Monday 18 January 2010

UN Year of Biodiversity

2010 is the UN International Year of Biodiversity. The year aims to celebrate the diversity of life on the planet and to draw attention to the importance of biodiversity and how we can preserve it.


I feel that at the moment, there is so much effort put into trying to reduce carbon footprints that sometimes biodiversity loses out (think of industrial sized windfarms being built on peat bogs, think rainforest being destroyed to plant biofuels) so I particularly welcome the UN International Year of Biodiversity.

I find it extremely sad to hear people explicitly talking about a need to give up preserving biodiversity to save humans. I know that species come and species go but we're facing a possible mass extinction event that would be largely due to the actions of humans. Biodiversity helps to sustain the planet as a liveable home for humans so we need to preserve biodiversity. On top of that, I can't imagine being happy in a world without the great variety of birds, animals and plants that we still have.

(If you're in the UK, you can find out more about what's going on locally on this website. You can sign up to do your bit to preserve biodiversity here.)

10 comments:

Michael said...

Very well said. I feel the same.

Deb G said...

I think our lives are only sustainable if we maintain the biodiversity of our world. Reducing carbon foot print won't be enough, is only a part of what we need to be doing.

angela recada said...

Thank you for this post!

I get so frustrated here in the US, when for every step we take forward to limit our impact on the world around us, we seem to take two steps back. Unfortunately, it always comes down to what's good for the economy. It's short-term thinking based entirely on profits.

I agree completely with Deb, when she says our own survival depends on the world's biodiversity. Everything is connected.

SzélsőFa said...

people explicitly talking about a need to give up preserving biodiversity to save humans.

this opinion is ridiculuous and/or makes me sad, too. if there's no biodiversity, there's no chance for us humans to live.
people should really give up believing this planet is intended for human life.
it is for life, for sure, and we have the means to save it.
the means, but not the brains.
sorry for my rant, and thanks for the heads up.

steven said...

the first unit of study for my grade 6 kids is "biodiversity" we move from there. a timely and well-written post crafty! so thankyou. steven

RG said...

In the schools ... a great place to make this mean something!

Good topic!

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Michelle May-The Raspberry Rabbits said...

I'm right there with you my friend. So true.
hugs,
shell

Cathy said...

I totally agree. Our quality of life would be hugely diminished without our bird and animal friends, and the natural world. We need to look into the long term for answers not short term fixes. I agree that everything is connected to everything else, even if we cannot see the connection. It is still there.

Unknown said...

Here's to maintaining biodiversity. We need that as much or more than energy. I'm going to go out and hug a tree now. (Actually it is too cold for me).