The youth-led group highlights Vance’s Big Oil ties and argues that Harris has an opportunity to win the youth vote through climate policy.

By Keerti Gopal

Activists from the youth-led Sunrise Movement descended on Sen. J.D. Vance’s Washington office on Monday, occupying the hallway and chanting “Vance is a liar, our planet is on fire,” while holding signs that read “Billionaires Own Vance.”

‘Vance Profits, We Pay The Price’: Sunrise Movement Protests J.D. Vance Over Billionaire Influence and Calls on Kamala Harris to Take Climate Action

New research from RSPCA Queensland and Greenpeace Australia Pacific paints a dire reality of the impact deforestation is having on native wildlife.

To read the full report, click here.

An ongoing animal welfare crisis

Queensland and New South Wales are a global deforestation hotspot. The bushland being cleared in these states is rich in native animal life, yet many species are already listed as threatened: like koalas, gliders and many bird and reptile species.

From 2016-2020, 2.4 million hectares of forest and woodland habitats were bulldozed in NSW and Queensland.

Our new report, co-authored with RSPCA Queensland, reveals the shocking impact that this deforestation has on native wildlife populations.

In the 2.4 million hectares of destroyed forest and bushland, 100 million animals were killed, injured or displaced.

This figure includes up to:

4.5 million mammals

9.3 million birds

and over 96 million reptiles

Koalas killed

Koalas were listed as endangered in 2022 in NSW and Queensland, just 10 years after first being listed as vulnerable.

Deforestation is not only wiping out vast swathes of koala habitat, but is also causing habitat fragmentation, which puts koalas at increased risk of injury, displacement or death.

Fragmentation occurs when large areas of habitat are broken up into smaller areas. In order to move from one patch of bushland to another, koalas are forced to travel on the ground, putting them at increased risk of dog attacks and road incidents, as well as shock and stress.

The total number of koalas losing habitat and presumed killed in NSW and Queensland would be 5,998 over five years, or 1,200 every year.

Wildlife hospitals stretched to the limit

The Greenpeace forest campaign team recently visited RSPCA Queensland’s Wacol wildlife hospital, south-east of Brisbane, to get an inside look at deforestation’s impact on wildlife.

We met a range of different species receiving care at RSPCA, including koalas, brushtail possum joeys, kookaburras and flying foxes.

During our visit, we spoke with Tim Portas, Wildlife Veterinary Director at Wacol. Watch our interview with him below.

“It does actually make me wonder if I’m still on this earth in 20 or 30 years whether I will look back at this… and think I was here to see the last of Queensland’s koalas”

– Tim Portas, RSPCA Queensland

The Wacol facility was built to accommodate roughly 8,000 animals each year. However, the real figure currently sits at around 24,000. That’s three times more than the facility’s capacity.

The main culprit? Beef production.

Beef production continues to drive Australia’s deforestation crisis.

From 2016 to 2020, 90% of bushland destruction in NSW and Queensland was directly linked to beef production.

Housing development, forestry, and energy projects do play a part in Australia’s deforestation levels, but comparative to the beef industry, their impact is minimal – just 1% of deforestation that occurs in NSW and Queensland is linked to these projects.

The Way Forward

Existing nature laws in Australia are weak, not enforced, and are failing our native wildlife. Our government must urgently step up and commit to ending Australia’s deforestation and extinction crises.

“The devastating scale of animal deaths and injuries outlined in the report demands urgent action. Alongside our colleagues at RSPCA Queensland, we’re calling for a stronger national nature law that will halt nature destruction and end the extinction crisis in Australia.”

– Gemma Plesman, Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific

Join the campaign to get strong nature laws protecting nature and wildlife by signing our petition to the Australian government now.

100 million animals killed, injured or displaced every year

BRISBANE/SYDNEY, Tuesday 30 July 2024 — A joint report from two of Australia’s leading advocacy organisations, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and RSPCA Queensland, has exposed the shocking scale of wildlife being killed every year in Australia from deforestation. 

The new report reveals 100 million native animals are displaced, harmed or killed from deforestation in Queensland and New South Wales every year — double previous estimates. In the five years from 2016 to 2021, 2.4 million hectares of forest and woodland habitats were bulldozed or cleared in Queensland and New South Wales — over twice the size of greater Sydney.

Beef production continues to drive Australia’s deforestation crisis, with 90% of the bushland destruction recorded over this period for the development of livestock pastures, but factors like urban development and forest logging also play a role.

On average, 24,000 native animals are recorded by RSPCA Queensland being rescued or admitted into its care every year, including over 500 koalas. Approximately 1,200 koalas are killed from deforestation every year.

The groups are calling for stronger nature laws that will protect Australia’s unique and globally treasured native wildlife from forest destruction, saying existing laws are inadequate to prevent the ongoing, unmitigated suffering and killing of native wildlife that results from forest destruction.

Gemma Plesman, Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said the ongoing suffering and death of wildlife resulting from forest destruction must end.

“Australia is a world leader in mammal extinctions and the only OECD country on a global list of deforestation hotspots — this report exposes just how dire the situation is with 100 million native animals killed or harmed every year.

“Far from slowing down, the deforestation crisis in Australia is accelerating and pushing native wildlife like the iconic koala to the brink of extinction. Significantly, the forest destruction taking place across Queensland and New South Wales is largely being driven by livestock production.

“The devastating scale of animal deaths and injuries outlined in the report demands urgent action. Alongside our colleagues at RSPCA Queensland, we’re calling for stronger nature laws that will halt nature destruction and end the extinction crisis in Australia.” 

Dr Tim Portas, Wildlife Veterinary Director at RSPCA Queensland, said that little has improved for wild animals since the last report on the crisis in 2017.

“Unfortunately, a significant proportion of the 24,000 wildlife patients admitted each and every year to our wildlife hospital are as a result of the long-term and ongoing effects of habitat destruction and fragmentation.”

—ENDS—

Media assets:

High res images, B Roll footage and the report can be found here

For more information or to arrange an interview contact:

Kate O’Callaghan, Greenpeace Australia Pacific on 0406 231 892 or kate.ocallaghan@greenpeace.org

Emma Lagoon, RSPCA Queensland on 0400 814 221 or elagoon@rspcaqld.org.au  

‘100 million killed, harmed’: Joint report sounds alarm on scale of native wildlife deaths from deforestation