Does helping animals also help the climate? Yes!
The climate and biodiversity crises overlap in many ways, and so attention to one can create solutions to both. Keeping in mind that the term biodiversity may encompass both the variety and the abundance of living animals, plants, and even ecosystems, read on for an introduction to the big picture, several fascinating (and surprising) examples, and some promising new policy developments.
Start here for some ways attention to biodiversity can also serve as climate action:
For some fun examples:
For other resources:
The United Nations is well aware of the interdependence of nature, climate, and human welfare, as these recent articles illustrate:
- “Biodiversity crisis affects billions who rely on wild species, researchers say” (Elena Shao, New York Times) This story about an assessment prepared for and approved by the U.N. is especially good on the importance of local and Indigenous knowledge.
- December 2022 saw the (relative) success of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, aka COP15. On the process, see “Drama, dismay, triumph: nail-biting climax to the world’s biodiversity deal” (Patrick Greenfield, The Guardian)
- For a summary of and some context for the COP15 agreement, see “2022: the year rewilding went mainstream — and a biodiversity deal gave the world hope.” (Max Benato, The Guardian) Beginning with a reminder of the “1 million species at risk of extinction and a 69% average plunge in wildlife populations between 1970 and 2018,” this piece is full of links to related Guardian stories.
- In March 2023, all members of the U.N. agreed to a high seas treaty, the first since 1982 and an important step toward significant global action: “Nations agree on ‘world-changing’ deal to protect ocean life.” (Leo Sands and Dino Grandoni, The Washington Post)
