Is preserving biodiversity compatible with achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals?
Judging by reactions to the most recent report on global biodiversity, the answer seems to depend on where one is coming from. Last Sunday — for those who may not have noticed — was World Biodiversity Day. This is an annual event nominated by the United Nations, and intended to deepen awareness of the fact that human survival depends on safeguarding plant and animal life on Earth. This year’s biological diversity day sought to capture this concept in its theme: ‘Biodiversity is the life insurance of life itself’. Those of a semantic frame of mind, however, should perhaps not inquire too closely about the meaning of this statement. After all, life insurance is usually used to refer to the money paid to an individual in the event of his or her death or injury. It is difficult to square this neatly with the concept that those who came up with the slogan were no doubt trying to convey: that a healthy biodiversity is essential for all inhabitants of the planet to lead a healthy life. In its
