Can hope save the planet? An endangered parrot that is beating the odds can help us find out | Helen Pilcher
The article discusses the latest Living Planet Report, which highlights both the ongoing decline in global biodiversity and signs of progress in conservation and renewable energy. The author explores the tension between reporting on environmental crises and maintaining a sense of hope without resorting to empty optimism.
Why it matters
It provides a balanced perspective on the state of the planet, emphasizing that while ecosystems are under severe pressure, targeted conservation efforts and energy transitions are yielding measurable results.
New Zealand’s kākāpō, which was once close to extinction. New Zealand’s kākāpō, which was once close to extinction. Opinion Wildlife Can hope save the planet? An endangered parrot that is beating the odds can help us find out Helen Pilcher A new global biodiversity report strikes an encouraging note. But we cannot rest on our laurels – and resilience is key
The new Living Planet Report is out . Published every two years, it assesses the health of the natural world and, historically, it’s made for gloomy reading.
Take 2024’s report , which showed global wildlife populations had plummeted by 73% in 50 years and that ecosystems were being pushed toward collapse.
After reading it, I retired to a dark room and drank gin, but every time I popped my head out, there was more bad news: heatwaves , floods , wildfires and mass coral bleaching .
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