Christian Ecology Link:
Biodiversity and Nagoya
Biodiversity is - The variety of life – The variety of genes, species and ecosystems. Biodiversity is being destroyed.
Ecosystem services are essential for human well-being and survival.
The Conference in Nagoya, Japan 18-29 October will make (another) treaty to try and protect biodiversity. It is vital the treaty succeeds.
Please encourage others to display and use the prayer printed overleaf, and print it in parish magazines.
To choose the prayer with other backgrounds visit
The information and weblinks below are provided for those who wish to learn more about the treaty.
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Nagoya's COP10 conference will decide (or not) a 10-year globalbiodiversity treaty to protect critical ecosystems and indigenouspeoples everywhere. 18-29 Oct 2010, Nagoya, Japan
The Convention on Biological Diversity has 193 signatory parties (192countries and the EU). The USA has signed but not ratified the treaty.It was first opened for signatures at the Earth Summit in Rio deJaneiro in 1992.
In 2002, governments adopted the goal of significantly reducing theglobal rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. All countries have failed.
- An NGO Wake-up Call for All Life on earth - this
readable website for campaigners shows why it is vital we savebiodiversity. It explains why many big organisations will try anddilute aspects of the treaty
2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity report (TEEB) - See this report online – it show the great money value of ecosystems.- It will be presented at COP10
Explanation of COP10; anddiscusses why people are ignoring biodiversityloss.
Convention on Biological Diversity Website
On 22 Sept 2010there was a UN conference at New York as a lead up to Nagoya. 140 heads of stateand government were attending. Whilst some analyses suggest a 10-foldincrease in spending from rich governments is needed to halt theglobal decline in biodiversity, Dr Mittermeier, president of ConservationInternational, said the true figure could be closer to 50-fold.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said “Biological diversity underpins the functioning and the provision of ecosystem servicesessential for human well-being .. The maintenance and restoration ofnatural infrastructure can provide economic gains worth trillions ofdollars a year" These sums are far greater than the money involved in the banking
crisis two years ago.
He said:"A rescue package similar to that introduced after the globalfinancial crisis is urgently needed to halt the worldwide loss ofbiodiversity, which is resulting in a heavy human cost.” “We are bankrupting our natural economy,”
Photos:
African elephant at sunset, Amboseli, Kenya © Mark Boulton
Burchell's zebra at sunset, Amboseli, Kenya © Mark Boulton
Gannet in flight, Bass Rock, UK © Mark Boulton
Poster by Christian Ecology Link (CEL)