Humanity’s Destructive Ways are Causing the Sixth Mass Extinction

Our beautiful Earth houses approximately eight million species of animal-people friends and plants that live with us. Ecological studies show that over 40,000 species are already on the way to extinction. As the loss of our lovely animal-people friends continues at an alarming rate, this devastating trend poses a colossal threat to everyone on the planet. The decline of various life forms is happening so quickly that many scientists believ e a sixth mass extinction event is now underway.

Science defines a mass extinction as “around three-quarters of all species dying out much faster than they are replaced over a short geological time -- less than 2.8 million years.” Scientists believe the very survival of human civilization is being threatened by these events. During the 20th century alone, as many as 543 land vertebrates are reported to have become extinct. Unlike with past mass extinctions, the impending ecosystem wave and biological annihilation have been shown to arise from human-made climate change, habitat destruction, and environmental pollution.

Increased animal-people meat production and consumption are two of the main factors contributing to biodiversity loss. About 40% of the planet’s land surface has been converted to animal-people livestock activities, which can quickly destroy natural ecosystems or habitats. According to biodiversity research conducted by the World Wildlife Fund, “60% of Earth’s wildlife has been wiped out in just 50 years. If this trend continues, the survival of countless species is under threat, including our own.”

However, we could limit the damage if societies around the globe embraced a change to the compassionate vegan diet. Supreme Master Ching Hai often reminds us that simply adopting the vegan lifestyle is the quickest way to save the planet. “We have to act now for all of humanity. Because along with our own survival and health, there is an entire planet that is in trouble, and everyone needs to be vegan to save it. It’s a very simple solution that we might overlook. Because if we all change to vegan, put down the animal-people products, then we would have a dream world – that I promise.”