With this short article I would like to provide some general knowledge about what Biodiversity is. For an in-depth definition I would definitely suggest you to spend a bit of time on wikipedia for instance. I would even support you in going to a couple of years at the university to study it but I realize that your time is not extensible.
So, in an attempt to summarise a definition of Biodiversity I would say, it is "simply" the wonderful and amazingly numerous variety of living organisms we are lucky to have on Earth. From the tiniest like mold to the biggest like whales all of the organisms are linked and are in a complex and well-balanced organization (for instance prey/predator relationship, habitats providers...).
And how this Biodiversity is of interest for human beings, you might ask yourself? Except having a wonderful and unique view from the top of the Alps or from the bottom of the Red Sea. Except having a pet at home that you love, you don’t really like mold or spiders and therefore don't see the interest of them…
Well, me neither I don't really like them but I have to tell you: we are wrong! Biodiversity has to be carefully maintained as we would not like to extinguish any piece of Flora or Fauna. Look, you don’t like mold... well some mold likes you. Penicillium chrysogenum provides us with penicillin for antibiotics. Spiders, well in addition to eating mosquitos their venoms are studied to be used in a couple of disease treatments.
Well, me neither I don't really like them but I have to tell you: we are wrong! Biodiversity has to be carefully maintained as we would not like to extinguish any piece of Flora or Fauna. Look, you don’t like mold... well some mold likes you. Penicillium chrysogenum provides us with penicillin for antibiotics. Spiders, well in addition to eating mosquitos their venoms are studied to be used in a couple of disease treatments.
Of course it is easier to understand when we are talking about vegetables, easier to understand the importance of protecting them as we are feeding ourselves with some of them, others are providing us with material for our habitats, for heating…
What is certain is that today we have not discovered all existing species neither in Fauna nor in Flora. We have certainly not studied a major part of them. If we want to be able to, who knows, discover a HIV vaccination thanks to a molecule existing on skin frogs from indonesia or maybe some vegetables providing interesting elasticity properties that could be used in tyre business... well we have to protect this Biodiversity to have a chance to study it.
To go back to the article: Biodiversity: the next environmental issue for business according to McKinsey? ...well, almost! Click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment