Conservation International Conference

A Convention of Biological Diversity was recently held in Japan. Many representatives from different countries attended the conversation, though the United States did not attend. The purpose of the conference was to set up a global conservation plan for the next ten years. The collaboration of representatives concerned by this issue are looking for remedies to the increasing problem of the loss of biodiversity in ecosystems.

Biodiversity is the foundation to life on this planet. A healthy and balanced ecosystem provides humans with the resources needed for survival on this planet. It provides clean water and air, prosperous insects for the pollination of crops, healthy soil, and many sources of pharmaceuticals that are so important in sustaining healthy populations around the world. Biodiversity is currently in crisis, with the current rate of species extinction at more than 1000X the rate expected. This is in turn causing problems within the ecosystem and effecting the human population. Currently, more than 1 billion people do not have access to clean water and approximately 2.6 billion people are living without proper sanitation. This problem is only going to escalate as the human population increases. Within 30 years there is expected to be 3 billion more people relying on the earth's resources. This will mean that the food output and the fresh water availability will need to double, only further pressing the natural resources.

The conference in Japan stimulated a lot of conversation on the topic of the sustainable use of the earth's resources and how to conserve what there is. The main solution from the conference is to conserve and protect certain areas and habitats from being destroyed. This idea will curve the rate of biodiversity loss and create a safe, protected area for ecosystems to prosper. It was decided that Governments around the world would need to pass laws to protect 25% of land area and 15% of ocean area.

Though the United States claims to be the super power of the world, the focus of the American Government has not been on how to protect and conserve the natural resources of the world. An initiative was started during the Bill Clinton Presidency called the Convention of Biodiversity. This initiative has not been funded or pursued by the current administrations and continues unused.

The Japanese Government has begun an initiative called "Life in Harmony". The Government has budgeted 2 billions dollars and will assist other nations who need aid for the research of conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. This issue is seen as one of the most important to the Japanese Government, thus them holding the conference, and they are willing to help others financially to help with this important issue.

This conference brought together many nations of the world that are concerned by the issue of the sustainability of the earth's natural resources and the biodiversity within ecosystems. With nations working together for the benefit of the earth, solutions are more likely to be found to slow the extinctions of crucial species and conserve the resources that are so important to us as humans.

"Think of the concept of biodiversity as the very fabric of life on earth and each species as a thread. How many threads can we lose before the fabric is in tatters?"