Caring for Wildlife in Communities (CWICNET)

The problem

Populations of animals mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, have declined by 58% between 1970 and 2012.  And we’re seeing the largest drop in freshwater species: on average a huge 81% decline in that time period. WWF estimates that by 2020 the number of vertebrate animals will be only a third of what it was in 1970.  

This loss is down to the increasing use of natural resources in high-income countries, which is measured by the amount of carbon they are releasing into the atmosphere.  Atmospheric carbon dioxide  has risen to levels not seen in more than a million years, triggering climate change that is already destabilising ecosystems. In addition, high concentrations of reactive nitrogen are degrading lands, rivers and oceans. Nitrogen dioxide is part of a group of gaseous air pollutants produced as a result of road traffic and other fossil fuel combustion processes. Its presence in air contributes to the formation and modification of other air pollutants, such as ozone and particulate matter, and to acid rain.

The solution

We all live together on a planet with limited resources and its time we started acting within those limits.  To achieve globally sustainable development, each country’s per capita ecological footprint must be less than the per capita biocapacity available on the planet, while maintaining a decent standard of living.

1. Move quickly to low impact food and energy production

2. Reduce ecological footprints through responsible consumption.

3. Value Nature as a cornerstone of high level policy and development decisions.

Research with CWICNET

Before you can tackle these issues you will need to develop a better understanding of the threat to endangered species.  These are the problems, causes, potential solutions, and potentially disastrous effects to the world and humanity if animals were to die off and leave leave the world forever. This self-learning WebQuest has been produced for  this purpose