Biodiversity:

What is Biodiversity?
o When we say we want to save the planet, we use the word
"biodiversity" to encompass this entire concept - which,
granted, is a big one.
o Biodiversity found on Earth today consists of many millions of
distinct biological species, the product of four billion years of
evolution.
o But the word Biodiversity itself is actually quite new.
o "Biodiversity" was coined as a contraction of "biological diversity"
in 1985.
o Biodiversity is the huge variety of other animals and plants in our
planet, together with the places where found.
o This term includes ecosystem, genetic and cultural diversity, and
the connections between this and all species.
How much is being lost?
o Well... this is the million dollar question. And one thats
very hard to answer. Firstly, we dont know exactly whats
out there. Its a big complex world and we discover new
species to science all the time.
o So, if we dont know how much there is to begin with, we dont
know exactly how much were losing. But we do have lots of facts
and figures that seem to indicate that the news isnt good.

o
o

Just to illustrate the degree of biodiversity loss we're facing, lets

take you through one scientific analysis...
The rapid loss of species we are seeing today is estimated
by experts to be between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher
than the natural extinction rate.*
These experts calculate that between 0.01 and 0.1% of all
species will become extinct each year.
If the low estimate of the number of species out there is
true - i.e. that there are around 2 million different species
on our planet** - then that means between 200 and 2,000
extinctions occur every year.
But if the upper estimate of species numbers is true - that
there are 100 million different species co-existing with us on
our planet - then between 10,000 and 100,000 species are
becoming extinct each year.

Unlike the mass extinction events of geological history, the current

extinction challenge is one for which a single species - ours appears to be almost wholly responsible.
So without arguing about whos right or whos wrong. Or what the
exact numbers are. There can be little debate that there is, in fact,
a very serious biodiversity crisis.

Causes of this Loss

o Biodiversity has declined by more than a quarter in the
last 35 years. The Living Planet Index (LPI), which tracks
nearly 4,000 populations of wildlife, shows an overall fall
in population trends of 27% between 1970 and 2005.
o That's not good news.
o In general terms, population growth and our consumption are the
reasons for this enormous loss. Specifically, habitat destruction
and wildlife trade are the major causes of population decline in
species.
o We have...
picked,
logged,
plucked and
hunted
o the
animals,
trees,
flowers and
fish
o for
medicine,
souvenirs,
status symbols,
building materials and
food.
o And this over-exploitation (hunting, fishing, bycatch) is currently
totally unsustainable.
o In 2009, humanity used 40% more resources than nature can
regenerate in a year.
o All in all, the loss of biodiversity is, arguably, the greatest threat to
world stability and security today.
What can we do?
o Biodiversity decline and loss of ecosystem services is a
major global threat to the future of our planet and our
generations. The good news is that there are lots of things
you can do to help ease the pressure on this loss of
biodiversity.
Be good to our climate
All of us are affected by Climate Change.

Contrary to us, a lot of species are not so mobile.

Dont buy bad souvenirs
Is it made from the skin, fur, bones or shell of an
endangered species?
You are encouraging the person that killed the
animal!
Breaking a law when going through customs.
If you doubt it, dont buy it.
Save our forests by buying good wood
Buy wood and wood products that come from a
sustainable legal source
By questioning where your garden furniture or
wooden flooring comes from - you can in fact halt the
chainsaws and support those suppliers who are doing
it right!
Look out for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
label and if you don't see it, then ask, and make sure
you are only buying good wood!
Reduce your paper consumption and use recycled
paper Using 100% recycled paper saves 24 trees per
tonne of paper
Buy sustainable seafood
80% of the world's biodiversity lives in the sea and
there is still much to be discovered. At least 100
million unnamed species live on the ocean floor
alone. Yet beneath the ocean's surface there are
constant scenes of absolute and utter destruction
It's a fact that the diversity of marine life is being
systematically eroded by overfishing.
We are bulldozing, scooping, sieving and raking our
oceans for all their worth...
And leaving nothing but a wasteland behind.
Nowadays 75% of the worlds fisheries are fully or
over exploited.
Our insatiable demand for, and unscrupulous
extraction of fish constitutes the single biggest threat
to the overall health of the marine environment and
its ability to support life on Earth.
But there are ways and means to keep our oceans
alive.
At restaurant or at home, all you have to do is choose
fish which are sustainable, avoiding endangered like
Bluefin Tuna or Northsea cod and prefer seafood
labelled with the blue MSC (Marine Stewardship
Council) logo.