Extinction debt
Extinction debt is like owing money to a bank but instead of money, it's losing different kinds of plants and animals forever. Sometimes, humans do things like cutting down trees, creating pollution, or taking over land that changes the environment in a way that makes it hard for plants and animals to survive.
Even if we stop doing these things, sometimes it takes a long time for the changes we made to go away. Meanwhile, the plants and animals might still be struggling to survive. They might not disappear right away, but eventually, they may not be able to find enough food, water, or safe places to live.
This delay, between when the damage is done, and when there's no turning back is called the "extinction debt", and it can be very difficult to fix. So, it's very important that we take care of our environment and not do things that harm the delicate balance that keeps all living things alive.
Even if we stop doing these things, sometimes it takes a long time for the changes we made to go away. Meanwhile, the plants and animals might still be struggling to survive. They might not disappear right away, but eventually, they may not be able to find enough food, water, or safe places to live.
This delay, between when the damage is done, and when there's no turning back is called the "extinction debt", and it can be very difficult to fix. So, it's very important that we take care of our environment and not do things that harm the delicate balance that keeps all living things alive.