From Earth Hour 2011 to Earth Hour 2012, 20,000 pledged to “Live Green” towards more sustainable lifestyles. WWF-Malaysia hopes that more people will pledge to live more sustainably and support environmental conservation by Earth Hour 2013.
“By pledging to “Live Green” through not consuming endangered wildlife, you would be helping to conserve healthy marine and forest ecosystems, thus protecting our food, freshwater and other ecological services; and ultimately, our wellbeing. We cannot allow irresponsible consumption to deplete our natural resources. When we lose these endangered species; we will lose their habitats and free environmental services that come with those healthy marine and terrestrial spaces; we will lose our good quality of life,” explained WWF-Malaysia Executive Director/CEO Dato’ Dr Dionysius Sharma.
Our marine ecosystems, the source of our seafood, sustain the fisheries and ecotourism industries.
In the seas, marine turtles play a key role in maintaining healthy coral reefs and seagrass beds. Scientists believe that hawksbill turtles may maintain the health of coral reef systems by grazing on sponges, which if left to grow unchecked will outgrow the corals, cover them up and kill the reef. Because of this, researchers believe that the declining number of hawksbills are a factor in the inability of reefs to resist increasing pressures from pollution, algal overgrowth, overfishing and climate change. Green turtles are largely herbivorous, and their constant grazing on sea grasses increase the healthiness and growth rate of sea grass beds. Leatherback turtles, which forage in the open ocean throughout their lives, are the top predators of oceanic jellyfish. This jellyfish, in turn, eat larval fish. As the number of leatherbacks in the ocean decrease, jellyfish numbers may increase locally and eat more larval fish, leaving fewer fish to grow. A wide variety of marine ecosystems are dependent on these fish, and even commercial fisheries, may end up suffering from this cascading effect.
Healthy ecosystems need wildlife like marine turtles, just as healthy humans depend on healthy ecosystems and the ecological services that they provide.
In addition to habitat loss due to unsustainable development, endangered wildlife, such as marine turtles, are threatened by the sale and consumption of their eggs. WWF-Malaysia therefore engages with the public to reduce the demand for endangered species parts which fuels illegal wildlife trade. By conserving our wildlife, and therefore our healthy forest and marine ecosystems, WWF-Malaysia is helping to protect our livelihoods, food and water supply, ultimately securing our good quality of life and our children's bright future.
Pledge to "Live Green" HERE
Source: WWF-Malaysia
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