Talking Points

The protection of biodiversity is critical to maintain our way of life.

• Our health and survival is contingent upon the interactions of all species on earth. We are dependent on plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and their collective products for the air we breathe, the shelter that keeps us safe and warm, the pollination of the food that nourishes us, and the purification of the water we drink.
• Fortunately, through research, data collection, policy development, education, and conservation, we can efficiently, effectively, and economically create conservation plans to preserve the biodiversity that sustains us. Biodiversity conservation and economic growth do not have to be incompatible. In fact, their compatibility is necessary for the well-being of our states, local communities, and ourselves.

Humans depend on biodiversity directly for food, shelter, and medicine and, indirectly, for pollination of crops, clean air, and clean water.

• Genetic diversity increases species’ ability to resist pests and disease, adapt to changing ecosystems, and recover from disaster. Genetically-diverse crops ultimately ensure food security for the human race.
• Biological resources provide pollination and soil fertilization to ensure crop health. Insects pollinate over 40 U.S. commercial crops, providing $30 billion worth of economic value each year.(1)
• Almost 30% of modern medicines were developed from plants and animals, including antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medicines, painkillers, treatments for ovarian and breast cancer, anti-leukemia drugs, anti-malaria drugs, pharmaceuticals, and nutritional supplements.(1) Scientists estimate that biodiversity loss is leading to the loss of about three potential new medicines each year.(2)
• Forests provide clean air and water by absorbing carbon dioxide, producing breathable oxygen, cycling nutrients, and regulating water vapor. 
• Wetlands act as water purification systems by filtering water, diluting and carrying away waste, soaking up carbon dioxide, and emitting oxygen. 
• Clean air and water help to prevent illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma. 
• As the number and variety of species are lost, ecosystems become unstable and vulnerable to catastrophic events, such as floods, droughts, and forest fires. For example, the recent flooding in China and Italy was caused by deforestation and overgrazing. 
• Biodiversity creates natural places for recreational and economic activities, such as canoeing, hiking, gardening, hunting, and fishing. 
• More than 130 million people visit U.S. national parks each year.(1)

A healthy economy depends on healthy biodiversity. 

• Ecosystems provide an estimated $33 trillion in ecological services worldwide each year, which is almost twice as much as the estimated $18 trillion combined gross domestic product generated by human services each year.(3) 
• More than $200 million of revenue was lost due to the destruction of U.S. estuaries between 1954 and 1978.(1)
• A survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service showed that 77 million Americans participated in wildlife-related activities in 1996, spending over $20 billion more on wildlife-related recreation than on cars.(4)

Biodiversity protection needs to be addressed at the state level. 

• Comprehensive conservation planning at the state level is the most appropriate political and ecological scale. Smaller local conservation projects that have characterized activities by many conservation organizations in the past are simply not comprehensive enough. 
• Principal threats to biodiversity are habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation caused by land development. States have primary jurisdiction for land use regulation, and state wildlife agencies are responsible for wildlife regulation throughout their state including private lands. 
• State governments also manage extensive lands within their borders on which they can protect and administer biodiversity programs. Often these state-owned lands have been deforested, developed, or grazed without biodiversity conservation plans. States have the opportunity to develop programs for these lands that combine economic viability with species and ecosystem preservation. 

Biodiversity loss in the U.S. is a serious problem that needs action now. 

• Approximately 1-10 species naturally go extinct each year. Due to current human activity, the present extinction rate is hundreds of times greater than the natural rate of extinction, leading 70% of biologists to believe we are in the midst of the 6th great extinction on earth.(1)
• The current rate of decline will have devastating implications for humans. In the last few decades, the pressure humans have put on ecosystems has grown enormously and, as our populations and economies grow, it is imperative that we stop short-term exploitation and begin long-term sustainable use. 
• The United States supports the widest array of ecosystems on earth(5), containing some 20 percent of the earth’s biodiversity(6), yet one-third of these species are “at risk” or of  “conservation concern,”(5) and half of the United States no longer supports its original vegetation.(7)
• A 1995 study by the U.S. Geological Survey identified over 120 ecosystems that are critically endangered or threatened.(8)
• Biodiversity specialists, including Edward O. Wilson, believe that, if current rates of habitat destruction persist, one-fourth of the earth’s species will be eradicated or condemned to extinction within the next 30 years.(9)

The sample biodiversity legislation found on this web site will help preserve biodiversity in your state. 

A successful biodiversity plan typically consists of an assessment of conservation needs, scientific data to identify priority areas for protection, a strategy for coordinating biodiversity protection efforts throughout the state, and actual implementation. As part of the assessment and strategy, states should review current state policies and laws affecting biodiversity, research funding mechanisms, and create an education and outreach strategy to involve the public. The plan should also include: 

• A government-supported commission of diverse stakeholders who can ensure adequate interest, funding, and commitment to a statewide biodiversity plan. 
• Documentation of the goals, strategies, and methods for identification and monitoring progress in order to provide a clear mission. 
• Education, outreach, media access, and delivery mechanisms to ensure that the public, local governments, private business, landowners, scientists, and special interest groups gain access to information and have more predictability. 
• The creation of funding and incentive programs to provide stable and continuous resources to implement the biodiversity plan. 
• Coordinated, relevant planning efforts (e.g., transportation planning, stormwater management, land use planning, etc.) with the biodiversity plan to increase efficiency, and effectively preserve biodiversity.