Dossier: Biodiversity
We are losing ecosystems, species and biological diversity on a daily basis – worldwide and often forever. Humankind with its ways of producing and living endangers the planet’s biodiversity to an extent that scientists are speaking of a sixth mass extinction.
At the same time, synthetic biology and new genetic engineering technologies pose various risks and challenges for regulation. How can we protect biological and genetic diversity? What trends are threatening and destroying our ecosystems? And what does that have to do with global justice? Our dossier illustrates new developments and their background.
Events
Videos
Event Series: Why Biodiversity Matters
#1 Introduction and overview
Part one of gives an introduction to the current biodiversity crisis and its challenges, identifies its drivers and examines possible solutions.
With Jutta Kill, author and biologist.
One aspect of the triple planetary crisis we are currently facing is the loss of biodiversity. Plant and animal species have been declining at an alarming rate in recent decades, due to human activity. Biodiversity loss is closely interlinked with the other two aspects of the triple crisis: climate change and pollution. They are, in fact, symptoms of the same human-induced crisis. But what does that mean for our work? What are the effects and why does biodiversity matter?
In our three-part online seminar series we look at the close parallels between biodiversity loss and climate chaos, both in terms of the drivers of destruction and of the (false) solutions that are at the centre of international discourse and UN climate and biodiversity negotiations.
We also take a look at the Global Biodiversity Framework which seeks to address the biodiversity crisis and to set a pathway to “living in harmony with nature” by 2050. However, some of the proposed solutions are still diffuse while others clearly head in the wrong direction and would only exacerbate the triple planetary crisis. So what are real solutions and what does it take to get there?
Event series: Contested Nature
UN Convention on Biological Diversity at a Crossroads?
Language: German / English
Gene Drives – Protecting People and Nature through Genetic Extermination? - Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Watch on YouTube
Gene Drives – Protecting People and Nature through Genetic Extermination?
Language: English
Le forçage génétique - Protéger les personnes et la nature grâce à l'extermination génétique? - Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Watch on YouTube
Le forçage génétique - Protéger les personnes et la nature grâce à l'extermination génétique?
Language: French
Who will Profit from Biological Diversity in the Future?
Language: English
Saving biodiversity and the climate with “natural climate solutions”? - Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Watch on YouTube
Saving biodiversity and the climate with “natural climate solutions”?
Language: English
Presentation: Contested Natures: Saving biodiversity and the climate with "natural climate solutions"? by Dr. Kate Dooley (University of Melbourne) download as PDF >>
¿Quién sacará beneficio de la diversidad biológica en el futuro? - Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Watch on YouTube
Who will Profit from Biological Diversity in the Future?
Language: Spanish
Synthetic Biology
Synthetic Biology (or Syn Bio) describes a set of new genetic techniques for designing and engineering lifeforms for industrial purposes. As an 'extreme' form of genetic engineering, Syn Bio also creates new genetic codes.
So far, there is neither a public debate worth mentioning nor any regulation by law. This debate is currently very important for the future of food and agriculture where so-called „New Breeding Techniques“ are supposed to produce plants with new characteristics.
We look at the risks Synthetic Biology poses for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and shed light on the controversial gene drive technology.
Publications
Further Resources
Gene drives have not been tested for unintended consequences, nor fully evaluated for ethical and social impacts.
Further Resources
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
The Convention on Biological Diversity is a multilateral treaty. It entered into force in 1993 and has 196 parties.
The Convention has three main goals including: the conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity); the sustainable use of its components; and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources.
The Heinrich Böll Foundation follows the CBD negotiations and is a member of the civil society network CBD Alliance.
