Care2 Update 10/19/2022: Australia announced a zero-extinction target for plants and animals! The 10-year plan aims to conserve 110 threatened species and commits to ensuring that 30% of both land and sea areas are in protected reserves by 2030. This is an amazing first step, but we need to put pressure on the Austrailian government to follow through on this plan! Keep signing and sharing!
We are currently living through a sixth mass extinction event – a massive, permanent loss of animal life. And this one is caused directly by humans. A recent UN report suggested that as many as 1 million species are threatened with extinction. Despite the urgency of this crisis, Australia -- home to somewhere between 7-10% of all biodiversity in the world -- does not even monitor most species, habitats, or threats within its borders, according to a new report from the auditor general.
Sign now to demand that the Australian government start monitoring threatened species so we don't lose them forever!
Australia is home to an amazing array of plants and animals, from iconic kangaroos to cuddly koalas and even Tasmanian devils. Because the country is surrounded by water, the majority of Australian plants and animals evolved in extreme isolation, making it a biodiversity hotspot. In fact, more than 80% of Australian plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to the country and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. This makes the situation in Australia dire -- local species must be protected there because they cannot be conserved anywhere else. But how could a single conservation plan be implemented if the country is not doing anything to track or monitor species rates and the health/stability of their habitats?
It is more important than ever that governments monitor species decline in order to implement conservation programs. The planet is rapidly warming, and with every passing year, temperature and climate records are shattered. This has tremendous impacts on local habitats and species' literal physiology. From birds migration patterns changing to some mammals missing entire mating seasons, the situation is dire. In the past few years alone, Australia has seen apocalyptic wildfire seasons and "unending" floods. All living things are threatened by climate change -- and in order to save species that are at risk, we must monitor and study them.
The lives of millions of animals are at risk if we do not act. We must demand that Australia's government start actually monitoring threatened species so that they can make truly effective conservation plans! Sign the petition now if you agree!
