California is currently known as a “biodiversity hotspot” due to its various landscapes: forests, deserts, salt marshes, and alpine tundra. It’s also home to a variety of unique species. Along with this, California’s coast serves as a fundamental habitat for a diverse range of organisms. Alarmingly, both of these fundamental qualities are at great risk due to the growing effects of climate change.
California is constantly experiencing increased rates of biodiversity loss. Having lost over one million acres of natural land, the state faces a devastating impact on critical ecosystems. California has suffered a 99% loss of riparian regions, a 90% loss of coastal/inland wetlands, and has lost most of its native grasslands. This is extremely concerning considering California is home to a great number of species, 20% of which have shown a decrease in population numbers and about 600 of which run the risk of extinction.
The overwhelming problem doesn’t just stop on land but has spread to California’s oceans. With California producing about 30% of the nation’s seafood there have been severe problems concerning overfishing and unregulated fishing.
As California continues to face serious consequences as a result of mismanagement of both land and coastal resources Californian politicians are looking for ways to reverse or prevent any more damage from being done. And while several incredible solutions have been introduced, one of the most noteworthy is the 30×30 solution.
The 30×30 solution is a plan for California to conserve 30% of its land and coastal regions by 2030. This would not only mean conserving the land and water but also striving to raise biodiversity and attain resilience against climate change.
There are eight guiding principles that the 30×30 solution hopes to follow with some of the most important being: to use science as a guide, aid local conservation attempts, and course develop methods in which we can preserve land and water resources that benefit all.
Some of the actual practices they hope to put into place to attain these goals include: building parks or other outdoor recreational activities in areas that lack easy access to nature, conducting various research to understand the triggers within the biodiversity loss, defending native plants from invasive species, begin adapting to a carbon neutral environment, and more.
Everything mentioned above will help address the numerous environmental issues faced within the state of California.
It’s time for Californian candidates running for a place in office to address and meet the environmental needs of our land and water before it’s too late. The 30×30 solution should be supported by everyone running in the upcoming election and by voters as it offers a positive step in the right direction. The time for conserving our land and water is now and it’s time for politicians to act.
