Arctic Fox, Quiver Tree and Staghorn Corals Share Common Plight

 

What do the Arctic Fox, the Quiver Tree and Staghorn Corals have in common? They share the unfortunate distinction of facing extinction due to the results of climate change.

They are among a group of 10 species on the "Red List" which is maintained by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are joined by the leatherback turtle, koala, beluga whale, clownfish emperor penguin, ringed seal and the salmon. These 10 species are not alone.

It is estimated that plant and animal species around the world are disappearing at an alarming rate – and most fingers are now pointing to human induced climate change as the primary catalyst. These 10 species have become the “poster children” in the fight to maintain biodiversity as part of a healthy and viable planet. They are symbols of decades of both failed and successful efforts to rein in rapidly accelerating damages to our ecosystems due to industrialization and population increases.

In recognition of the continuing biological crisis on our planet and the need for global cooperation, commitment and action, the United Nations has designated 2010 as “The International Year of Biodiversity”.

Throughout the year countless initiatives will be organized to disseminate information, promote the protection of biodiversity and encourage organizations, institutions, companies and individuals to take direct action to reduce the constant loss of biological diversity worldwide. The celebrations for the International Year of Biodiversity are led by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Countdown 2010 is a partner of the CBD for the IYB.

In only a few years of activity, Countdown 2010 has been able to mobilize an increasing number of actors ranging from local authorities and businesses to civil society organizations. With a powerful network of nearly 1,000 partners, Countdown 2010 is one of the leading initiatives mobilizing action for the 2010 Target.

Through its wide and well-established network, Countdown 2010 will be a key global actor for IYB in Europe and around the world. Countdown 2010 and its partners will provide one of the main information channels and will be a major vehicle for reaching target groups worldwide.

2010 is poised to be a major milestone for Biodiversity and the viable future of our planet. It’s a time for assessment of initiatives that worked and those that haven’t. It’s an opportunity for each of us to get involved, get even more involved, to speak up, to take action and to make a difference.

Our future as a species is as much at stake as any – we are all linked to each other by the delicate web of life and it is our responsibility to ourselves, our children and our fellow inhabitants on this increasingly smaller planet to stop the spiral of species and habitat loss. Act now. Visit the links below to see what you can do locally and globally. Add your energy to the spirit of 2010. Be one of the "People Making a Difference"!

Convention on Biological Diversity: http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/

IUCN: http://iucn.org/iyb/

Countdown 2010: http://www.countdown2010.net/