“We have lost one half of the animal population and knowing this is driven by human consumption, this is clearly a call to arms and we must act now” -Mike Barratt, U.S. Astronaut

The increase of economic growth is often a valid indicator of biodiversity loss

(Czech 99)

Industry leads to the decline in biodiversity, often through changing natural habitats

Why maintain biodiversity?

Ecosystems rely on different species to perform different tasks and supply energy at different levels of the food chain.

The plants and microscopic life have an impact on every other part of the food chain.

Malaysian Rubber Industry

Rubber plantations to be classified as forests

In Malaysia, rubber plantations can now be classified as forests under the UN Food and Agriculture Organization

(Phnom 1)

Deforestation in Indonesia

Indonesia contributes to much of the deforestation across Southeast Asia with the development of palm oil plantations.

Rain-forests are often cleared and sometimes burned to build palm oil plantations

("Palm Oil & Forest Conversion")

"The tropical rain forest is one thousand times more biologically complex than the tropical reef system, the second most complex system on Earth, with one million times greater biodiversity than our own ecosystem here." - Mike Robinson, Director of the U.S. National Zoo

East Siberia-Pacific Ocean Pipeline

Rerouting the pipeline to protect endangered wildlife

In 2007 the World Wildlife Foundation convinced the Russian Government to reroute the planned oil pipeline that threatened the leopard's habitat

(Bonello 1)

Perevoznaya Bay was considered as a pumping station and is also home to Siberian Tigers and Amur Leopards

(Bonello 1)

The pipeline shows that there are ways in which industry can develop and have minimal impact on the surrounding wildlife.

“AVOIDING THE KIND OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION THAT COULD HAVE PUSHED [THE AMUR LEOPARD] INTO EXTINCTION.” -EVGENY SHVARTS, WWF DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION POLICY IN RUSSIA

The Cost

Many people believe that the expense of changing the growth of industries in order to save wildlife is too high

It has been estimated that the cost of protecting threatened land animals could approach $76 million

(Marshall 1)

Many times the cost of adjusting business practices is also an inhibitor of change

However, the cost of losing species on the environment the cost that companies and the government face in order to preserve wildlife

Many species provide "ecosystem services" which contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem and performs functions necessary for human life

The Solution

Consumers hold the power to change the ways of big business

In a capitalistic society consumers control what businesses produce.

Businesses must work to ensure consumers chose their product over others