The Abundance of Creation

There are about 1.7 million named species of Life.

1,250,000 species of animals, including
		5,416 mammals
		10,234 birds
		8,240 reptiles,
		5,743 amphibians
		29,300 fish
	= 58,808 vertebrates in total
		950,000 insects,
		70,000 mollusks,
		40,000 crustaceans,
		130,200 other invertebrates
	= 1,190,200 invertebrates in total
	287,655 plants, including:
		15,000 mosses,
		13,025 ferns,
		980 gymnosperms,
		199,350 dicotyledons,
		59,300 monocotyledons;
		74,000-120,000 fungi;
		10,000 lichens.
	Over 5 million species of bacteria, mostly unnamed

The abundance is declining rapidly. Scientists roughly estimate the rate of extinctions is 10 to 100 species per day. This is about 100 to 1000 time faster than the natural background rate.

"Protecting life ought surely to be the vocation of every Christian today"

Seán McDonagh, a missionary priest, author of To care for the Earth (1986), Passion for the Earth (1995), Greening the Christian Millennium (1999), Why are We Deaf to the Cry of the Earth? (2001) and The Death of Life (2006)

Care-for-Creation Committee suggests a Creation Pledge Service in 2008

Here is a draft of an anonymous pledge form

Pledge by checking box		Greenhouse Gases Saved (tons/year)	Money I saved for me
	Transportation
	Idle my car no more than 10 seconds at a time	0.25	110
	Driving 350 km less	0.13	61
	Leave my car at home one day a week; carpool or bus	0.19	54
	Walk or take my bike one day a week	1.41	404
	Drive at the speed limit	0.09	24
	Regular car maintenance	0.46	132
	Buy a 25% more efficient car	1.15	339
	Buy a hybrid car	3.4	1,017
	Reduce air travel by 10 hours a year from 2007	1	1,000
	Home
	Replace most of my light bulbs	0.09	$135
	Wash my clothes in cold water	0.15	$214
	Turn down my thermostat by 5o C at night and when no-one is home	0.23	$337
	Turn down my hot water heater to 49o C	0.05	$68
	Install low flow showerheads	0.05	$68
	If I use 2 refrigerators I will use only one and refrigerate only those foods which really need it	0.06	$85
	Professionally weather strip and caulk doors and windows	0.08	$113
	Replace one appliance with an Energy Star certified alternative	0.03	$41
	Stop using my dryer	0.45	$855
	Insulate to EnerGuide for Houses standard	0.23	$337
	Replace one window with thermal insulated double paned	0.01	$19
	Waste
	Use a soft plastics recycling program (e.g. St. Mattias, Carnarvon Park), compost and curbside recycling can reduce garbage 80%.	0.2
	Food
	A food's eco-footprint is affected by fertilizers, heated growth, refrigeration, transport distance, packaging etc. Choosing local food is usually a good step.
	If I now eat meat once a day and I stop, I can save 1 tonne; cut down to a few times a week and I save half a tonne.