and a protected area will be 14 miles in 2030 as opposed to 27 miles in 1995. The numbers don't lie.
Oh, joy. Look at how much land we've urbanized. (And this is only in the U.S.)
Click for better quality.
Here's a very interesting quote that we need to take in. Robert McDonald said:
FINAL THOUGHTS:
If it hasn't occurred to you yet, I am kind of despising what the human race is doing. I mean, this is our only planet. The only one where we can actually survive in. We need to take care of it. But noooo... We just choose to live on and destroy everything in our way to make our environment the way we want it to be, to meet our needs. Sure, we are doing something, but only some of us are. In order to make change, EVERYBODY needs to do everything they can in order to reverse the damage we have done. Whether it be donating money, volunteering, or simply spreading the word, everyone needs to be proactive and save mother nature. Not only for us, but all the living creatures that share the Earth with us. This is our home and we need to protect what shelters us.
With that, I bid you goodbye. PEACE OUT!
Robert Kareiva (the chief scientist of the Nature Conservancy) and Robert McDonald (the study's lead author) have created possible scenarios in the year 2030 if our rate or urbanization continues at this rate:
1) Natural areas are most affected by urbanization. They harbour the most indigenous species of the world. The Wimmer's Shrew is one example of these species. It resides in Côte d'Ivoire, on the west coast of Africa. It is very unlikely that it would survive because of the expansion Abidjan (the largest city in the nation). Poor shrew...
2) Would you believe me if I said that 8% of vertebrae species are now considered endangered because of urbanization? And that this number may continue to grow because of urban growth and expansion? You probably wouldn't. Pity. Denial is bad.
3) Right now, there are protected areas where our natural resources are under watch. In Eastern Asia, the average distance between a city and a protected area will be 14 miles in 2030 as opposed to 27 miles in 1995. The numbers don't lie.
Oh, joy. Look at how much land we've urbanized. (And this is only in the U.S.)
Click for better quality.
Here's a very interesting quote that we need to take in. Robert McDonald said:
"While we found the effects of urbanization to be localized, cumulatively, they pose a big threat to biodiversity. Our urban footprint covers much of the globe and is coming closer to stomping out many endangered species and posing new risks to protected areas and parks."
FINAL THOUGHTS:
If it hasn't occurred to you yet, I am kind of despising what the human race is doing. I mean, this is our only planet. The only one where we can actually survive in. We need to take care of it. But noooo... We just choose to live on and destroy everything in our way to make our environment the way we want it to be, to meet our needs. Sure, we are doing something, but only some of us are. In order to make change, EVERYBODY needs to do everything they can in order to reverse the damage we have done. Whether it be donating money, volunteering, or simply spreading the word, everyone needs to be proactive and save mother nature. Not only for us, but all the living creatures that share the Earth with us. This is our home and we need to protect what shelters us.
With that, I bid you goodbye. PEACE OUT!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610182856.htm
"Trends in Urbanization, by Region" picture provided by: http://filipspagnoli.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/urbanization-region.jpg
"Acres of Land Converted to Urban Use by Central Valley Subregion" picture provided by:
http://www.greatvalley.org/indicators/images/environment/report05/urbanization_subregion.gif
