Keggie Carew, author of 'Beastly: The 40,000-Year Story of Animals and Us', explores the profound bond between humans and animals over time, the crucial role of animals in ecosystems and combating climate change, and the impact of human activities on the environment, advocating for collective action to protect wildlife.
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Quick takeaways
Animals play crucial roles in maintaining ecosystems and human activities have led to a decline in wildlife populations.
Efforts to restore ecosystems and protect wildlife show the potential for nature to recover when given the chance.
Deep dives
Role of Animals in Environmental Preservation
Animals play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystems by providing oxygen, food, clean water, and carbon sequestration for free. Various animal species contribute to replenishing nutrients, managing hydrology, soil building, water filtration, and fertilization of land and sea. The presence of animals is essential for ecosystem functionality, with herbivores aerating soil, predators regulating populations, and species like whales sequestering significant amounts of carbon dioxide, helping limit global warming.
Human Impact on Animals and the Environment
Over the past 12,000 years, humans have waged a war against nature through activities like overfishing, deforestation, and using chemical fertilizers. This has led to a decline in wildlife populations, with humans and livestock now occupying 96% of the world's mammal biomass. Chemicals like insecticides have harmed essential organisms required for healthy soil, leading to a destabilization of ecosystems. Efforts to restore ecosystems and protect wildlife, such as reintroducing beavers, bison, and otters in various projects worldwide, showcase the potential for nature to recover when given the chance.
Today, Keggie Carew shares a few key insights from her book "Beastly: The 40,000-Year Story of Animals and Us," which the Guardian called "dazzling … [a] fantastic, heartfelt history of human-animal relations."