What is Biodiversity and Why is it So Important?

  Bio means life and diversity means a variety or range of different things. Diversity is important because it promotes the idea that no one living thing is above another. Diversity values that every being is to be respected for their uniqueness and respects the idea that we all have something special to bring to the table. All one must do to see biodiversity is to look around because Earth in and of itself is diverse. Each thing differs slightly from another, no two trees or plants are exactly the same. People have unique fingerprints, genes and dna.

Society has at least determined, in an ethical sense, that diversity in the workplace & school contributes to its' overall success. The idea is a simple one: There are many different types of people on the Earth and we all need to get along with one another. Therefore, a diverse student body will prepare students to work with different types of people and cultures. Having a diverse workplace could mean more potential business by reaching foreign markets with ease of communication.

Ethically, philosophically, and legally it has been quite easily understood why we should preserve the diversity of humans. Yet it seems as though we have neglected the importance of maintaining the diversity of other life-forms. The reason is probably because we view them as being "lower" life-forms that are only alive for our own sake because they make up our food supply, and afterall, we are at the top of the food chain. Since we are the privileged species we now have a license to breed animals to a life of pain then slaughter so our stomachs feel full. For quite some time people used to joke about animal rights but eventually a majority realized that ethical treatment for animals is a human responsibility. I'm not saying we should not eat living things. That idea is just not natural when you consider the food chain & other wild animals. What I'm saying is that I disagree with driving species into extinction when it is not necessary and when the means for food production are not ethical.

Perhaps at one point in time there were many different varieties of fruits and vegetables we could eat and humans were healthier overall due to the varied nutrients consumed therein. It's been recognized that, "supermarkets around the world essentially offer three types of apples: a red one, the Starking, from the USA; a yellow one, the so-called Golden Delicious, also from the USA; and a green one, the Granny Smith or pippin, from Australia (Vellve, Saving the Seed, 1992) (See Also, Vandan Shiva, What is Biodiversity and Why is it Important? pg. 48, par.3). The dwindling of the variety found in our fruits and vegetables should be an alarming cause for concern. Humans are biological beings, which are organic and our bodies need natural, whole & raw foods. Things that are synthetic or acidic in quantities which are too high will eventually kill us, so too will things that contain dead nutrients or not enough of a variety of nutrients that the human body needs for survival. Also, over reliance upon pharmaceuticals should be obvious, but there is a lot more at play which has been covertly shaping the way we think of health in terms of "curing" and "treating." Suppose that all sickness really stems from is a lack of nutrient rich food, and not enough diversity in our foods.

The bottum line is that science and technology must have it's limits when dealing with biological things. We were never meant to eat a genetically modified apple, when the apple was already perfected by design at it's own inception. When people have tinkered too much with nature, nature strikes back with disease and pests. This is why biodiversity is important for the stasis of life.