Mini-Review MR-107E BIODIVERSITY: ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE MODERN WORLD CONFERENCE REPORT Stephanie Meakin Science and Technology Division 6 April 1993 Library of Parliament Bibliothèque du Parlement Parliamentary Research Branch
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BIODIVERSITY: ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE MODERN WORLD CONFERENCE REPORT INTRODUCTION This paper is a review of a lecture given at the Canadian Museum of Nature by Jeffrey McNeely, of the World Conservation Union, on 19 March 1993. The Third Meeting of the UNEP Expert Panels on the Biodiversity Convention was held in Montreal, Canada, during the same week. Biodiversity is of concern as we grow used to hearing of endangered species and habitats. Canada in particular seems to have shown clear direction on how to proceed in the conservation effort. The lecturer praised Canada s international leadership in working towards the creation of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and in its swift ratification. The June 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity negotiated at Rio in 1992 was signed by 162 Nations. For the convention to enter into force, 30 countries must ratify it; as of 19 March 1993, Canada was the only industrialized nation to have done so. This supports Canada s claim to be a leader in the industrialized world in this area. The first mention of the term biodiversity/biological diversity was in 1988; even the 1987 Brundtland Report, Our Common Future, does not mention the term. What does this term mean today and why is it important? BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (BIODIVERSITY) Biodiversity may be defined by three concepts, all of which are important and none of which excludes the other two: ecosystem diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity. The term biodiversity implies more than the genetic material available for evolution and the number of species in a tropical or temperate forest. It also implies the whole system, how each species interacts with the environment on a global scale, and encompasses the ability to adapt to a changing environment. Society must now look at the global environment and understand the significance of global biodiversity.
2 BIODIVERSITY IN A MODERN WORLD Human beings have undergone three stages of evolution that separate us from other species; use of fire, the domestication of animals and crops, and our engagement in trade. Fire obviously provided warmth and the ability to cook food and temper metal; domestication of livestock and agriculture allowed ancestral man to settle in communities; but what was the function of trade? Trade removed our reliance on drawing support (food, warmth, materials) from the surrounding ecosystem, and enabled us to draw on the global resource base. Many factors contributed to cultural change, of which the most important led to the exploitation of natural resources and the environment. These factors include increased productivity and trade, distribution of costs and benefits, the role of government, ownership of resources, and biodiversity. Mr. McNeely used the statement I consume therefore I am to emphasize the fact that our society is a consumer society. Such a society is based on consumption. In North America, $100 billion is spent annually on advertising designed to persuade us to consume. The consumer society values nothing that is not consumable; a tree has no value in the GNP of a country until it is cut and consumed or used. Mr. McNeely talked of a cycle of cultural change, shown below in diagram form. Technological change allows for population expansion, which in turn places demands upon the available resources to the point where the ecosystem begins to break down. Competition for scarce resources leads to social strife, resulting in depopulation. With the pressure of high population removed, the ecosystem begins a recovery phase and the cycle continues. THE CYCLE OF CULTURAL CHANGE
3 BIODIVERSITY LOSS, A CONCERN? Biodiversity bestows the ability to adapt to change. Today it is estimated that approximately 0.15% of the species on earth are extinct. Mr. McNeely points out, however, that we should rather be concerned that 7.4% of species are at risk. Canada itself probably has more species now than it has ever had; we have shown leadership and are progressing with domestic programs to promote the preservation of biodiversity. Many of the species at risk are found in the tropical forest; is the risk therefore a concern for Canadians? It certainly must be, if we return to our earlier premise that we live in a global ecosystem. For example, the origins of most of the Canadian food crops are outside this country, and to maintain the viability of our agricultural system and the ability to adapt we must ensure the possibility of infusion of genes from the global gene pool. Many other sectors of our society are also dependent on global biodiversity. This is not to say that the need to protect the international gene pool is the only rationale behind the conservation of biological diversity; it is an important aspect but just as important is the totality of the benefits (ecological services) derived through the interactions only possible with the vast diversity of life. Mr. McNeely feels that politicians have a tremendous role to play in the sustainability of biodiversity. As he pointed out, a politician must be elected and to be elected one must have a platform for which the electorate will vote; thus the politician is limited by the desires of the electorate. An appealing platform usually offers a stable unchanging life style: security, conveniences and material benefits, whose costs can be deferred. The conservationist, on the other hand, must offer a platform including a fundamental change in lifestyle, restructured access to resources, and the forgoing of material benefits. Thus, the conservationist is unlikely to be elected. Even so, a 1991 poll suggested that 68% of Canadians would favour the environment over economic growth. The question we must ask is: must the environment be in competition with the economy? BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION Mr. McNeely suggested a model for the scope of biodiversity conservation. This model applies to all levels of society from the farm (village or forest), bioregional, national and international sectors.
4 ELEMENTS OF BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION STUDY: Since most biodiversity is lost by accident or ignorance, it is necessary to understand the systems and the elements within them. USE: People in the environment are not the problem. The solution is not to fence the environment off from people, since the two have always existed together; it is rather to change how we affect the environment. SAVE: As important as study and responsible use are, it is even more critical that we save part of the environment to ensure sustainable future use. Mr. McNeely calls for a Six I Approach, as follows: 1) INVESTIGATION: Learning how natural systems function. 2) INFORMATION: Ensuring the facts are available for an informed decision.
5 3) INCENTIVES: Using economic tools to help conserve biodiversity. 4) INTEGRATION: Promoting a cross-sectoral approach to conserving biodiversity. 5) INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION: Building productive collaboration for conserving biodiversity; specifically, Canada as a leader should be very careful when redirecting Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds. 6) INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES: Returning management responsibility for resources to those whose welfare depends on them. CONCLUSION The conservation of biological diversity is more than an aesthetic or moral issue; it is integral to our health and economy. The diversity of life is the foundation upon which sustainable development depends. Biodiversity loss can in many cases be attributed to human exploitation of land and resources; however, human intervention can also alter this trend. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity is a start towards a responsible course of action.