"More than half the world’s animals are gone, and humans are to blame."

Eastern Chipmunk                      Watercolour Painting

"More than half the world’s animals are gone, and humans are to blame."

A report on the state of the world's wildlife was issued by the World Wildlife Fund. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/living-plant-wwf-2018-1.4882819

Thus read the headline of my morning news delivered to my digital mailbox by the CBC. A similar headline was found in the BBC news.

News? Not for me. I've been out there for a couple of decades, quite possibly more, talking to the wind it seems, pointing out that the dominos were/are falling, but few seem to have taken heed.


It must be frustrating for the World Wildlife Fund after sounding the alarm for going on 50 years, to realize that the majority have not gotten the message, and have continued the destruction, albeit unintentional, of habitat leading to wildlife destruction. I use the word unintentional referring to the general population, as I believe that industry leaders in many parts of the world really don't give a fig about the destruction of our natural world, and are only concerned about the almighty dollar.


It's true that we are saving a patchwork of green-space, but these are mostly parks for people, a few acres to relieve the monotony of concrete and asphalt that are mostly ignored by younger persons, much more interested in pursuing excitement through digital experiences.  These places are not constructed, nor saved for wildlife, other than species that have adapted to a human experience, species that are often viewed as a nuisance, such as raccoons, coyotes, rats, starlings, etc.
Some would say that the green spaces are good for birds, but you have to ask yourself just how many nesting birds can a few acres support? The answer, of course, is not too many, and then by concentrating nesting birds in a small area predation is increased. It's a lose, lose, situation for bird species.

As an avid birdwatcher I've noticed species decline as habitat is terraformed to suit humanity. I've seen Barn Swallows, for that matter Swallows in general, almost disappear. Waterfowl that in the springtime once visited local marshes in the thousands reduced to a trickle. Insects are threatened, something that wouldn't concern the majority of the population, but the thing of it is that if there are no insects then bird populations suffer; no insects fewer bird species. As a matter of fact, in our neck of the woods the absence of insects was made obvious by the complete lack of squashed insects on the windshield of our vehicles this past summer. 

Will we wake up in time to realize that, as the cartoon character Pogo once pointed out, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."? I think not. Most people, the bulk of the world's population, are more concerned about simply surviving. Whether you live in a have, or have not, country everyone is still concerned about putting food on the table, and keeping a roof over one's head. Saving wildlife is low on most everyone's list, and if you live on the fringes of the city of Toronto in Canada you only have to look at the population growth in the last decade, and urban sprawl spreading in all directions like a cancer to appreciate what I'm saying.

Can we turn things around? Frankly, I don't believe so. The problem is enormous compounded by the fact that trying to get the diverse cultures of our world to agree to a course of action is not at all likely. As I see it animal species will continue to go extinct, and in time all that will remain will be remnant wildlife populations kept in zoos. Of course, there's always the possibility that Nature will take a hand in things, and we, as a species, will disappear first............

Barn Swallows         Graphite Drawing with Watercolour Background