The World Conservation Union declared last week that 16,000 species, including polar bears and hippos, are in danger of becoming extinct. Compared to their last estimate in 2004, which had 15,500 species on their red list, this new list shows that the loss of biodiversity is steadily increasing. The list includes one in three amphibians, one in four mammals, one in four coniferous trees, and one in eight birds. In reality, the number of species which face extinction is likely to be much higher since we’re only aware of the existence of 8.3 percent of the world’s species.

This mass extinction is, of course, contributed to the direct and indirect actions of human beings. 30 percent of the polar bear population is expected to vanish within the next 45 years due to global warming, while the hippo population has plummeted a shocking 95 percent due to the ivory and meat trade. In the Mediterranean more than half of the native fish population faces extinction.”Reversing this trend is possible, as numerous conservation success stories have proven,” said Achim Steiner, the conservation group’s director general . “Biodiversity cannot be saved by environmentalists alone — it must become the responsibility of everyone with the power and resources to act”.

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