7 Resolutions for a Better Planet

January 2012 brought an unusually warm average temperature to the planet.

(Image credit: NASA/JPL)

2013 is here, and everyone is busy making (or already breaking) their New Year's resolutions. Mother Nature took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to share a few thoughts on how to improve the situation here on our planet with some New Year's resolutions that should be taken up by mankind.

Here are the top seven resolutions for the Earth in the New Year. Take it away, Mother Nature:

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Earth is in the midst of an enormous extinction crisis, the biggest spate of die-offs since the disappearance of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, according to several studies. The world's level of biodiversity is also down by 30 percent since the 1970s, according to a report by the World Wildlife Fund, a conservation group. The United Nations Environment Program estimates that 150 to 200 species go extinct every day, which is about 10 to 100 times the "background," or natural, rate of extinction.

One problem facing endangered species, particularly in developing countries, is poaching. Driven in part by the demand for animal parts in traditional medicine cures in parts of Asia, poaching (and capture of animals for the pet trade) has only increased — dramatically — in the past decade. A total of 633 rhinos were killed in South Africa in 2012, for example, according to Reuters. Compare that with 448 killed in 2011 and 13 killed in 2007. Poaching is largely to blame for the extinction of many creatures, including a subspecies of Javan rhino in Vietnam in 2010.

It's hard to focus on other animals and plants all the time. But humans are animals who come from a world replete with other creatures and forms of life. Even now, surrounded as many of you are by urban centers, devoid of forests and most wildlife, people depend on plants and animals for survival. Ultimately the loss of biodiversity will hurt you, as you, dear humans, are part of the web of life. Each species serves a specific function that can't be wholly replaced if one goes extinct, leading to a less productive ecosystem which ultimately provides fewer benefits for humans.

Rainforests are vital reservoirs of plants, animals and microbes. Most terrestrial animals aren't the big, charismatic species like elephants and tigers often associated with the jungles, but rainforest-dwelling arthropods (a group that includes insects, arachnids and crustaceans, all of which have hard exoskeletons). Arthropods are the most diverse group of animals in the world and perform all kinds of vital roles in their environments, from eating fecal matter to pollinating flowers. Rainforests also contain plants than can help humans; compounds derived from these plants have been used to create many medicines, including the anti-malarial drug quinine, originally found in the Amazon's cinchona tree. It'd be a shame to lose such wealth before even discovering it.

Another jewel would be the Philippines, which has one of the highest levels of biodiversity on the planet, but is threatened by deforestation and development. A single recent expedition found more than 300 species that are likely new to science, including a deep-sea shark that can inflate itselfwhen frightened. But these species are potentially in danger from human activities, while other species could go extinct there and in other spots before they are even discovered.

Humans are a gassy bunch, burning fossil fuels and increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide, methane and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. Many climate scientists have estimated that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere must be limited to 350 parts per million (ppm) to avoid the worst effects of a human-altered climate, such as warmer temperatures, more frequent heat waves and droughts, sea level rise and even more extinction of animals that can't quickly adapt to climate change. The current concentration is nearly 393 ppm and rising about 2 ppm annually, according to the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. To avert the worst effects of global warming, humans would need to quickly find alternative fuel sources — look back to what's been provided to you and harness the sun or the wind or heat from the Earth.

The worst effects of warming can be seen in the Arctic and Antarctic, due to a phenomenon called polar amplification. Many areas throughout the Arctic have already warmed by 3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.7 degrees Celsius) over the last 30 years, heating up much more quickly than the rest of the world and acting as harbingers of things to come. The poles are also home to magnificent animals like polar bears and penguins,which are sensitive to environmental changes. And that's not to mention the fact these areas store enough frozen water that, if melted, would put most of the world's current urban areas under water. And even if these areas don't completely melt, they could still cause significant sea-level rise.

Humans are really shooting themselves in the foot with this one. Although big strides have been taken in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, it remains an enormous and growing problem throughout many parts of the world, including China, parts of south Asia and Africa. Besides the obvious detriments of polluting one's own drinking water, pollution from agricultural runoff, when it reaches the oceans, also creates so-called dead zones — algae blooms develop and consume all the oxygen in the area and other species that need oxygen die off. The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico has been steadily growing and recently covered an area roughly the size of New Jersey. Pollution also contributes to coral disease, which is a major unrecognized factor in the decline of coral reefs — top spots for biodiversity (see Resolution #3).

Commercial-fishing techniques are leading to the deaths of too many fish, sea turtles and marine mammals, often when these creatures aren't targeted by fishermen. The worst of these techniques is the use of large nets (including dragnets, seines and driftnets, which catch just about everything in their path) and longline fishing, wherein hundreds or thousands of hooks are suspended up to many miles behind boats. The average longline in the Gulf of Mexico stretches for 30 miles (48 kilometers), and more than half of the tuna and swordfish caught are thrown back, most of which die, according to the Pew Environment group.

This one is pretty simple: consume less. Especially Americans, who could still survive using less energy and water; most of the world gets by on a fraction. Reuse of materials may be another good practice. This could mean simple changes like reusing shopping bags, alleviating the need for more plastic and paper. Many items also needn't be thrown away merely because they are out of fashion. A recent study found that a large percentage of appliances that are thrown away still function properly. In addition, boost energy efficiency by making and buying better cars, like hybrids or electric vehicles powered by renewable sources. You can also do simple things like turning off lights and appliances, using programmable thermostats and replacing air filters in HVAC systems.

Douglas Main loves the weird and wonderful world of science, digging into amazing Planet Earth discoveries and wacky animal findings (from marsupials mating themselves to death to zombie worms to tear-drinking butterflies) for Live Science. Follow Doug on Google+.