Biodiversity
‘It is that range of biodiversity that we must care for - the whole thing - rather than just one or two stars’- David Attenborough
The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth. Restoring biodiversity and soils will help to solve the climate and nature crises.
Survival of ALL LIFE depends on it, the air we breathe and our food and water.
Biodiversity is the collective term for the variety of life on Earth in all of its forms. From microscopic fungi in soils to mega forests, it is the manifestation of 4.5 billion years of evolution.
The biosphere is the area of the planet where biodiversity- that includes us, is found. From the depths of oceanic trenches to the air above the highest mountains.
The term biodiversity originated from the late Dr Thomas Lovejoy who stated:
'Finding our way through the climate crisis also requires that we remember how our home planet works …without biological diversity, there is no other life on Earth — including our own'.
Climate change is causing biodiversity loss, and biodiversity loss is causing climate change. Destroying and degrading ecosystems releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than burning fossil fuels.
The consequences of burning fossil fuels - rising global temperatures, an increase in wildfires, and ocean acidification, to name a few — are devastating to the planet's biodiversity by destroying habitats and animals alike. For example, in late 2019 more than 60,000 koalas were killed by wildfires in Australia. Koalas are now on the endangered species list.
Click here to see the decline in biodiversity over time:
https://biodiversitystripes.info/#
(LPI 2022. Living Planet Index database. 2022 www.livingplanetindex.org)
To reverse these effects, we must act now and...
