What is Biodiversity, and why does it matter?

Biodiversity is the variety of life within, and between species. It is the basis upon which our planet is able to function. It is responsible for the air we breath and the food we eat. It is no over exaggeration to say that without biodiversity, we would not have an inhabitable planet.

We need variation both within, and between species to create healthy and functional ecosystems. Genetic variation within a species and within an ecosystem allows for greater resilience to challenges such as climate change. Within an individual ecosystem and our planet as one great big ecosystem, all life is connected. The plants at the very bottom of the food chain help sustain the apex predators, via a complex and intricate food web. 

And of course, we humans are a part of nature too. So biodiversity is essential for our survival on this planet.

Pic by James Appleton

In 2019, a detailed report was issued by the IPCC (the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) which was compiled by 145 experts from 50 countries over 3 years. The report ranked the crises that our planet faces from most to least urgent. They concluded that loss of biodiversity was the most pressing crisis our planet faces, above climate change, pollution and non-invasive species.

Now of course, there is so much cross-over between these different issues, with each affecting the others in some way. And of course, climate change is a very real and immediate threat to our planet and our human civilisation. However, given the rate of decline of biodiversity, and how irreplaceable it is once lost, we cannot, and must not, lean on new technologies to reduce our carbon emissions if they are at the expense of biodiversity.

This means - amongst other things - not creating hydro electric dams that destroy entire ecosystems, just to create green energy. For two reasons. Firstly because we cannot risk losing any more natural processes or biodiversity because the threat to our society from this is too large, and secondly, because in-tact nature is needed for a climate-change-resilient planet. Robust nature helps to absorb carbon, mitigate against some of the effects of climate change such as flooding and coastal erosion, and create a more resilient planet.

My friends at Save Our Rivers wrote a brilliant blog interpreting the IPCC report, and I would highly recommend reading it.

How do we bring back biodiversity?

One of the main threats to nature and biodiversity is change of land use. In the sea, it’s overfishing and destructive fishing methods. We need to be creating highly protected areas, on land and in the ocean, where nature and biodiversity can once again thrive. Given the right conditions, nature can return to the places we have severely impacted it, and we can make attempts to preserve remaining biodiversity, but it needs a whole ecosystem approach. We cannot expect to increase whale numbers just by stopping direct threats to them such as whaling and entanglement. We also need to ensure the ocean ecosystems that produce their food, from the smallest plankton to the largest fish and their spawning grounds, are also protected, because these food webs are so complicated and interconnected.

I think we also need to urgently address our relationship with the natural world. For decades, we have taken an extractive approach to nature, taking what we can in order to profit. Taking too much. Extracting natural resources for things we don’t need, which has led to the one thing we do need - the biodiversity that creates the oxygen we breathe and the food we eat - to be in serious danger. We cannot approach the biodiversity and climate crises in a ‘business as usual’ approach, because our consumption, populations and demands are ever increasing. Sometimes I look at the material things we place value on and wonder how on Earth we’ve got to the place of using up our planet’s finite resources for that thing we don’t need, and the price we, and millions of less fortunate people around the world, are really paying for the newest gadget or stuff we really don’t need.

Pic by James Appleton. Cleaning a remote beach in the Summer Isles; evidence of our human consumption affecting even the remotest places.

As always, I’d like to end on a positive! I don’t want this to shame people or elicit guilt. I am also a consumer, and in the grand scheme of things am only at the start of my journey with this too. So what can we do to protect biodiversity as individuals?

1. Vote with your wallet.
Only buy products that are truly ethically sourced, and where possible, that you really do need. Look out for greenwashing, ask questions and do your research. Buy good quality goods that will last a lifetime, and buy second hand where possible. This will help to limit the resources that you need to have extracted from the Earth and sea. Better still, call out companies that are either greenwashing or unapologetically using a lot of resources unsustainably to create their products. Call them out on social media, or email or write to them and tell them what you think.

2. Choose the food you eat carefully.
Organic food has a MUCH lower impact on biodiversity than non-organic food, which uses pesticides to kill insects and other plants. Organic food is supportive of better soil, and is better for your health as it doesn't contain these harmful chemicals. It’s hugely more beneficial for the planet too. But, it does cost more, so if you have a garden, could you create your own organic veg patch?

3. Choose the meat you eat carefully.

Change in land use, often to allow for animal agriculture, is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. This is a personal choice, but reducing the amount of meat and animal products such as dairy that you eat can help here. Perhaps you could even cook a plant-based meal for a meat-eater to show them just how delicious veggies can be!

4. Choose the seafood you eat VERY carefully.

This is a minefield, and I need to write an entire blog just about seafood, but overexploitation of our ocean, and damaging fishing practices, are the main drivers for the collapse in fish stocks and the biodiversity crisis happening in our ocean globally. Firstly reducing the amount of fish you eat can help. But if you are going to eat fish, make sure you know where it’s come from and how it has been caught or farmed. As well as overexploiting fish stocks, so many fishing methods nowadays have severe issues with by-catch (catching other animals than the intended species) and some can actively destroy seabed habitats. The Good Fish Guide from The Marine Conservation Society gives some indication as to how sustainable or otherwise a particular fish is. https://www.mcsuk.org/goodfishguide/

I would advise caution with taking this guide as gospel, and do as much research into fishing in your area as possible, so you’re able to make your own mind up in an informed manner.

5. Reconnect to nature.

Spend time in nature, and encourage your friends and family to as well. Learn everything you can about the natural world around you. The deeper our connection to nature, the better equipped we are to be stewards of it. And don’t forget that this extends to the sea too! Even if you’re unable, or not inclined, to get into the sea, there’s lots to see and learn about from a beach, a coast path or a river about our blue spaces. I set up the charity Seaful to help people experience the ocean and become stewards of our blue spaces, you can learn more using the button below.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this has been helpful! If you’d like to read more about COP26 and the biodiversity crisis, please do check out my previous blog, linked below.