Second extinction roadmap how to#
Second extinction roadmap driver#
Second extinction roadmap full#
Second extinction roadmap plus#

In the long term, scientists have called for an international body to monitor the health of insect populations and action taken to help them. In the short term, humans must phase out pesticide use, prioritise nature-based farming methods and reduce light, noise and water pollution. Insect experts have devised a roadmap for conservation and recovery. With no insects to pollinate the crops humans rely on to eat or perform vital functions in ecosystems, humans would be in trouble. The survival of mankind would be at stake. On average, insect biomass on Earth has fallen 2.5% a year for the last three decades or so, which could mean they vanish within the next 100 years. Insect populations around the world are plummeting, with 40% of species declining and a third endangered, according to the same literature review.

Second extinction roadmap driver#

The heavy use of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers is the primary driver of harm to insects by humans, according to the first global scientific review of the literature in 2019.īad. Habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, invasive species, the climate crisis and over-harvesting are all human-caused issues that put pressure on insects, say experts.

Other types of insects include herbivores, detritivores, parasitoids and predators that are crucial to ecosystems humans rely on to survive, acting as pest controllers, recycling nutrients and performing other tasks. Pollinators like bees get a lot of attention because three quarters of crops producing fruit and seeds for human consumption depend on them, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.

This was hard to imagine before actually doing the research.Insects are crucial to the health of functioning ecosystems that are vital for food production and security. “Renewable energy generated locally actually has the potential to meet all the energy demand in the county. The problems we faced were very practical and can be broken down into many details,” she said. In spite of that growth, the planning department believes that an 80 percent reduction in the greenhouse gas footprint can be achieved.īy implementing programs and solutions to reduce energy use now, Tompkins County planners believe greenhouse gas emissions in the county can be reduced by 20 percent, or 277,512 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent using the 2008 baseline, by the year 2020.Ĭonducting this research on behalf of the Tompkins County Planning Department, Xiyue Zhang explained what the students learned. Energy Information Agency estimates, Tompkins County planners project growth in electricity, heat and transportation use by about 33 percent between 20. By tapping into area streams, micro-hydroplants could play a key role as well, by generating about 93 percent of the 2008 electricity need.īased on federal U.S. Medium-scale wind turbines could generate about 127 percent of 2008 electricity demand, putting out 992 Gigawatt hours of electricity.

Second extinction roadmap plus#

With solar panels on residential and commercial roofs, plus solar panels farms, the county could generate 2,452 Gigawatt hours by the goal year. The county’s demand for electricity was 779 Gigawatt hours seven years ago. The group found that 315 percent of the 2008 county energy demand could be met by 2050 by collecting solar energy. ’15 and Aaron Benedict ’16, under the guidance of Max Zhang, associate professor of engineering and a fellow at Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, produced several reports that analyzed wind, hydropower, solar, biomass, geothermal heating and energy efficiency. ’15 Xiyue Zhang ’15 Camelia Hssaine ’14, M.Eng.

Second extinction roadmap how to#

County planners aim to reduce that figure to 234,000 metric tons in 2050.Įxamining how to reduce the county’s greenhouse gas output, Cornell students Mark Romanelli ’14, M.Eng. As of that year, the county’s commercial entities, educational institutions and residents produced about 1,173,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

Second extinction roadmap full#

The last time Tompkins County took full inventory of its greenhouse gas output was 2008. “Not reducing our greenhouse gas footprint is not an option,” said Katie Borgella, the county’s deputy planning commissioner, who explained that Tompkins County may be one of the few counties in the United States embarking on such an energy plan. 21 to substantially reduce the county’s carbon footprint by 2050.įrom those concepts, the Tompkins County Energy Strategy Steering Committee soon will develop recommendations for the county’s “energy roadmap.” Using 15 months of energy research conducted by Cornell students, the Tompkins County Planning Department unveiled ideas Oct.