Conserving Biodiversity – Celebrating Life!

Conserving Biodiversity – Celebrating Life!

J. Prasant Palakkappillil

(The Teenager Today May 2023 pp. 18-19)

On the Origin of Species

The reflection on the universe leads us to its amazing variety and harmony. There have been any number of efforts to find the truth of the how of its origin, and we have been with the Big Bang Theory now for almost a century, which, at the best, is an effort at explanation and not an established fact.  But this miracle had always surprised humans, perhaps, from time immemorial.  We have versions with metaphysical roots like the Hiranyagarbha (Golden Womb) theory of Rigveda 10:121 and Purusha Suktam of Rigveda 10:90 or Golden Egg theory in several cultures. I am more familiar with the Judeo-Christian tradition (Torah & Bible) creation narrative which offers a very interesting story of the origin and diversification of the universe in the creation narrative. All these mythological narratives have one thing in common - the presence or power of the Ultimate in the beings on earth, implying the need to approach the phenomenon of creation and its miraculous and stupendous diversity and balance with a sense of 'awe' and 'respect', and not a mere taken-for-grantedness.  This should not or need not prevent one from exploring and experimenting, but cautions the humans, that they are not the authors of this amazingly enthralling melange of differences, but one part of it, perhaps, with unimaginable latent power and potential. 

The Biblical narrative brings in two characters in this connection - 1) Adam - who is designated to name the diverse creatures the arch-designer sets, before Adam himself is brought into being. The narrative, apparently, tries to establish the proven role of humans as stewards responsible for the upkeep of this diversity, with the command to 'till and keep'.  2) Noah - (Nuh according to Quran) who is given the charge to conserve species which would otherwise have disappeared in the cataclysmic flood, the consequence of the loss of the delicate harmony of the universe, through the unmindful, haughty indulgence and consumption of the goods of the universe by a dissipated humanity.  

The human(?) avarice that tends to set-off the fine balance of the universe is indicated in the imaginative myth of the churning of the milky ocean for the 'evergreen life nectar' (amrut), where the different categories of human species, unite forgetting their species diversity of black, white or brown (devas, asuras...), but end up flushing out the highly venomous stores of kalakut which has the potential to destroy the beautiful universe.  It is a daring Lord Shiva (shiv means the auspicious, or the one who ensures harmony or peace), who risks one's life to swallow the poisonous  output of the avaricious churning at the risk of self-destruction.  (That his consort Parvati's timely intervention to stop the vicious potion from going below his throat, saves him and the universe, in the process lending him the deserving saviour status but leaving his neck blue - Neelkanth - with solidified poisonous content -  all these and the rest form another conservation narrative from the myths).

As the planet faces unforeseen cataclysmic events especially in the form of cyclones, typhoons, tornados, blizzards, torrential floods, unprecedented snow, heat waves, increasing melting of the polar glaciers, and resultant threat to the planet and its diverse dwellers, we are faced with five-fold challenges:

1. The planet and its dwellers, including the humans, require the biodiversity to live peacefully on it.  

2. The diversity is to be understood, assessed, appreciated and protected for the benefit of the present generation and the posterity. 

3. While the humans do have great power to mould and manipulate the diverse beings on the planet, after the point of balance is lost, no human technology or effort can withhold the disasters that entail, which would affect the humans as well; increasingly, without distinction. 

4. The humans have the great potential to protect and recreate, thus be truly co-creators and saviours with the Creator, to re-establish the harmony, by restoring the biodiversity. 

5. In the context of the all-pervasive and almost unretractable human interface with every aspect of planetary diversity, the great human responsibility to cautiously and discreetly attend to the diversity of the species and systems, in promoting as well as regulating them, reviewing every step taken in this realm. 

The Destructive War Paths of the Modern-Industrial Age on Natural Common Heritage

The period of 1930s to 70s saw green revolution to increase productivity and thus ensure food security for all.  It implied intensive chemical inputs, for rapid and increased food production, which indeed seemed to produce the desired results. Productivity increased.  'Grow More Food', was a genuine slogan, which thought of producing food only for the humans, and didn't realise the significance of other species for the same. 

As early as 1945, J.C. Kumarappa reflected on issues of progress in his work, Economy of Permanence: A Quest for a Social Order Based on Non-violence. It reflects on the ethical balance with which humans have to tread the path of economic progress.

But by 1962, Rachel Carson observed the threat to the diversity of life, by human efforts to make their life safe and comfortable, especially on account of the application of pesticides in weed and pest control, and cautioned the world (United States) regarding the same. The threat to any link in the eco-system or food-chain can be disastrous to all, dawned on the human thinking horizon.  

By the early seventies several leading scientists (Club of Rome) sensed the alarming direction in which human progress was directed, and they came out with an emphatic declaration: Limits to Growth.  What humans thought to be progress was leading to the destruction of the planet which had only 'finite resources', which had boundaries. 

In 1973, Schumacher brought out his collection of essays challenging the dominant paradigm of human development with the revolutionary title 'Small is Beautiful: Study of Economics as if People Mattered'. He called for technologies that did not destroy the harmony of nature. 

In 1975 Masanobu Fukuoka, a rebel agri-scientist came with his counter (green) revolution which proved systematically, that a bio-diversity rich farm, where natural control takes place can be equally or better productive than the chemicalised, modern, western farming.  He emphasized the tapping of the complexity of the organisms that shape an eco-system and recognized farming as both an aesthetic and spiritual engagement aimed at the "cultivation and refinement of human nature".  

International Biodiversity Day

This trend of counter progress thought led to the convention on Biological Diversity being ratified on May 22, 1992.  In this connection, a day has been observed since 1993 to celebrate and protect biological diversity and from 2010, the year dedicated to biodiversity, May 22nd was chosen as International Day for Biodiversity.

“Biodiversity is the variation among living organisms from different sources including terrestrial, marine and desert ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are a part.” 

The array of themes discussed every year for the UN led observance is indicative of the significance of bio-diversity: Forest biodiversity (2000, 2011); biodiversity and poverty alleviation (2003), biodiversity and food, water and health for all (2004, 2019), biodiversity as life insurance for all (2005), biodiversity of drylands (2006), biodiversity and climate change (2007), biodiversity and agriculture (2008), invasive and alien species (2009),  biodiversity for development and poverty reduction (2010), marine biodiversity (2012), water and biodiversity (2013), island biodiversity (2014), mainstreaming biodiversity (2015), biodiversity and sustainable tourism (2017), nature based solution (2020), a shared future for all (2022).

In very simple terms, the celebration is the extension of the divine commandment - thou shalt not kill! Thou shalt not destroy bio-diversity!

On 8, October 2021, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution recognizing that the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right. This decision is a major step forward, but still limited by its inevitable anthropocentrism. Although not legally binding, its near-unanimous adoption shows consensus on the formulation, content, and importance of this human right.  

Bio-diversity, from that angle is a key to safe and healthy environment, and also serves as an indicator of the health of the environment.  Now there are litigations by citizens or citizen groups against France and Switzerland, for violating their rights in this regard by the state. 

Education for Biodiversity

What we call modern education has uncritically promoted universalism and monoculture, starting with uniformity in dressing, and increasing insistence on aesthetics of mathematical symmetry, being artificially transferred to human environs - gardens, trees etc.  Thus, our beauty concepts relied on symmetrical arrangements, straight growth - leading to replacement of local species with exotic species, including an array of palms and easily manoeuvrable sturdy ornamental plant species.  Not setting aside the beauty and value of symmetry, education should help one relish the beauty of the wild, of the natural growth of species, and coexistence that the forests teach. 

In terms of biodiversity, we come across a) the diversity of species within a given area, b) genetic diversity within a given species, say, e.g., the different rice species and c) the diversity of eco-systems, which imply the unique collections of living and non-living organisms in interaction with each other, broadly terrestrial (forest, grasslands, tundra and desert) and aquatic (fresh water and marine).  There could be several sub-division under each of these. 

Biodiversity Praxis

Teaching and learning to observe and appreciate the biodiversity around is the first step. 

Biodiversity Registers can be great learning opportunities.  Each school kid could develop one's own register, starting with the biological species one comes across, especially what is around one's homestead. 

Campus biodiversity register is a serious guided activity undertaken annually, hopefully, in an incremental manner.  It can have various components like a conventional herbarium, a digital collection of the floral and faunal species on the campus or visiting campus, a periodical group activity of bird, insect and butterfly watch, a butterfly garden, a vermicomposting unit for bio-waste management etc, and documentation of the same. The annual assessment should help all concerned to be alert to the depletion or enrichment of the biodiversity of the campus.  This can also serve as an alert regarding the appearance of invasive species and the possible natural or artificial remedial action to be taken. 

Community bio-diversity register is to be a campus social responsibility act for a local community for high school students.  As far as India is concerned, this is to be accomplished, preferably, on the basis of a division or ward or a local self-government (Panchayat, Municipality or Corporation), where annually, the exercise of the assessment of floral and faunal biodiversity,  in terms of both quality and quantity, is undertaken in collaboration with the local community, and gaps identified for appropriate action. 

The pioneering work done by certain voluntary initiatives, like that of Delhi based Navadanya, led by renowned conservationist Dr Vandana Shiva, is worth emulating at the local level for conservation of species, especially food grains.  The trend is catching up. 

Care, Conserve, Co-exist

May 22nd - International Biodiversity Day is a reminder of our great heritage, the diversity rich planet earth, but more a caution of the dangerous depletion of the same, with thousands of species disappearing annually on account of human interference.  It is also a challenge to conserve the eco-systems, also from the angle of ensuring safety, lest the species that can harm other life forms (especially human), get released from their specific eco-systems and spread across the planet. Finally, it is an invitation for co-existence with fellow beings, to take care of them, as a fellow species with more refined and powerful endowments, and relish the beauty and richness of this diversity. 

As the unknown poet sings: 

The worm that wriggles like a worm

The river that flows like a river

And me that wanders like me

Don't we make an amazing world? 

 

 

 

<https://www.gulf-times.com/article/658479/international/europe-rights-court-hears-climate-cases-against-govts> March 30, 2023

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity> March 31, 2023

<https://byjus.com/biology/biodiversity/> March 31, 2023

< https://www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-global-species-decline/> April 1, 2023

Notes:

Bio-diversity & Water Rights: Vicious cycle of interaction of the water crisis, global warming and the loss of biodiversity and natural capital is making the climate change scenario precarious. (Mazucato, Okonjo-lweala, Rochstrom and Shanmugaratnam. Confronting the global water crisis in earnest). 

"No country can rely on its own territory for more than half the rainfall it receives.  Everyone's fresh water ultimately comes from precipitation, which depends on the presence of stable ocreans, intact forests, and healthy ecosystems in other countries and regions."

Recongnizing safe water for domestic use as a human right.

Biodiversity and natural carbon sinks: Wetland erosion and loss of soil moisture causes the risk of turning the planet's great carbon stores into new sources of greenhouse-gas emissions, with devastating consequences for climate. 

Rethinking urban green spaces: https://www.rte.ie/news/environment/2023/0522/1384571-trinity-wildflower-biodiversity/