The Union of Concerned Scientists advice for policymakers

MESSAGES FOR POLICYMAKERS AND THE MEDIA

            The world's biodiversity encompasses the vast array of genes, species, and ecosystems that sustain and give meaning to human life. Clean air, uncontaminated water, healthy crops—all of these depend on the diversity and maintenance of our biological resources.


            Human activities are now affecting species of all types and habitats, at all points of the globe, and pushing many toward extinction


            According to best estimates, extinction rates during the past century range between 100 and 1000 times faster than the background rate of species extinction.


            The bulk of evidence suggests that human population growth is an important underlying cause of biodiversity loss.


            The growth of our species' numbers is tightly coupled to rising demand for food and shelter. Increasing the supply of these essentials affects biodiversity.


            Much of current rapid human population growth is occurring in the vicinity of some of the world's biologically richest yet most vulnerable habitats.


            According to the most recent projections, by the end of the 21st century human population could reach as high as 16 billion or as low as 5.5 billion. Where our numbers end up in this range could make a critical difference to the prospects for conserving the remainder of the world's biological diversity.


            Among global trends affecting biodiversity, the most hopeful is the recent slowing of human population growth. Stabilization of human numbers, a possibility within the next forty years, would dramatically improve the prospects for saving wild species and the ecosystems in which they live and evolve.

                        The United States made a commitment at the United Nations Population Conference in Cairo in 1994 to support international family planning efforts. The United States should re-establish a leadership role in family planning funding and set an example for both donor and recipient countries.

For full article: http://www.ucsusa.org/ssi/biodiversity/population-and-environment-series/population-biodiversity.html

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