We are celebrating “Environment Day” amidst global pandemic. Scientists predict that if we do not change our behaviour towards wild habitats, we are in danger of more virus outbreaks. To prevent future zoonoses, we must address the multiple threats to ecosystems and wildlife, including habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal trade, pollution, invasive species and, increasingly, climate change. Species life is precious. Humans share the planet with as many as 8.7 million (give or take 1.3 million) different forms of life.  Census of Marine Life scientists. Till 2011 humans did not have a clear approximate of number of species that we share earth with. If we see in terms of biomass & biodiversity we have these details to ponder.

Plants – mainly trees – dominate life on Earth: they account for more than 82% of biomass;

Surprisingly in second place is the life we cannot see: tiny bacteria sum up to 13%;

Whilst our perceptions are often focused on the animal kingdom, it accounts for only 0.4%;

Humans account for just 0.01% of biomass, so we’d need about 70 trillion of us to match Earth’s collective biomass. Research article ref : https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1711842115

So after knowing few facts let’s look at ways that individuals , organizations and institutions can help spread an awareness and conserve biodiversity.

Learn More about Nature

Knowledge first. Learn as much as you can about nature and share your knowledge with others. Visit places which teaches or connects you with nature. Spare time for nature walks, visit zoos, sanctuaries, bird parks, museum, hatcheries or natural surroundings etc. Bond with nature, admire its beauty and create memories. Create a curiosity factor in kids about nature and raise them with love and respect for Earth. Cite them the examples of your childhood days when there was no virtual world and everything happened in real. And it was so fun! Tell them how your favorite time pass was gardening, playing with sand, collecting different leaves, bird feathers or stones etc. We at present will play a very important role in empowering our kids with #LoveNature trait. Did you know India is one of the 12 nations with Mega-Biodiversity, having around 8-10% species in just 2.4 percent of the land it holds? Beauty of this planet will remain with its biodiversity.

Create Love for Nature in Children

It’s important that the parents play a role in inculcating love towards nature in children. The urban & modern world is constantly losing its connection to the old roots where we learned that “Nature is our best friend and we should protect it”. The generations which will inhabit the earth in coming decades will have a greater responsibility to coexist with nature. Striking a right balance with nature will ensure the future of mankind is safe and also that of Earth.

Create empathy and compassion in your children towards all living beings. Take time to do activities with children which connect them to natural world. Always try to take them out and enjoy the little wonders of nature. Choose a school for your children that keeps “Earth Nature & Environment” as a priority in the curriculum for real time. Schools and teachers have a critical role to play in nurturing young people’s affinity for nature and building curriculum that underscore the value of biodiversity and interest in future green job opportunities. Telling youth and children about ancient or rural or aborigine methods and showing them the same will make them good individuals who will value and respect earths offerings. Inculcate environment friendly habits right from the start in children so that they make good citizens of Earth.  

Links to Explore:                               

IUCN’s #NatureforAll Discovery Zone: http://natureforall.global/discovery-zone offers a range of creative tools – from videos to lesson plans, to comic books to help you learn about nature.

TED-Ed Earth school: https://ed.ted.com/earth-school helps children & youth understand and celebrate our natural world, while learning about how dependent we are on our planet.

UNEP Major Group for Children and Youth is a group of individuals and youth organizations that work towards environmental conservation and the representation of young people’s voices in governance and conservation processes https://www.youthenvironment.org/

The Convention for Biological Diversity has created a lesson plan for teachers cbd.int/doc/bioday/2008/ibd-2008-framing-booklet-en.pdf

The World Wildlife Fund offers primary, secondary and university level educational resources on biodiversity campus.wwf.ca/

Be Aware of Environmental Issues

Have some interest in environment news. The world is continuously brimming with serious environmental issues. Increasing our awareness about degrading environment and impacts of biodiversity loss can help us to get involved & act for right decisions by the policy & law makers. Find out what your city and national government is doing to protect the environment. Increasing support for government policies and actions that conserve our valuable ecosystems will pave way towards a greener future. Also there is a need to raise voice against matters which are unheard or are causing damage to the ecosystems. Learn about wildlife trade and flora & fauna which are near to be extinct, vulnerable or in threatened category. Remember animals & plants can’t convey their plights but we humans should not turn blind to their plights. They share the earth in the same way we do. It’s everybody’s home. If you have time, join or volunteer with some Environmental Conservation Non-Profit or Community or organization.

Links to explore:

Learn about United Nations’ Act Now campaign: https://un.org/en/actnow/

Learn about IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature): https://www.iucn.org/

India Biodiversity Portal: https://indiabiodiversity.org/

Learn about Wildlife Trade: https://wildfor.life/learn/

Join Initiative Earth Page at FB for all latest action, news, updates, contests, information on Environment: https://www.facebook.com/InitiativeEarth/ or visit www.rollingnature for all the details on Initiative Earth. Also take part in #LoveNature WED Campaign 2020.

Purchase Eco-Friendly, Organic, Natural or Herbal Products

Go green! It matters. Buying all the chemicals and pushing back those chemicals down the drain overburdens the Earth. Be wise, pick earthly things which are easy on earth and doesn’t harm the environment in production and consumption process both. For instance eating organic food relatively helps in less pesticide contribution to earth’s soil. Or using an herbal shampoo will definitely help, as it is not harsh on you or the environment. Do not encourage food waste as it burdens biodiversity. Gift eco-friendly products, or switch to live plants green gifting that adds more green to earth.

Quit One Time Plastic Use: Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

Plastic is one such material that has choked up earth. The use of disposable plastic dishes, cups, straws, bags, water bottles recklessly by us have caused this piling and dumping of plastic everywhere. Shockingly plastics can take almost 1000 years to degrade in landfills. Out of all the used water bottles 25% bottles are only recycled. Cigarette butts or corners of that milk packet we cut to pour all add to the plastic pollution. This plastic menace, polybags added with aluminum cans have polluted even remotest places on earth. Animals & plants badly suffer due to these on land and in ocean. When it comes to paper, always use judiciously and recycle paper and cardboard as a rule.

Pick Up Your Litter

This one is easy, it needs bit of social sense and responsibility. Still we see people not even using bins just around the corner. If you can pick and carry your waste you are letting the nature stay as it is. Paying taxes do not give us right to litter wherever we feel like. An environmental responsibility starts at home itself, where you dispose the dry and wet trash out of your house every day. This should be same when outside, trash should find place in the bins only in public places. If you are travelling to some far flung destination, carry garbage bags to bring back the litter and dispose in your place of stay. Group picnics or travel should also aim at “Bring you litter back” concept as a [art of environmental responsibility. Industries too should behave responsibly and adhere to environmental guidelines to clean and treat their garbage and sewage. Plastic pollution has caused much degradation in the soil & ocean wildlife. Cleanliness drives can also be arranged by individuals, communities or organizations independently or along with Municipal Corporations.

Plant Trees, Have a Garden or Plants Corner

Nature can be a bounty of happiness. Planting trees near your home will help to upsize the greenery along with oxygen content. The birds will say thank you to you as these trees will provide them food & shelter too. Yes it has been proved that staying close to nature or plants makes you healthy and happy. A little step to help boost little local biodiversity here. Once you have established your little garden you will come across plenty of guests. In case you lack space, go for indoor plants in closed spaces. They reduce indoor air pollution & also have myriad of benefits. A little bit of green décor at home and office has beneficial effects on health & well-being of occupants. Institutions & organizations should demarcate a green area in their campuses and engage employees in green activities. Encourage tree plantings at gatherings or events or choose alternate gifting “Eco-Friendly” or “Plant Gifts”.

Switch or Transform to Green Living Homes

In case you are building workspaces or homes or renewing one, always look for sustainable or eco-friendly choices of living to reduce the burden of climate change on the planet. Choose to live in a completely affordable sustainable or partially sustainable homes. There are many services available in India which you would like to rope in your home. Increasing numbers of people are outfitting their homes with sustainable technology, and the resulting boom in sustainable building is a trend that is catching lot of attention.  Sustainable architecture seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings by enhancing efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and development space. Environmental sustainability helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save water and energy and reduce waste during construction and the house’s lifetime. The house is designed to prevent injuries through built-in safety features. The house is designed to save money during construction and over the lifetime of the house. A green home or workspace with renewable energy solutions like solar power, rain water harvesting, biogas etc. surely will help the environment & save lot of natural resources. Urbanization adversely affects biodiversity, keep always that in mind.

We all can protect the biodiversity directly or indirectly. It’s up to us how much we want to contribute with our actions for the well-being of Earth. Individuals, communities, and governments they all have to be in this together for maximum efforts. For a relatively small investment, high-biodiversity forests and other ecosystems can be conserved and restored as a powerful means to rein in climate change while also helping communities cope with associated storms, flooding and other impacts. There is a ray of hope.  

Amazon rain forests were not so pristine by all itself. It was in fact modified, cultivated by humans for 11k years. But still they have kept the dense cover unlike modern humans who just cut it. So there is hope that we can preserve forests and still benefit economically too from it. We just need to coexist with nature, and do not take away its delicate ecosystems due to our actions. Instead, we should work towards greener earth, by not taking away its forests & green cover and planting more. Year 2020, nature is sending us message, heed its call. Be a human! Don’t lose humanity in name of development.

Love, Protect & Nurture Mother Earth! 

Biodiversity is vital to keep all life on Earth healthy, balanced and thriving. Biodiversity is the different number of life forms on planet Earth. It is important to understand it and conserve it at all cost if we humans are to survive.

The theme for this year World Environment Day is “Celebrating Biodiversity” to spend “Time for Nature. We at Rolling Nature have our Environmental Arm “Initiative Earth” and under it we are oraganizing #LoveNature Campaign 2020 in parallel to the theme of United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

These are exceptional times in which nature is sending us a message: To care for ourselves we must care for nature.
It’s time to wake up. To take notice. To raise our voices.
It’s time to build back better for People and Planet.
This World Environment Day, it’s Time for Nature.

Image© Rolling Nature. 

What do we mean by biodiversity?        

The term Biodiversity which literally translates to biological diversity was first coined by Walter G. Rosen in 1985. Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth. It refers to the different kinds of living organisms within a given region or ecosystem. Biodiversity includes plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, and every other living being. It can include everything from the single-cell bacteria to the giant whale, from the rose plant to the Eucalyptus tree. Biodiversity can be classified at different levels: genetic diversity, species diversity & ecosystem diversity.

Genetic diversity is the variety of genes in a single species. Genes can be compared to the smallest units of biological information that are passed from the parents to their offspring. Most of the genes are same for all individuals within a species. It is what makes a cat’s progeny a cat and a squirrel’s progeny a squirrel. However, some genes within a species are different and this is why some dogs are pit bulls and some German Shepherds. Genes are the reason why your friend has got a blue eye while you have a black one. Greater the genetic diversity, more are the plants and animals resistant to diseases. Genetic diversity allows the species to better adapt to a changing environment.

Species diversity is the variety of species in a given region. The regions like tropics which have favorable conditions for life has greater biodiversity. While regions with extreme conditions like polar regions or deserts have the least biodiversity. Endemic species are the ones that exist only in one particular region and can’t be found anywhere else on the planet. There is a whopping 8.7 million species of plants and animals that exist on earth. However, only 1.2 million species have been identified and described so far.

Ecosystem diversity is the different ecosystems in a given region. Ecosystem is the community and interactions of living things with their physical environment in a region. Some example of ecosystems are rain forests, grasslands, deserts, savanna, steppe, coral reefs, lakes, etc. It is the largest scale of biodiversity as there are huge amount of both genetic and species diversity within an ecosystem.

So why is biodiversity important to us?

Almost all species on our planet are interconnected and are dependent on each other. For example, a cattle feeds on the grass. The cattle then provides manure which returns nutrients to the soil which then helps the grass to grow. When the cattle dies microbes, fungi decompose it that keeps soil fertile. This helps many plants to grow which then provides food to different animals. This is just a simple example of biodiversity at play in an ecosystem. When we explore different ecosystems we find innumerable such interactions. Countless such interactions has kept our planet sustainable and habitable for millions of years. As the biodiversity decreases, these interactions can weaken or even break that can harm all the species in an ecosystem. However, ecosystems with lot of biodiversity are stronger and more resistant to disaster.

From a human perspective, biodiversity has plethora of benefits for us. We, the people of cities and towns, of AC rooms and cars; for us wildlife is something that exists in televisions and computers. We may not realize it, but the air we breathe, food we eat, water we drink, the clothes we wear all ultimately depend on biodiversity. Everybody knows that plants are important, for they provide oxygen. Many of us might know that trees root systems prevent flooding. Some might know that trees absorb air pollutants in cities. However, very few might know that spider monkeys and tropical tortoises also help in cleaning air. Shocked, right? The carbon dioxide removing hardwood trees, depend on these fruit eaters to disperse their seeds.

Biodiversity contributes at least 40% to the world’s economy and 80% to the needs of the poor. Millions of people depend on biodiversity for their day-to-day livelihoods. For them their high-biodiversity ecosystem is a source of food, fuel, medicines & many other products made from natural materials. By selling them it becomes a source of income too for them. Hundreds of industries depend on biodiversity. Agriculture, medical, pharmaceutical, fashion, tourism all depend on plants for their success. Biodiversity is a reservoir of resources which are useful for humans. Perfumes, fibers, rubber, resins are all derived from different plant species. Many plants have medicinal value. Aspirin, one of the most popular pain relievers was originally made from bark of willow trees. Rosy periwinkle, a flower that grows on the island Madagascar can treat some forms of cancer.

Biodiversity also helps in combating climate change. 11% of global greenhouse gases are emitted because of deforestation, so conserving forests would stop the release of these gases into the atmosphere. Trees and plants also store carbon in their tissue which makes it even more important to protect them. Ecosystems like mangroves, are particularly good at keeping carbon out of the atmosphere by storing it. Forests and wetland ecosystems provide crucial buffers to extreme storms and flooding related to climate change. These ecosystems function best when all the pieces of the ecosystem are in place, i.e. the biodiversity is intact.

Many researches prove that disease outbreaks are closely linked to the loss of biodiversity. 70% of emerging viral diseases have spread from animals to humans. With the ever increasing urbanization, agriculture & wildlife trade, humans are venturing deeper into forests. This is exposing humans to the many diseases that wild animals in these forests may carry. From all the sources we can find, the COVID-19 pandemic can likely be spread to humans from some wild animal. Deforestation also accelerates climate change, which may boost the spread of disease by allowing vectors like mosquitoes to extend their reach to new regions and infect vulnerable populations of humans. With COVID-19, we’ve seen that diseases can damage not only human health, but also the global economy. By protecting biodiversity, we can prevent future pandemics from claiming lives and money.

Biodiversity also helps in preserving social & cultural diversity and identity. Species are integral to religious, cultural and national identities. All major religions include elements of nature. 231 species are formally used as national symbols in 142 countries. Preserving biodiversity is also ethically & morally important for us. Humans are not the only species existing on this planet. All organisms have right to live & we should not overhunt & overexploit other species.

One example will sump up how important is biodiversity for us:

On May 5, 2000, CNN reported that “one-third of our food-fruits & vegetables would not exist without pollinators visiting flowers.” As German bee expert Professor Joergen Tautz from Wurzburg University adds “Bees are vital to bio diversity. There are 1,30,000 plants for example for which bees are essential to pollination, from melons to pumpkins, raspberries and all kind of fruit trees — as well as animal fodder — like clover. Bees are more important than poultry in terms of human nutrition.”

Two scientists studying the crucial connection between plants, bees, and human agriculture, summarized with this warning: “Humankind needs to act quickly to ensure that the ancient pact between flowers and pollinators stays intact, to safeguard our food supply and to protect our environment for generations to come. These efforts will ensure that bees continue to provide pollination and that our diets remain rich in the fruits and vegetables we now take for granted.”

We believe, each one of us should understand what biodiversity is and how important it is to us. Through this post we will also look into how we have been destroying it, the impact of biodiversity loss and what we can do to protect it from further loss.

Biodiversity is one of the most complex features of our planet and is equally vital for our survival. Because of the huge biodiversity losses across the globe, it has become one of the major concerns for the future of our planet. Human-induced environmental changes modify wildlife population structure and reduce biodiversity, resulting in new environmental conditions Take cues from wildlife trade & emergence of COVID or such viruses which jump from animals to humans. Our future depends on biodiversity. As of now biodiversity & its conservation is a growing topic of interest not only to scientists, but also to policymakers across the globe.

We will keep continuing to inform & update you about the biodiversity and its impact & how we can protect it in upcoming blogs. This time due to the Pandemic the normal ground campaign will not happen and we are really sad about it. Still we look forward to each of you to participate & get involved from comforts of your homes and spread the message of love for earth & its biodiversity.

Like & Stay tuned to Initiative Earth https://www.facebook.com/InitiativeEarth/ FB page! Join our Initiative Earth "LOVE NATURE" Campaign for World Environment Day, 5th June, 2020. #LoveNature. Catch all the latest environmental updates & action & participate in upcoming events, contests, polls & more. Want to volunteer? Contact us at initiativeearth@rollingnature.com

About Initiative Earth: Initiative Earth came into being after 7 yrs of contribution & campaigns of Rolling Nature for the welfare of environment & Earth & through this initiative we will proactively work with individuals, organizations, policymakers for crucial actions for mother earth. We also aim to spread awareness to all masses and make this a revolution. Your support now, will pave way for better future for coming generations.

 "LOVE NATURE" World Environment Day Campaign 2020 Announced

May 11, 2020