According to Robert Watson, atmospheric chemist and chair of IPBES (the UN's biodiversity expert group), one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction.
On Monday, May 6, the IPBES presented a report that paints a frightening picture: if humans do not fundamentally change their production and consumption patterns, one million animal and plant species could disappear from the face of the Earth in the coming years.
The conclusions of the 450 experts from 50 countries who worked on this report for more than three years are alarming and unequivocal: more and more species are disappearing, more and more rapidly . Gorillas, tigers, giant pandas: one in eight animal and plant species is at risk of disappearing in the near future.
In the history of humanity, this is a phenomenon of unprecedented magnitude.
Over the past five hundred years, human activity has been responsible for the disappearance of nearly 700 vertebrate species. In the past thirteen years, 7% of forests have been wiped off the map. And currently, more than 40% of amphibians, 33% of coral reefs, 33% of marine mammals and sharks, and nearly 10% of insects are threatened with extinction. Experts clearly identify humans as the primary culprit for this situation.
"We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, our livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life around the world," says Robert Watson.
Today, 66% of the marine environment and 75% of land surfaces are damaged by humans .
But according to the IPBES, it's not too late to act. Part of the report is devoted to possible solutions, and there remains a glimmer of hope. Indeed, experts point out that if we quickly change our production and consumption patterns, we could slow this destructive spiral, or even stop it.
But this requires a radical change in our way of life: we must transform agricultural and industrial production, move towards agro-ecology and improve water management.
We must start now, at every level: from local to global. To avoid the sixth mass extinction of species, the IPBES report calls for “ transformative change in economic, social, political, and technological domains” at both individual and global levels. “Special interests must be overcome for the benefit of all,” concludes the IPBES in its press release. This means that everyone must change their lifestyle to protect biodiversity. We must consume responsibly, buying local, organic, and sustainable products.
At Algo, we didn't wait for these alarming conclusions to react. We were able to change our production methods by moving towards a responsible and local economy .
Our natural paint is designed, harvested, and processed in Brittany. We have always placed the environment at the heart of our thinking and actions. In 2008, we were already talking about sustainable development. We needed to move our industry away from petroleum-based chemistry and toward plant-based chemistry. To produce the healthiest possible paint with the least impact on the environment, we needed to source renewable raw materials as close to home as possible. A local and renewable resource? Breton seaweed!
Thanks to collaboration with Breton companies and research centers, we were able to combine algae with different natural resources such as kaolin and plant resin with the aim of designing an organic, local paint that respects the environment and consumers.
Traditional paints contain nearly 65% petroleum-based substances, and the traditional paint industry is partly responsible for the 400 million tons of heavy metals, solvents, toxic sludge, and other waste from industrial sites that are dumped into the oceans each year.
Let's act together to preserve the environment.
