Biological diversity, or what the cool kids call “biodiversity,” simply means the incredible diversity of life and the bajillion ways that it’s interconnected. Think of a massive spider web that is strung between every living thing on Earth!
Why is biodiversity important?
You Need Nature
We are very much a part of the web of life. So, protecting biodiversity is über important for ensuring the survival of our species, Homo sapiens. Biodiversity keeps the ecosystems healthy, which provide us with clean air, water and a stable climate to live in.
Biodiversity has economic importance too: it gives us most of the raw materials that we use for making the goods that we consume. Think of the fossil fuels that power your car as you speed off to a restaurant, the hamburger you eat while there, and the medicine you take when you get sick after wolfing down way too much food. Biodiversity also inspires us to invent innovative things like planes and antibiotics. It is these products of nature that have the power to take us “to infinity and beyond.”
Bio-Culture
The grovin’ beats blastin’ out of your iPod, the dance moves you show off at a party, and the costumes you wear at performances have all been influenced by biodiversity. It is in everything that we do: from the religions we practice to the food we eat. Without biodiversity we stand to lose all of the information in life that makes us who we are.
Staggering Stats!
– There are anywhere from 5 to 100 million species on our planet, yet only 2 million have been scientifically described.
-The average person uses at least 40,000 species of plants, animals, fungi, and microbes per day for nourishment and income.
– Global fisheries employ around 200 million people and they supply us with around 16% of our protein intake.
-Around 80% of the people that live in developing countries are dependent on plants for their medicines.
-Biodiversity has an estimated worth of US$33 trillion per year.
So what does it all mean?
You and biodiversity are one, we influence it and it changes us. By letting biodiversity disappear, we are removing the very things that make our life on Earth even possible. Luckily, you can help Earth Rangers protect biodiversity for you and every other living thing on Earth.
References
Eldredge N. 1998. Life in the Balance: Humanity and the Biodiversity Crisis. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. 2010. Global Biodiversity Outlook 3. Montréal, Canada: United Nations Environment Programme. Available online http://gbo3.cbd.int/ on 1 October 2010.
Wilson EO. 2005. The Future of Life. New York, New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
2010 is the Year of Biodiversity and Earth Rangers has teamed up with The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to bring you a daily dose of biodiversity basics
Earth Rangers is a non-profit organization that works to inspire and educate children about the environment. At EarthRangers.com kids can play games, discover amazing facts, meet animal ambassadors and fundraise to protect biodiversity.
For further information log on website :
https://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/our-faves/why-biodiversity-is-a-big-deal/
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