No Animals Here On Earth

Earth’s biodiversity, an intricate web of life encompassing millions of plants, animals and microorganisms is constantly trying to survive an unprecedented threat. The culprit? It’s Us.

Over billions of years, this vast tapestry has evolved in delicate balance.

Its strength underpins every ecological process that sustains our planet: pollination, nutrient cycling, climate regulation and soil formation. These are the invisible engines that power human civilization.

Humanity’s Contradictions.

In recent decades, we’ve fundamentally disrupted that balance, often in paradoxical ways:

1.     We condemn the forestry industry, yet we’re seemingly ok to reshape mountain summits to install wind turbines.

2.     We resist relocating wildlife for new dams, then watch floods drown entire habitats.

3.     We vow to cut emissions, but drag our feet on nuclear power and cleaner diesel blends (Australia still largely sells “dirty diesel” rather than B20/B50/B100).

Behind these daily tensions lies a harsher reality: species are vanishing at rates 1,000 to 10,000 times faster than natural background levels.

We’re hurtling toward a mass extinction not seen since the dinosaurs disappeared 66 million years ago.

A Crisis of Our Own Making.

What’s referred as the ‘sixth mass extinction’ differs from past cataclysms. No asteroid or super-volcano’s to blame, it’s all thanks to the choices of just one species: humanity.

As ecosystems collapse, it’s not only wildlife at risk. Our food security, clean water supplies and economic foundations all hang in the balance. Nature isn’t some distant “other.” It is the ground beneath our feet.

From Awareness to Action.

The path forward remains open, but it’s narrowing faster than what we might appreciate. Reversing this unraveling demands more than awareness and it demands:

1.     Urgent, sustained conservation and restoration efforts.

2.     Policy shifts toward genuinely clean energy (including nuclear and advanced biofuels).

3.     A fundamental reimagining of how we share space and resources with other species.

The stakes could not be higher. Yet within this crisis lies an opportunity: to become stewards, not bipedal destroyers and to leave a legacy of care, resilience and repair.

The Mechanics of Accelerated Extinction.

Under natural conditions, species persist for 1–10 million years before disappearing to evolutionary shifts, climate cycles or other factors.

I believe Paleontologists call this the ‘background extinction rate’ and they work this data by analyzing fossil records across hundreds of millions of years. It sets the baseline for understanding how life naturally ebbs and flows on Earth.

The Modern Surge in Species Loss.

Over the past few decades, scientists have measured species disappearances against the background rate and they’ve found a staggering acceleration.

Yes, sadly, today’s extinction rates are 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than would occur without human influence.

This surge spans every major group, from mammals and birds to insects, amphibians and marine life, undermining the resilience of entire ecosystems.

Cascading Effects – Secondary Extinction.

When a single species vanishes, it can trigger a domino effect throughout its ecological network:

·        Keystone loss Removing pollinators or apex predators creates resource gaps.

·        Trophic cascades Herbivore declines ripple upward to predators, collapsing food chains.

·        Genetic bottlenecks Isolated populations weaken, losing diversity and adaptive potential.

These chain reactions accelerate degradation, pushing ecosystems ever closer to collapse.

Habitat Destruction: Fragmenting the Web of Life.

Of all human impacts, habitat loss is the most pervasive and pernicious. Natural landscapes are not only eliminated but carved into ever-smaller patches that many species cannot survive in.

Deforestation:

Forests host roughly 80 percent of terrestrial biodiversity. Yet the Amazon has lost over 17 percent of its original area to logging, agriculture and development. Beyond outright clearing, “edge effects” (wind exposure, temperature swings, invasive species) further degrade remaining fragments.

Wetland Drainage:

Since 1900, more than half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared. These ecosystems function as nurseries, flood buffers and water filters. Draining them for farmland or urban expansion disrupts regional hydrology, imperiling both aquatic and adjacent terrestrial habitats.

Urban Sprawl:

Cities and suburbs slice habitats into isolated islands. Roads and buildings become barriers that block animal migrations, curtail gene flow and heighten local extinction risks—especially for species needing large territories or specialized corridors.

Engineering Resilience:

The mechanics of accelerated extinction lay bare our role in dismantling Earth’s natural defenses. Yet by decoding these processes, we gain the power to intervene. Strategic habitat restoration, wildlife corridors and reformed land-use policies can begin to heal the fractures we’ve created. The blueprint for resilience lies in redesigning our footprint—transforming from disruptors into stewards.

The Pollution Crisis: Contaminating the Foundations of Life.

Our modern industrial society has a rather nasty daily habit of unleashing a flood of pollutants that alter the very chemistry of our air, water and soil.

From plastics and heavy metals to agricultural chemicals and industrial compounds, these contaminants infiltrate ecosystems worldwide, creating new hurdles for wildlife survival and reproduction.

Plastic Pollution: Ubiquitous and Insidious.

Earth’s tiniest invader, ‘microplastics’, now pervade every corner of the planet, from the deepest ocean trenches to alpine glaciers.

Marine creatures confuse plastic fragments for food, suffering internal injuries, reduced feeding efficiency and exposure to toxic additives.

As plastics move up food chains, bio-magnification concentrates these chemicals in apex predators, including us humans and surely it’s only a matter of time that this issue will be more increasingly at dangerous levels.

It’s not as though we don’t already have a solution for chemically recycling of plastics, we do and it’s been around for quite a few years, the Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor (Cat-HTR) process created by Licella. 

We also have Sierra Energy’s FastOx Gasification Process.  The plasti-crude created by CAT-HTR can then become feedstock for manufacturing of new plastics or could be further processed into a clean diesel that could be used to fuel diesel engine driven electricity generation units. 

The synthetic gas produced by the FastOx process could be used on gas fueled engine driven generator units, another couple of ways we can make electricity from rubbish and get rid of the need to displace native flora and fauna to create landfill rubbish operations.

The main point being is that used plastics and just about all of our rubbish nowadays is actually more valuable to us than we realize and burying it in the ground is almost a ridiculous thing to do. 

When it comes to plastics, we are not limited to what’s easily achieved via mechanical recycling techniques.

Chemical Runoff and Water Quality.

Agricultural pesticides and fertilizers wash into rivers and lakes, triggering oxygen-depleted “dead zones” where aquatic life cannot survive.

Heavy metals from mining and industry settle in sediments and accumulate in fish and shellfish and this can cause reproductive failures and developmental defects that reverberate through entire populations and threaten food security.

Global Transport of Contaminants.

Pollution knows no borders. Air currents carry airborne toxins across continents, while ocean currents disseminate plastics and chemicals through marine ecosystems.

Even the most remote “pristine” environments are tainted by pollution sources thousands of miles away, underscoring the need for coordinated international action.

Landfill vs Waste-to-Energy Plants – Missed Opportunities.

Despite mounting evidence of landfill leachates poisoning groundwater and soils, Australia still buries much of its municipal waste.

Over time, rainwater percolates through rubbish layers, dissolving heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and microplastics, then carrying them into aquifers and waterways.

The sad part about all of this is that there is no reason to have these current standard of landfill rubbish operations at all as modern waste-to-energy (WtE) facilities can:

1.     Reduce landfill volume by up to 90%, cutting space needs and associated leachate risks.

2.     Generate reliable baseload power, complementing renewables and easing the energy crisis.

3.     Destroy hazardous compounds at high temperatures, preventing long-term soil and water contamination.

4.     Recover metals and minerals from ash residues for recycling.

By expanding WtE capacity and pairing it with rigorous emission controls, Australia could slash landfill reliance, secure low-carbon energy and stem the tide of soil and groundwater pollution.

From Crisis to Opportunity.

The pollution crisis threatens every foundation of life on Earth. Yet within these challenges lie clear solutions: curbing plastic and chemical discharges, fortifying global pollution treaties and embracing technologies like waste-to-energy.  

We need ‘better thinkers’ in government, or we need politicians to listen to people that already have solutions, rather than continuing on with bland and far too basic policies when it comes to dealing with pollution.

There’s plenty of solutions already in place that can transform humans from harmful contaminators into environmental custodians and safeguard this planet we call home.

Overfishing: Collapsing Marine Stocks.

Huge Industrial fleets of Super Trawlers have harvested roughly one-third of the world’s fish stocks beyond sustainable limits.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, 34% of global fisheries are overfished. This relentless extraction has caused once-productive fishing grounds to collapse, eroding the foundations of marine food webs and jeopardizing food security for billions.

Historical Whaling: Lessons from the Deep.

From the 17th century onward, commercial whaling drove many species to the brink of extinction. In the 20th century alone, hunters killed over three million whales, blue and right whales plunged by more than 90 percent.

Although international bans have allowed some recovery, illegal whaling persists, reminding us how slow and fragile population rebounds can be.

Shark Finning: Apex Predators in Peril.

It’s not enough that we overfish the oceans and thus deplete our oceans of the food that sharks would normally eat.

No, we even go so far as to kill off around 100 million sharks per year and primarily just so a few humans can eat shark fin soup.

Fishermen slice off fins at sea and discard the living bodies. This practice has caused population crashes of over 90 percent among some shark species, undermining marine ecosystem stability (sharks regulate prey numbers and nutrient cycling).

Freshwater Ecosystems: Squeezed and Fragmented.

Nearly one-third of freshwater fish species now face extinction risk. Pressures include:

1.     Overfishing in rivers and lakes.

2.     Dam construction that blocks migration routes.

3.     Water pollution from agriculture and industry.

Between 1970 and 2014, freshwater animal populations fell by an average of 83 percent. Communities reliant on rivers for protein and livelihood bear the brunt of this collapse.

Cascading Impacts on Ecosystem Services.

When we deplete key species, entire ecosystems unravel. Critical services at risk include:

·        Water purification — Fish and invertebrates filter sediments and pollutants.

·        Flood control — Wetlands and floodplain species slow storm surges.

·        Carbon storage — Marine and freshwater organisms sequester carbon in biomass and sediments.

Losing these services not only imperils wildlife but also heightens human vulnerability to climate extremes, water scarcity and food shortages.

From Overexploitation to Sustainable Stewardship.

Reversing centuries of unchecked harvesting requires:

1.     Enforcing catch limits and no-take zones in both marine and freshwater systems.

2.     Banning destructive gear (like bottom trawls and gillnets).

3.     Supporting community-led resource management and alternative livelihoods.

4.     Investing in habitat restoration—reefs, rivers, floodplains and mangroves.

By shifting from exploitation to stewardship, we can rebuild populations, restore ecosystem services and secure natural bounty for future generations.

Drastic Dietary Shift: Halting Seafood Consumption.

Ending mass overfishing may require one of our most radical moves yet, simply stop eating fish and other wild-caught marine species.

If global demand for wild seafood fell to zero and remained flat, ocean ecosystems could begin a long-overdue recovery.

1.     Rebound Timelines: Studies show heavily fished populations can regain 90% of their former biomass in as little as 10–15 years once fishing pressure ceases. Cessation unlocks spawning stock recovery, genetic diversity rebuilds, and ecosystem functions restore naturally.

2.     Alternative Protein Pathways:  Plant-based and lab-grown ‘seafood’ products are maturing in taste and affordability. Aquaculture of seaweed and bivalves (oysters, mussels) offers low-impact nutrition without depleting wild stocks.

3.     Repurposing Supertrawlers: the leviathans of industrial fishing could be converted to:

·         Ocean cleanup vessels, skimming plastics and ghost nets.

·         Marine research platforms, monitoring biodiversity and carbon uptake.

·         Renewable-energy support ships, servicing offshore wind and wave farms.

Social and Economic Considerations:

Coastal communities reliant on fishing need transition plans: job retraining, investment in sustainable aquaculture, eco-tourism.

Consumer education campaigns and policy incentives (tax credits, subsidies for plant-based seafood) can accelerate change.

Quick Fact: After Palau banned foreign fishing and reduced domestic catch, some reef fish populations surged by over 20% within five years, boosting local food security and tourism.

Do Something Versus Do Nothing.

We can’t wait for perfect solutions to be delivered to our front doors.

Turning our backs on wild seafood today isn’t easy, but it may be the fastest route to healthier oceans.

Let’s Begin by:

1.     Phasing out wild-caught fish in your diet.

2.     Choosing certified sustainable aquaculture or plant-based alternatives.

3.     Supporting policies that redirect industrial vessels and fishery subsidies toward restoration.

The oceans have borne the weight of our appetite for centuries. By changing what’s on our plates, we can tip the balance, from overexploitation to renewal, before tomorrow’s fish stocks vanish for good.

The Invasion of Alien Species (No, not those aliens).

Globalization has inadvertently facilitated the spread of invasive species, creating new ecological challenges that compound existing threats to biodiversity.

These non-native organisms, introduced through trade, travel, and transportation, often lack natural predators or competitors in their new environments, allowing them to establish dominant populations that can outcompete native species for resources.

The economic and ecological costs of invasive species are staggering. In the United States alone, invasive species cause an estimated $120 billion in economic damage annually through agricultural losses, infrastructure damage, and control efforts.

The emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle from Asia, has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees across North America, fundamentally altering forest ecosystems and requiring massive expenditures for tree removal and replacement.

Aquatic invasive species pose particular challenges due to their rapid reproduction rates and the difficulty of controlling them once established.

The zebra mussel, introduced to North American waters via ballast water from ships, has spread throughout the Great Lakes and Mississippi River system, clogging water intake pipes and altering aquatic food webs.

Similarly, the Asian carp threatens native fish populations in major river systems, while invasive aquatic plants can completely transform wetland ecosystems.

The spread of invasive species is often accompanied by emerging diseases that can devastate native wildlife populations.

The chytrid fungus, which causes a fatal skin disease in amphibians, has spread globally and is implicated in the decline or extinction of over 200 amphibian species.

Climate change is expected to exacerbate these problems by creating new opportunities for invasive species to establish in previously unsuitable habitats.

Population Pressure and Resource Demands.

1. Population Growth and Projections.

Human numbers have more than doubled since 1970, pushing us close to 8 billion today. Continued growth is expected, especially across parts of Africa and South Asia where birth rates remain high. This demographic surge intensifies pressure on land, water and energy resources worldwide.

2. Consumption Patterns and Ecological Footprints.

Population size alone doesn’t tell the whole story—how much we consume matters just as much. Developed nations maintain per-capita footprints far above the global average:

Average American or European uses resources equivalent to ten people in many developing regions.

Rising middle classes in Asia and Africa are rapidly increasing their footprint.

Wealth and consumption are tightly linked: more income often means more resource use.

3. Urbanization and Its Impacts.

Cities now house over half of humanity, and urban areas expand every year. While some wildlife adapts, most native species decline as habitats vanish. Major urban pressures include:

·         Heat-island effects that alter local climates.

·         Air and noise pollution that stress urban fauna.

·         Fragmentation of green spaces, reducing corridors for animal movement.

4. Agricultural Expansion and Land Use.

Feeding billions demands vast tracts of farmland—currently about 38 percent of Earth’s land surface. Intensive practices further erode biodiversity:

·         Monocultures simplify ecosystems, cutting habitat variety.

·         Heavy pesticide and fertilizer use pollutes soil and waterways.

·         Irrigation strains freshwater supplies, lowering water tables.

Quick Fact: Agriculture drives more habitat loss than any other human activity.

5. Let’s Move Towards More Conservation and Restoration.

Despite daunting trends, proven strategies can turn the tide:

1.     Establish and enforce protected areas—marine and terrestrial.

2.     Reform food systems toward agroecology and diversified farming.

3.     Retrofit cities with green infrastructure and wildlife corridors.

4.     Promote circular-economy models to reduce waste and resource demand.

6. Fire Management: Fire Breaks and Prescribed Burning.

While much attention focuses on urban growth and land conversion, our approach to wildfire management plays a quiet but critical role in shaping biodiversity outcomes.

Decades of wildfire suppression, combined with under-utilization of strategic land clearing and controlled burns have created massive fuel buildups that fuel mega-blazes, destroying millions of hectares of native habitat each season.

Why Fire Breaks Matter.

Targeted land clearing creates gaps in vegetation that slow or halt advancing wildfires.

Well-placed fire breaks protect refuges for wildlife and reduce edge-effects that fragment habitats.

They safeguard seed banks, ground-dwelling species and hollow-nesting fauna from complete habitat loss.

The Role of Prescribed Burning.

Back burns or low-intensity prescribed fires reduce leaf litter and undergrowth, limiting the intensity of future wildfires.

When timed and scaled correctly, these burns rejuvenate fire-adapted plant communities and maintain ecological processes.

They protect both human settlements and core conservation areas, sparing flora and fauna from catastrophic infernos.

There Are Plenty Of Gaps in Our Understanding.

·         Ecological responses to fire frequency and intensity vary widely by region, ecosystem and species life history.

·         Prescribed burning regimes developed for one habitat can harm another—research on adaptive, site-specific strategies remains limited.

·         Indigenous cultural burning practices offer important insights, yet are too often sidelined in official fire-management plans.

Quick Fact: In some Australian forests, fuel loads have doubled over the past 50 years, turning what once were cool-burn mosaics into tinderboxes primed for uncontrollable wildfires.

Path Forward: Research and Collaboration.

Partner with Indigenous land managers to integrate millennia-old cultural burning techniques.

Invest in long-term ecological studies that track species and vegetation recovery under different fire regimes.

Develop dynamic mapping tools to design optimized fire breaks that balance safety and habitat integrity.

Train local communities in prescribed-burn planning and monitoring, creating on-the-ground stewardship networks.

By admitting what we don’t yet fully grasp about fire’s dual role as destroyer and renewal agent, we open the door to more nuanced, evidence-based approaches.

Strengthening our fire-management toolbox will not only save human lives and property but also protect the millions of animals and native plants at risk each year.

Conclusion:.

We need to redefine our relationship with nature.

Population growth and consumption are intertwined challenges.

Addressing them means rethinking how we produce, consume and inhabit the planet.

By pairing effective conservation with smarter resource use, we can chart a sustainable future, one where both people and nature thrive together.