How agriculture hastens species extinction | 60 Minutes 

I don't know how people watch things like this and still be like "i wanna have a baby"

and reading some of these comments maybe humans deserve to go extinct

The major reason for the current 6th great extinction is habitat loss because we are using more and more of the planet's surface to sustain the exploding human population. We surpassed human population sustainability decades ago.

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, and habitat destruction. Animal agriculture contributes to species extinction in many ways. In addition to the monumental habitat destruction caused by clearing forests and converting land to grow feed crops and for animal grazing, predators and "competition" species are frequently targeted andhunted because of a perceived threat to livestock profits. The widespread use of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers used in the production of feed crops often interferes with the reproductive systems of animals and poison waterways. The overexploitation of wild species through commercial fishing, bushmeat trade as well as animal agriculture’s impact on climate change, all contribute to global depletion of species and resources. [XIX] Oppenlander, Richard A. Food Choice and Sustainability: Why Buying Local, Eating Less Meat, and Taking Baby Steps Won’t Work. . Minneapolis, MN : Langdon Street, 2013. Print. Comfortably Unaware. Oppenlander. NOAA, "what is a dead zone". Scientific America, "What Causes Ocean "Dead Zones"?". “What’s the Problem?” United States Environmental Protection Agency. “Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2006. The Encyclopedia of Earth, "The Causes of Extinction". Annenberg Learner, Unit 9: Biodiversity Decline // Section 7: Habitat Loss: Causes and Consequences WWF, "Losing their homes because of the growing needs of humans." Center for Biological Diversity, "How Eating Meat Hurts Wildlife and the Planet". Science Direct “Biodiversity conservation: The key is reducing meat consumption” FAO, "Livestock impacts on the environment". “Fire Up the Grill for a Mouthwatering Red, White, and Green July 4th.” Worldwatch Institute. Oppenlander, Richard A. “Biodiversity and Food Choice: A Clarification.” Comfortably Unaware. 2012 “Risk Assessment Evaluation for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Research and Development. 2004.

This is one of the reasons I'm starting my business. I decided that I'm going to stop talking about it on social media, and I'm going to actively contribute to the restoration of Earth's biodiversity.

You can start with a "Two child" policy for starters. And don't look at Europe - there it has barely One child in a family.

She mentioned eating "planet friendly" foods but didn't specify which. "A meat-eater’s diet requires 17 times more land, 14 times more water and 10 times more energy than a vegetarian’s, according to research published by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This is principally because we use a large proportion of the world’s land for growing crops to feed livestock, rather than humans. (Of the world’s approximately five billion hectares of agricultural land, 68% is used for livestock.) This squeeze on resources is only set to intensify. In 50 years’ time, the UN predicts there will be 10.5 billion people on the planet (the current world population is around 7 billion). To feed us all, it says, we will need to grow food more sustainably. Dr Walt Willett, professor of medicine at Harvard University, says we could eliminate the worst cases of world hunger today with about 40 million tonnes of food - yet 760 million tonnes is fed to animals on farms every year." -BBC Good Food Title- "What would happen if everyone went vegan?" (By Paul Allen)

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, habitat destruction, water pollution, ocean dead zones and *species extinction* . -United Nations FAO The most comprehensive *meta-analysis* conducted to date with 119 countries, shows avoiding animal products is the *"SINGLE BIGGEST WAY"* to reduce our environmental impact. -Oxford University

We should set aside large tracks of lands where humans aren't allowed so nature can continue unharmed. Also we need to plant more trees.

We need 5 earths for everyone to live the standard of living of the United States. Clearly not sustainable.

too many people. end of story.

Just remember people can be food too. Soylent Green.

no the 6th great extinction is going on right now

Stop going to Mars! If we can't make it here, we can't make it anywhere.

The food chain could collapse. That's the greatest concern. Sadly, the world faces the greatest global environmental threat, since the ice age !!! 😡😡😡

Stop using conventional agriculture and start no till agriculture, put ruminants back on the land and grow soil. Watch Kiss the Ground and learn about sequestering carbon in the ground.

DON'T LOOK UP

The baby boomers will be the last generation able to live out a normal life.

They are telling the wrong people. Everyday people are in a rut right now and most do what we can to stop from being homeless and/or starving. The people that need to take attention to this don’t care as they are lining their pockets off of things as such that are described in this video. May our maker have mercy on our souls

Last mass extinction happened around 12,000 to 15,000 years ago.

we dont have much time left

One major change that scientists and policy-makers need to address with this existential crisis is the importance of meaning and language. We can no longer label the mass extinction of animal life as being attributed to "habitat loss." In the most plain of terms, "habitat loss" IS human development. In other words, the leading cause of extinction is human development. We need to stop thinking that some crazy, half-hinged billionaire is going to innovate our way out of this crisis. Everyone, at all levels, is required to step up, speak out, and do their part if they want their kids, grand kids, and any hope for future generations to be able to have a home (world).

Humans are going to be a day late and a dollar short . 🌏🌎

This is how it all ends

We’re on the last leg of our journey.

Just grow 40% less Food ?.

Unbelievably scary

Thank you for covering this issue. More humans means more rezource co sumption and more species extinctions.

Human cruelty & consumption greed too & from this planet that is causing this happenings!!!

8 billion humans vs 600 wild gorillas left, Balance?

Thank you for sharing.

im a farmer. this is one of the worst put together segments ive seen.

Aquaponics uses 90% less water....

Only Captain Planet can save us.

Cattle don't need to be fed any agricultural products. They are happiest and healthiest just eating natural grasses as they were designed to do. Turning those grasses into a variety of products like milk, meat and leather. They also co exist well with the natural world and fertilize the land as they travel. Big agriculture makes far more profits off of things like corn and wheat, so those are the "studies" they fund and the lobbyists they hire.

As Oxford university concluded, eating a plant based diet is the single most effective thing that we can do as individuals to reduce our individual impact on the environment.🌱

Great stuff, so well produced and accurate. Scary to think what Earth might look like in 50 years.

and that food is mostly for commercial animal feed!

"You will Own Nothing,,, and Be Happy" ! And,,, "You will Eat Bugs" ! There,,, I Fixed It !

Data is causing extinction!

Just tilling the land and not taking care of the soil

I don't necessarily agree with this. Yes, species are going extinct and animal populations are decreasing. But if you're able to raise animals for food and other products (cows, chickens, sheep, etc. with crops, etc.,) then this idea humanity will start going extinct is false because these crops and controlled animal populations wouldn't be dependent on fluctuating wild populations. We obviously can raise our own animal populations and grow our own crops in a controlled way independent of whatever happens in the environment. That's why I'm not alarmed. Humanity will find a way to grow and thrive in spite of this.

Humanity needs to go back to agroforestry! You are supposed to grow your food amongst the wild plants and trees of forests!

Eet weeds!

I always said when the animals go we are next.........

Well this didn't help my anxiety

And the way africans treat animals , We are doomed

This is the data: On extinction the rate is very low: 900 known lost species for 2.1 million known species in 500 years. At that frequency it will take over 930,000 years to reach 80% extinction of species experienced at the K-T boundary that saw the extinction of the dinosaurs. Of course, extinction is a natural part of the evolution of life on this planet with the average lifespan of a species thought to be about 1 million years. It is estimated that 99.9% of all plant and animal species that have existed have gone extinct. So to summarise, from observations there are an average of slightly less than 2 species lost every year. Out of a known species total of over 2 million. That gives an annual percentage loss of less than 0.0001%. That's background extinction. It does not follow from this that we shouldn't cherish and nurture the life that there is on this planet, but it is important to have a clear perspective on the situation.

If you believe this, I've got a bridge to sell you, lol

The Animals Go First. 🥺

😢

Like i said to get rib of all the cars n gas stations

Air conditioning. Walk around New Orleans at night and its a chorus of whining window units. Unoccupied public buildings, like schools in the summer. Air conditioners still blasting a month or two in....

Comment sections full of people sheep just going with whatever the crowd says. Imagine if half the people here actually had an original thought and did a little research of their own.

We were doing so good for hundreds of thousands of years, then poof!

We in trouble

I like how she blames agriculture for habitat destruction and chooses to ignore urban expansion. Agriculture expands because the population is expanding. Humans like to eat. Saving the planet is simple. All we have to do is stop eating. Problem solved.

Okay let's all starve to death then

Ocean to fresh water.

some good news, 20 years from now we hope to have clean fission reactors online, use desalinization to get unlimited fresh water, use fission power to charge vehicles, heat homes and help cut a lot of greenhouse gasses. of course, to be truly green, factory farming may still have to go (methane and disease). meat would become more of a treat, and other grown 'bean' type proteins to fill in the gaps.

bye bye friends

Need to reduce seed the forsets

Reclaim 50% of farms to the wild. Build up and use hydroponics and lighting to grow things. Plus use floating farms, and fish farms saving land area and absorb heat from the sun. It's naive to think mother nature will provide every drop of water for mankind.

I knew it thats why i read a book about science

Bio fuels ⛽️ of our waste food's 🗑

They need to get rib of high tecnología

Gmo Mexican corn allergies

I still remember when just prior to Y2K, 60 Minutes ran a piece threatening about the collapse of banking, power-grid failures, and societal chaos. Of course none of that happened, but far be it from them to miss another opportunity to be the doomsayers.

Stop it.

This man, over time, has been famously wrong. His predictions have all been wrong. Check out his predictions from the 80’s, all wrong.

If china,India,Russia and North Korea like nations can agree to this like this problem is very serious only we can solve this global climate or agriculture issue. Because these nations have very difficult time understanding these issues.

The slower a person talks the more serious it seems

Hail ruins crops and John deer tractor 🚜 s are expensive and expensive to get parts. They get parts in states with less sales taxes. Nebraska and Iowa produce most 🌽 corn.

I’m 57. Aren’t we supposed to be underwater by now? I’ve been hearing this crap since I was a kid.

Yes. Let's hit the great reset already.

Stop censorship of comments

Such BS

Here’s the idea Pull the water out of the ocean

WHO CARES!!!!

Lies upon lies

Politics guised as saving the planet.

In today’s no SH!T NEWS:

We all know! But nobody seems to care! How do you wake up the brain dead?

False alarm. This is propaganda

Misinformation my friends !

Yet he keeps living a luxurious life. Ahahaha