The United Nations Decade On Biodiversity

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Jennifer Corriero and Ping Ya-Lee, TakingITGlobal,   "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 13) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

Chapter 13. David Ainsworth, CBD. Verbatim.

You are part of nature’s rich diversity and have the power to protect or destroy it. 

Biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, supports the living systems that provide us all with health, wealth, food, fuel and the vital services our lives depend on. We know that our actions are causing biodiversity to be lost at a greatly accelerated rate. These losses are irreversible, make our lives poorer and damage the life support systems we rely on every day. But we can prevent them.

At its 65th session, the United Nations General Assembly declared the period 2011-2020 “the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity”.

The decade builds on the success of the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. The decade isa chance to think about the ways that our daily activities affect biodiversity. It’s a chance to share your stories about conserving life on Earth and to inspire others to act. It’s a chance to speak up and let your concern for biodiversity be heard in your town, your country and by the world leaders. 

Here are a few things that you can do:

Learn

:: About biodiversity in your city, region and country. 

:: How your everyday actions have an impact on biodiversity, sometimes in distant ecosystems. 

 Speak

:: Make your views known to government and business. 

:: Share your knowledge with people around you, andwith the world. Post your ideas, pictures, artwork, videos and other creations on www.facebook.com/UNBiodiversity or twitter.com/#!/UNBiodiversity.

Act

:: Make responsible consumer choices. 

:: Support activities and organisations that conserve biodiversity. 

:: Join a local environmental group or organise your own activities that will help biodiversity. 

:: Be creative and find solutions to biodiversity loss. 

:: Continue your actions throughout the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity.