On one hand, we have known for many, many years that we are
driving the planet to the very brink. This is not a doom and gloom
story; it is reality. The astonishing decline in wildlife populations
shown by the latest Living Planet Index – a 60% fall in just over
40 years – is a grim reminder and perhaps the ultimate indicator
of the pressure we exert on the planet.

In a recent paper, researchers writing in the journal Nature analysed
the most prevalent threats facing more than 8,500 threatened or
near-threatened species on the IUCN Red List (explored in detail in
Chapter 3) 1. They found that the key drivers of biodiversity decline
remain overexploitation and agriculture. Indeed, of all the plant,
amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal species that have gone extinct
since AD 1500, 75% were harmed by overexploitation or agricultural
activity or both.
Beyond overexploitation and agriculture, invasive species are
another frequent threat, their spread relying heavily on traderelated activities such as shipping. Pollution and disturbance, for
example through agricultural pollution, dams, fires and mining, are
additional sources of pressure

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