FOOD FOR THOUGHT- THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR BIODIVERSITY

Here we are in 2013- as part of the International Decade for Biodiversity.  May 22 is the International Day for Biodiversity.   

 

What is biodiversity?  Simply put, Earth’s myriad of life is the rearrangement of the 4-letter base-pair alphabet of DNA.  In these terms, we’re all one complex living thing, interconnected at every level.  Biologists are discovering amazing connections between us and the entire biosphere through the disciplines of paleontology, ecology, and genetics.  We share most of our DNA with other vertebrates, and for that matter all other animals.  Even half of our DNA is the same as many plants and fungi.     

The sun is the source of all life, powered by simple hydrogen turning into helium.  This flow of energy is all around us.  The ocean of air we breathe fuels our cells, strengthens our beating hearts, and builds awareness in our minds.  The water we drink becomes an oasis within us.  Soil is rich in the nutrients we require and borrow.  These elements are eventually given back for other species to use.  The whole process is planetary in scale and can seem overwhelming at times. 

Our biological heritage is under threat.  Dr Djoghlaf, former Executive Director of the Convention on Biological Diversity is quoted as saying "We are experiencing the greatest wave of extinctions since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. Extinction rates are rising by a factor of up to 1,000 above natural rates. Every hour, three species disappear. Every day, up to 150 species are lost. Every year, between 18,000 and 55,000 species become extinct.”

World conservation strategies are not yet working.  With human populations also going up what is the solution?  We are consumers.  We have created a global society that is not sustainable with our finite resources.  Those who have- do not want to give anything up, and those who do not have- want more.  There is only one really positive solution for the long term good of all life.  Education, education, and more education!  Education of teachers to know what the conservation issues really are.  Education of students of all ages to know what needs to be done for a better tomorrow for all life on Earth.  

Text and images by Michael Leveille (biodiversitymatters)