The WWF has said that biodiversity has decreased by a quarter over the past 35 years.
Habitat destruction and wildlife trade are the major causes of population decline in species. Over the next 30 years climate change will be an increasingly important factor affecting species.
“While nature continues to decline, WWF research from 2006 concluded that we are now globally consuming about 25% more natural resources than the planet can replace in each year. In the UK alone, we are generating carbon emissions and consuming natural resources at such a rate that we would need three planets to support us. WWF believes this highlights the need for us all to move to a one planet future.”
http://www.wwf.org.uk/news/n_0000005089.asp
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/05/16/eabioloss116.xml
And an interesting debate is raging here too:
