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Environmental Challenges and Groups Essay

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Environmental Issues

Food Insecurity

The problem of food security is becoming more crucial as the Earth’s population continues to grow. According to Greenpeace, our planet can support roughly about 10 billion people if eating habits remain the same. Additionally, there appear to be issued with crop yields getting negatively affected due to climate change.

According to Habel et al., particular crops are highly dependent upon the climate, and their yields are expected to go down in the drier parts of Africa (1536). Food shortage is already a significant problem in 51 countries where about 74 million people face food insecurity (Greenpeace). The situation is expected to deteriorate, and measures have to be introduced to prevent the possible adverse effects the problem may produce. At the same time, proposed actions have to be carefully evaluated, as addressing food insecurity may influence other environmental matters.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity has become a crucial problem due to a number of reasons. Due to food insecurities and people’s eating habits, more land is used for pastures and growing food for livestock (Greenpeace). Additionally, air and water pollution destroys the habitat of many species that play vital roles in the Earth’s health. For instance, Giant Pandas are crucial for some of the Chinese forests’ sustainability (World Wildlife Fund).

However, the construction of new roads, railroads, and housing lead to forest fragmentation that prevents pandas from mating (World Wildlife Fund). Without giant pandas, the forests may be in danger, which may, in turn, lead to more air pollution and oxygen shortage. Therefore, biodiversity is an issue that has to be systematically addressed to preserve life on our planet.

Environmental Groups

Greenpeace

Greenpeace is a worldwide environmental group that is famous for its scandalous interventions and ambitious projects. The group was chosen for analysis due to its holistic approach to environmental issues as an objective factor, and its fascinating reputation, as a subjective one. The group was organized in 1971, and since then, it has been using non-violent, creative action to pave the way towards a greener and more peaceful world (Greenpeace).

The organization unites volunteers from around the globe who sometimes risk their lives to defend nature. The primary areas for its actions are energy revolution, protecting and restoring forests and oceans, food insecurity, and consumption. Even though their projects are ambitious, they are often successful due to extensive experience and worldwide support.

Greenpeace offers ways of addressing both food insecurity and biodiversity issues through simple and comprehensible methods. The organization states that one of the primary reasons for food shortage and reduction in biodiversity is the incorrect dieting of modern people (Greenpeace). Due to people eating too much meat and other animal products, many natural habitats are destroyed to turn them into pastures or fields for growing food for the livestock.

According to Greenpeace, more land is needed to feed people with meat than to feed them with plants. Therefore, the organization spreads knowledge about the matter of encouraging more people to turn to plant-based diets. I believe it is the most effective solution, as it can be easily implemented in every household by reducing animal product consumption. According to Lacour et al., a 35% reduction in meat consumption can lead to “a 24% decrease in diet-related land use” (7). This solution will free up land for addressing food insecurity and protecting wildlife.

World Wildlife Fund

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is an influential international group that is most famous for its efforts to protect biodiversity. The organization was selected as it is iconic for its programs to preserve wildlife around the globe and has made considerable improvements in the matter. It was established in 1961 as a fundraising organization that was designed to work in collaboration with existing conservation groups and provide significant financial support on a worldwide scale (World Wildlife Fund).

Since its emergence, it grew into a separate environmental group with its own projects, partners, and experts. The organization has “evolved from saving species and landscapes to addressing the larger global threats and forces that impact them” (World Wildlife Fund). Today it works in six key preservation areas: forests, marine, freshwater, wildlife, food, and climate.

While WWF’s projects are diverse, the most outstanding results are achieved in the sphere of biodiversity. WWF’s central belief is that the primary problem with wildlife preservation is insufficient education about the adverse effects of environmental crimes, such as hunting for ivory and animal skin.

Additionally, they fight to locate, report and close down black markets that facilitate the trade of illegal products. For instance, the organization was successful in closing down ivory markets in Asia, as more than 20,000 elephants are killed every year for their tusks (World Wildlife Fund).

I believe that the most effective approach to preserving biodiversity proposed by the organization is spreading the knowledge and empowering regular citizens to fight against environmental crimes. WWF has created a large network that any person can contact and report anything they consider threatening to the ecosystem. Everyone can participate by staying on guard and understanding their personal responsibility for the Earth’s well-being.

Works Cited

Greenpeace International. Greenpeace, Web.

Habel, Jan Christian et al. “Real-World Complexity of Food Security and Biodiversity Conservation.” Biodiversity and Conservation, vol. 24, no. 6, 2015, pp. 1531-1539. Springer Nature, Web.

Lacour, Camille et al. “Environmental Impacts of Plant-Based Diets: How Does Organic Food Consumption Contribute to Environmental Sustainability?” Frontiers in Nutrition, vol. 5, 2018. Frontiers Media SA, Web.

World Wildlife Fund. WWF, www.worldwildlife.org. Accessed 11 Apr. 2019.

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