NPG's New Forum Paper Exposes the Damage Humans are Inflicting on Wildlife

NPG’s New Forum Paper Exposes the Damage Humans are Inflicting on Wildlife

NPG
July 26, 2023
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Why We Need to Reframe Our Relationship with Wildlife

Alexandria, VA, (July 26, 2023): Negative Population Growth, Inc. has released a new Forum paper titled Numbers, Noise, and Nonsense: We Must Stop Forcing Wildlife Off the Planet, written by Dr. Karen Shragg. This paper explores how human population growth is having a dramatic impact on wildlife as well as the environment as a whole. It highlights the need for urgent action to achieve a more sustainable future for all species. A prominent theme running throughout the paper is the idea of reframing our relationship with wildlife and understanding that animals are not resources, commodities, or nuisances, but rather life forms with an intrinsic value deserving of protection and conservation. Shragg carefully examines how we can create a context where humans and other species can coexist in harmony. She concludes that only by reframing our approach to wildlife can we ensure their survival in an ever more human-oriented world.

Shragg quickly reveals the central arch of her piece, sharing: “We are forcing wildlife off our planet in three basic ways: with our growing numbers, with our noise, and with our nonsense, defined as a refusal to create policies which follow the logic and the need to scale down the human enterprise…It is a necessary requirement to do so for our own future. Nature, i.e., the very physics of our biosphere, must be respected, for it means preserving our life-supporting soil, water, and air quality. It is also key to our psychological well-being.” Wildlife cannot survive the constant onslaught of population growth. Our most viable option to protect wildlife lies in our ability to implement and enforce policies that would prevent further eradication of the many species under its broad umbrella.

Wildlife cannot communicate efficiently in regions vibrating with man-made noise. Diving into specifics, Shragg notes: “Noise pollution is becoming a real problem for wildlife, and its effects extend beyond the actual footprint of cityscapes. Airplane noise is one example. Noise from ships is another. As human numbers expand, so does the noise from modern life. Sadly, even protected areas do not escape the detrimental effects of noise pollution.”

Pivoting to discuss growth from a different angle, Shragg points to a sprawl study focused on a southwestern state which determined “that immigration inspired growth is hurting the very reason people like Arizona. People love its wide-open spaces and beautiful deserts, as well as the mild winter weather for those escaping harsher weather regions. Wildlife lives in those deserts, which are now being tilled for new development. The nonsense of that is that we are not requiring developers to prove that there is enough water now or in the future to support newcomers.”

This paper calls attention to how humans are rapidly displacing and destroying animal habitats while also causing species extinction in alarming numbers. The paper stresses the urgent need for humanity to recognize its role in this problem and take immediate action if we wish to have any hope for a future in which humans and animals can co-exist in harmony. In conclusion, Shragg states: “We need nature, and nature needs us. We aren’t just destroying the natural world, we are destroying ourselves, what could be more nonsensical than self-destructive behavior? There is ultimately one big, limited planet for all species, and humans have the power to make a difference for wildlife.”

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