A recent report issued by the United Nations has determined that one million species of animals and plants are in danger of extinction within decades. The data was generated by the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
In the United States alone, 1,300 species are fast heading toward permanent oblivion.
Scientists call it “The Sixth Mass Extinction Event”. The rapid decline of hundreds of thousands of species is the sixth time this has happened on our planet -– the last mass extinction was 65 million years ago and was caused by an asteroid striking the Earth.
Today, however, the extinction driver is humankind itself. Officials with the Pittsburgh-based Colcom Foundation say that overpopulation and a record eight billion people clambering for ever more resources -– food, water, energy — are pushing our planet’s ecosystem out of balance and into crisis.
It’s this profoundly serious problem that The Colcom Foundation was created to address. Fully funded in 1996 by the generosity of the late Cordelia S. May, the organization has created numerous projects designed to protect endangered species. One of the ways it does that is by establishing conservation sites protected from urbanization and development that provide an oasis of sustainability for many species of plants and animals.
One such project is the Revolving Fund for Local Land Trusts administered by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and funded by the Colman Foundation. This organization provides grants for rapid response zero-interest loans to entities that are eager to preserve open spaces of natural landscapes.
Another Colcom Foundation project is WEConservePA. This group assists organizations and people to “effectively and efficiently” conserve land, protect waterways, bolster sustainable practices and provide connections to people who have a desire to enjoy clean and safe outdoor locations.
Yet another is the Westmoreland Land Trust. It conserves and provides stewardship for land in Westmoreland County. Read this article to learn more.
More about Colcom on https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/colcom-foundation,311479839/
