About a third of Australian lands that had been set aside for restoration have actually gotten worse, according to a recent government audit.
What's happening?
The Guardian reported on the news, explaining that Australia operates a biodiversity offset system, which allows developers to "offset" environmental damage they cause in one location by pledging work to deliver an equivalent or greater benefit in another.
However, a recent review of these offset sites found that 55% had maintained the same environmental conditions while 30% got worse.
"We know the current offset arrangements are broken and making nature worse," Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek told the publication.
Why is this audit important?
The findings prompted warnings that the offset system is increasing extinction risks for plants and animals, according to the Guardian. According to the Australian Academy of Science, nearly half of the world's known and historically recorded mammal extinctions have taken place in Australia.
A loss of just one species can alter an ecosystem. For instance, koalas help manage wild lands by controlling plant growth, adding nutrients to the soil through their droppings, and reducing the amount of eucalyptus leaves that could fuel wildfires. Fire management services offered by wildlife are especially relevant on an overheating planet where we are likely to experience more extreme wildfire seasons in the future.
Plus, animals play an important role in Australia's First Nations communities. According to Common Ground, First Nations communities often consider animals to be equally as important as humans.
Additionally, the organization explained that First Nations people who have a totem are entrusted with the care of that animal (for instance, someone who has a kangaroo totem has a responsibility to look out for them).
What's being done about Australia's extinction crisis?
Plibersek told the Guardian that her department had already taken compliance action against developers of 21 projects, and the publication asserts that the recent findings will likely prompt the government to rewrite its nature laws.
In the meantime, conservationists are working to protect Australia's struggling species. For instance, new "glide poles" on the country's east coast are helping flying possums to cross roadways without getting hit. Plus, recent research found that most of the species labeled as threatened by Australian legislation between 2000 and 2022 now have populations that are stabilizing and, in some cases, growing.
Still, rising global temperatures remain a major threat to wildlife across the globe. One way you can help is by voting for pro-climate candidates.
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