大学体验英语第三版综合教程3.Unit1课件.pptVIP

Do you know ... Let’s learn ... Unit 1 Return to Menu Conditions of Endangered Species? Do you know ... Sustainable Development? The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment? Humans and Endangered Species Our Earth supports lots of different plant and animal species. With more and more humans changing the environment, other species become extinct faster than they did in the past. In fact, plant and animal species are disappearing at least 1,000 times faster than at any other time in the last 65 million years. As humans take up more and more space on the planet, we destroy the habitats of other animals and plants. This is the biggest reason why animals are becoming extinct today. Sustainable Development The idea of sustainable development grew from numerous environmental movements in earlier decades and was defined in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission 1987) as: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This contributed to the understanding that sustainable development encompasses a number of areas and highlights sustainability as the idea of environmental, economic and social progress and equity, all within the limits of the world’s natural resources. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was released in March 2005. This 2,500report was drawn up by 1,300 researchers from 95 nations over four years. Surveying the planet, it made a number of conclusions that many have stressed for years. The key messages from the report included the following points: Everyone in the world depends on nature and ecosystem services to provide the conditions for a decent, healthy, and secure life. Human activities have taken the planet to the edge of a massive wave of species extinctions, further threatening our own well-being. The loss of services derived from ecosystems is a significant barrier to the achievement of the M