Wildlife and Biodiversity Committee
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"In the end, we will conserve only what
we love, we will love only what we understand, we will understand
only what we are taught" "The sixth great extinction spasm of geological
time is upon us, grace of mankind. Earth has at last acquired a
force that can break the crucible of biodiversity" Human activities have put global ecosystems under siege:
All of these unfolding disasters, along with the now familiar syndrome of toxic pollution, loss of the ozone layer, climactic warming by the greenhouse effect, and accelerating loss of habitat are fueled by the insatiable demands of an ever-expanding human population. Resolution-a
Strategy for Action (From The Diversity of Life by Edward
O. Wilson) "The human juggernaut creates a problem of
epic dimensions... how to reach midcentury" (when population
may at last stabilize at 10 to 15 billion) "with the least
possible loss of biodiversity and the least possible cost to humanity"...
how to "save and use in perpetuity as much of the earth's diversity
as possible." The Plan: 1. Survey the World's Flora And Fauna-"In
approaching diversity, biologists are close to traveling blind.
They have only the faintest idea of how many species there are on
earth and where most occur; the biology of 99% remain unknown." 2. Create Biological Wealth-As we learn
what flora and fauna exist and understand their functioning, we
will come to value the immense biological and ecosystem services
provided by the biosphere. "I am willing to gamble that familiarity
will save ecosystems, because bioeconomic and aesthetic values grow
as each constituent species is examined in turn-and so will sentiment
in favor of preservation." 3. Promote Sustainable Development-"The
rural poor of the Third World are locked onto a downward spiral
of poverty and destruction of biodiversity. To break free they need
work that provides the basic food, housing, and health care taken
for granted by a great majority of people in industrialized countries.
Without it... hammered by exploding populations, they turn increasingly
to the last of the wild biological resources." 4. Save What Remains-To save biodiversity, habitat must be saved. To save habitat, the people who live near and around it, must see the economic advantage of saving it. "Eventually an economically secure populace will treasure their native biodiversity for its own sake.” Reserves must be made large and then larger for there is a direct relationship between the size of a protected area and the amount of biodiversity that it can shelter. 5. Restore The Wildlands-"The grim signature of our time has been the reduction of natural habitats until a substantial portion of the kinds of plants and animals, certainly more than 10%, have already vanished or else are consigned to early extinction." The deliberate expansion, rescue, and restoration of natural habitats must be a constant theme of the effort to save the world's biodiversity. Although unintentionally and haphazardly, the regrowth of the great forests of the eastern United States has restored great swaths of habitat for many species of flora and fauna. Restoration and recovery are possible. Readings and Sources: The Diversity of Life by Edward O. Wilson The World According to Pimm-A Scientist Audits the Earth by Stuart L. Pimm World Resources 2000-2001, People and Ecosystems:
The Fraying Web of Life, World Resources Institute, Washington,
D.C. For further information, facts, strategies, and thinking about the biodiversity crisis go to The Biodiversity Center at www.defenders.org/bio-cont.html or contact Jack Flatley at 717-921-2708 or by email at Riverman17018@earthlink.net Sierra Club® and "Explore,
enjoy and protect the planet."® are registered trademarks
of the Sierra Club. |
