A public consultation on biodiversity shows citizens' concern.
Flickr/Tom Bradnock
[RIO DE JANEIRO] A public consultation held simultaneously in 25 countries – 19 of them in the developing world – showed 84 per cent of participants believing that most people in the world were seriously affected by biodiversity loss.
The results of the consultation held on 15 September – organised mainly by the Danish environment ministry – are to be presented at the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity being held in Hyderabad, India, this month (October).
Some 72 per cent of participants in 'World Wide Views on Biodiversity' thought that educating schoolchildren and the public on biodiversity issues was key to protecting nature and maintaining food security.
Aiming to engage ordinary citizens in policymaking for a healthy planet, 34 meetings were held in Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, India, South Africa, Uganda, the US, Vietnam, Zambia and other countries. About 100 people selected for diverse backgrounds – gender, occupation, education and residential location – participated
Some 70 per cent of participants said they knew little about biodiversity before joining the projec t. Almost half of participants from the developing countries thought they were affected by biodiversity loss, while only 22 per cent of developed country participants thought the same.
"Biodiversity does not mean the same for everyone. For some it is an added value to their lives, for others it competes with their wish to be able to make a living from their farm land – even if they have a genuine wish to increase biodiversity," Lars Klüver, director of the Danish board of technology, an organiser, told SciDev.Net.
In Brazil, 88 people from 19 states took part in the discussion. Senator Rodrigo Rollemberg said at the session that this country had "an increasing responsibility" on biodiversity issues and that government can act together with the public to face them.
Alberto Pellegrini, a researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro told SciDev.Net that the participation of the public in science was essential. "It is very important that research agendas are defined not only by scientists but also by society."
Robert Vincin ( Australia )
3 October 2012
Biodiversity a word to cover the array of life form of the baseline assets of mankind and all living matter, Soil Water Vegetation atmosphere. The real issue is, Homo sapiens have never paid rent hence have stripped the home of all it originally provided. We need to (1) put a value on all the assets (2) set in place an actual reparation work plan (3) understand that the assets are insoluably linked damage one the others also damaged. Start with Atmosphere (300 yrs asset stripping in mostly developed nations resulting in desertifcation. Planting out of the C4 CO2 sequestering vegetation generating soil soil-carbon & elements. Well planned from coast to mountains results in transpiration rain recharging water storage supplies. (4) Apply a global tax relative to GDP a bit like annual fee to UN. Under UNFCCC carbon trading into C4 sinks starting with developing nations the low cost tax of emissions funds the plantings Developing nation Farmers Herders and community restore their deserts back to sustainable growing of food fodder and in time as soil grows forestry flora fauna.
The world is at a cross road delay in reparation Global Climate Change likely cooling will see Nature again restoring the assets without mankind. Carbon trading likely will cover the asset reparation on a fair and equal base. Reparation of the so called developing nations first will overcome need for AID and as their GDP increases they contibute to reparation of the baseline assets. The above is fair burn,use,the free assets you pay. 300 yrs of asset stripping back to heat reflecting aerosol generation in a prime cause of Climate Change hence here is the starting points. The perpetual carbon sequeatration of this vegetation that lives for 150yrs+ means that the Farmers Herders share in the income subject to ensuring the sequestering vegetation is managed. This is serious income (tax) that can be applied via a perpetual trust for other asset and humaniterian applications. Robert Vincin (see Google)
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18 May 2013