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Hunting, habitat loss, livestock grazing, climate change, overpopulation--these are just some of the reasons why our planet is losing species at an alarming rate. And there's one thing all these reasons have in common: Us.
Thanks to Michael Greenwell of Exit Stage Right, I came across the latest International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) "Red List of Threatened Species." The list is broken down by country and here are the top ten with numbers from the past two surveys:
1. Ecuador
Total 2009: 2211
Total 2008: 2208
2. United States
2009: 1203
2008: 1192
3. Malaysia
2009: 1166
2008: 1141
4. Indonesia
2009: 1126
2008: 1087
5. Mexico
2009: 900
2008: 897
6. China
2009: 841
2008: 816
7. Australia
2009: 804
2008: 788
8. Brazil
2009: 769
2008: 738
9. India
2009: 687
2008: 659
10. Philippines
2009: 682
2008: 64
What We Can Do
- Recognize that our eating habits directly impact our eco-system
- Reduce our carbon footprint
- Stand up against hunting
- Educate ourselves about extinction
- Take the (human) overpopulation issue seriously
Video: Focus Earth 2: Everglades Species Fading Away
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