Unfortunately, it is not brand new information that the environmental damage that the planet is suffering from is leading closer to the?extinction of flora and fauna. Even though climate change has been a topic of urgent discussion for quite some time now, most nations are failing to take its consequences seriously.?
According to an international report, two in five of the world¡¯s plant species are at risk of extinction as a result of the destruction of the natural world.
Based on researchers' findings, approximately forty percent or two-fifths of the world's plants are at risk of extinction. Scientists have warned that the planet is racing against time to name and describe new species before they disappear.?
Since these unknown species of plants are a huge source of medicines, fuels and foods, they are called a 'treasure chest'. Scientists believe they could tackle several of humanity's challenges, including treatments for coronavirus and other pandemic microbes.?
According to a report by The Guardian, more than 4,000 species of plants and fungi were discovered in 2019 which included six species of Allium in Europe and China, which is the same group as onions and garlic, 10 relatives of spinach in California and two wild relatives of cassava, which could help future-proof the stable crop eaten by 800 million people against the climate change crisis.?
¡°We would be able not survive without plants and fungi ¨C all life depends on them ¨C and it is really time to open the treasure chest,¡± said Prof Alexandre Antonelli, the director of science at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, in the UK. RBG Kew led?the?report, which involved 210 scientists from 42 countries.
?He said, ¡°Every time we lose a species, we lose an opportunity for humankind,¡± Antonelli said. ¡°We are losing a race against time as we are probably losing species faster than we can find and name them.¡±?
Environmental changes are constantly causing damage to the planet. Even several animals have already suffered due to the worsening climate and according to a recent study, if serious steps are not taken, the Komodo dragon, one of the world's oldest species, will be the next victim. Researchers discovered that due to global warming and the subsequent sea-level rise, Komodo dragons face a threat of extinction.? ?
It is time that the climate change agenda is pushed fiercely?because most of the damage it will bring with it is irreversible.?