The link between climate change and biodiversity has long been established. Although throughout Earth’s history the climate has always changed with ecosystems and species coming and going, rapid climate change affects ecosystems and species ability to adapt and so biodiversity loss increases.
From a human perspective, the rapid climate change and accelerating biodiversity loss, risks human security e.g. a major change and loss in the food chain upon which we depend, water sources may change, recede or disappear, medicines and other resources we rely on may be harder to obtain as the plants they are derived from may disappear, climate refugees, wars, poverty, environmental catastrophes, etc.
Dr. Sylvia Earle, described as a “Living Legend” by the US Library of Congress, is a world-renowned oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer. In the early 1990s she was the Chief Scientist of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration in the US. In 2009 she won the prestigious TED prize. As part of the prize, she was able to share a wish, which captured some major concerns about dwindling ocean biodiversity and its importance to all life on earth:
Wonderfully informative! Great post!
your time and work into this is appreciated. it is a sad state of affairs. i am afraid to even eat fish anymore:(
A great, informative post on a very serious subject.
The whole thing is so massive it’s hard to grasp – thanks for this insight