BIODIVERSITY

"Small steps in battle to maintain biodiversity" by Gwynn Dyer. His International Affairs column in today's Woolwich Observer (pg. 13) is incredible. For years I incorrectly thought of these larger environmental issues as "soft" environmentalism. Not hardly! More than 190 countries signed onto a biodiversity deal that will see the area of protected land increased from 12.5% to 17%. This protected land means no development, farming, grazing or forestry. Even this 17% figure is just under half of what eventually will be required to maintain our world's environmental services. Similarily protected areas of the oceans from fishing is to be increased from 1% to 10%.