The World's Ecosystems Are Suffering Because We're Living Longer

We sometimes like to imagine ourselves above it all, sitting on top of a “great chain of being”. But the truth is we are part of nature as much as any moose or wolf.

To wit: According to new research out of the University of California - Davis, longer human life expectancy is strongly correlated with deteriorating ecosystem health.

For the purposes of the study, ecosystem health is represented by the presence of invasive and endangered birds and mammals within a country. Those species are symptomatic of what ecologist Aldo Leopold terms “land sickness,” which is why they were selected. As life expectancy increased, so did the percentage of invasive and endangered creatures within a country.

The researchers explain that relationship thusly:

Increased life expectancy means that people live longer and affect the planet longer; each year is another year of carbon footprint, ecological footprint, use of natural resources, etc. The magnitude of this impact is increased as more people live longer.

But life expectancy wasn’t the sole focus of this project. In order to engage in a comprehensive exploration of the nexus between humanity and the environment, the researchers examined a total of fifteen variables. Some are obvious choices, like wilderness protection and water stress. Others may be more of a stretch, such as female participation in government and adult literacy.

As a result, other findings were fairly varied. There is apparently a correlation between rising GDP per capita in a country and a rising percentage of invasive birds and mammals. New Zealand has the highest percentage of endangered and invasive species due to human colonization bringing in enormous quantities of foreign species. Africa, on the other hand, has managed to stay comparatively pristine.

The life expectancy conclusion isn’t a shocker, by any means. And yet, as the researchers note, “humans are an integral part of the ecosystems they inhabit". It behooves us to better understand our complicated relationship with the environment and the ways our behaviors affect it.