For millennia, humans, plants and animals have existed together, not in harmony, but in equilibrium. However, animals and plants are dying at an unprecedented rate within human history. Of the 8 million species of life on earth [i], up to 1 million are facing extinction, many within the coming decades [ii]. This current era of extinction loss due to human activity has been named the Anthropocene [iii]. All species are affected, from mammals, birds and fish, to insects, plants, corals and fungi.

It is easy to believe that this accelerated biodiversity loss is restricted to parts of the world being actively ripped apart, like the Amazon, but over 400 species are at risk of extinction here in the UK [v]. According to the 2019 UK State of Nature report, hedgehog numbers have declined by 95% since the 1950s, and in the same timeframe, the common toad has declined by 68%, and turtle doves by 98% [iv].

These UK species are declining because of the way we humans have treated their environment. Our industry, urbanisation and agriculture have polluted and destroyed wildlife habitats like rivers, hedgerows, woodlands, wetlands, peatlands, wildflower meadows. Pesticides, industrial waste and domestic waste that we have released into our roads, railways, weirs and power lines have poisoned and obstructed species from moving between breeding and feeding grounds. In addition, climate change is affecting the life-cycle and distribution of many species. For instance, since the 1990’s many species of birds, butterflies and moths have moved 18km north each decade, seeking more suitable habitats to live and raise their young [vi].

Creatures are going extinct because of us. As we consume more food, water, land, energy, we deprive other species of their share of resources. Our overconsumption generates waste, pollutes oceans, contaminates land, changes climate and degrades the diminishing resources we have left. The average consumption for a person in North America is almost 4 times larger than that of a person in India, central or eastern Africa. For the UK, the difference is almost 3 times [vii]. As the demand for resources in industrialised nations increases, fewer resources are left for our neighbours in less developed countries, for indigenous peoples, for the vulnerable, poor and other living creatures and plants. As Pope Francis says, our lifestyle choices are a matter of social justice, and can have a huge impact; “in debates on the environment, [we need] to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” [#49].

Loss of wildlife species and habitats affects us too. Time spent outside, exploring, working or relaxing with nature helps both our physical and mental well-being [viii]. We benefit from nature because, as Pope Francis reminds us “our lives are interconnected with it” [#16]. Trees and green spaces reduce heat and pollution in our towns and cities, with a recent study from the USA revealing that neighbourhoods with few trees were more than 10 degrees hotter than other, tree-rich neighbourhoods [ix]. The poor usually live in tree-deprived urban areas, carrying the burden of extra heat and pollution and the increased risk of respiratory disease and hospitalization. The plight of the earth and the plight of the poor are directly and inextricably connected.