I have been watching both Our Planet (Netflix) and Seven Worlds, One Planet (BBC). Both are narrated by David Attenborough and seem to share some footage, but they are bother magnificent examples of nature documentaries. This is what large HD TVs were designed for. I will never get to most of these places, but I can experience nature from around the world in close-up in my living room.
I have swum on the Great Barrier Reef and seen humpback whales off the Australian coast, but it is not viable for everyone to jet around the world.
Both series have highlighted the damage humans are doing. Habitats are changing as the climate warms and animals cannot adjust. There are also direct effects through forest clearance, water usage and exploitation of rare species. The latter is especially tragic as it is often for things we do not even need.
We do not need elephant ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales or dried seahorses. In some cases there are claims that these things have magical healing properties, but there never seems to be any real evidence for it. I suspect in a lot of case it is those who deal in these things who hype up their qualities to justify their crazy prices. The trade exploits people at the lower levels who may be desperate so others higher up can make massive profits.
It seems some cultures consider having access to rare animal parts a sign of status, but I call bullshit on that. If you need some animal to die so you can feel good then your self-worth must be pretty low. Judge people by how they act, not by what they have.
We are squeezing out wildlife all over the planet. The UK countryside has very little truly natural landscape after millennia of farming, but we could return some to nature if we were less selfish. Rearing animals for food uses up a lot of land. I know some will argue that pasture can be a good habitat, but a lot of animals are fed on processed crops that may involve a lot of chemicals. There are more domesticated large animals around the world than wild ones.
Our impact on this planet is much more than just the climate. We have to make choices about our lifestyles. I am not going to try and force everyone to go vegan. Have a steak now and then, but you do not need meat every single day. If the whole world wants to eat like AMericans and Europeans then we are on the road to oblivion.
I worry about the world my kids will live in and their kids to come.
These are the last two northern white rhinos in the world. It may be possible to breed them artificially, but how has it come to this? How many more species have to die out to satisfy our greed?
Live well.
The geeky guitarist and facilitator of the 10K Minnows Project.
