The big balance sheet of everything that crawls and flies
What is the real state of plant and animal life on our planet? This question is particularly topical now that the Decade of Biodiversity proclaimed by the United Nations came to an end last year.
In the major biodiversity report of IPBES (a sub-organization of the United Nations), 500 scientists report on the status quo of ecosystems, their living things and their environmental conditions, based on studies made all over the planet. It notes what the Earth has already lost, what is about to be lost, and what the opportunities are for those that remain. Biologist and science journalist Kurt de Swaaf has taken on the comprehensive subject. He notes that the clock shows five to twelve for the planet, but also raises the prospect that the clock can be turned back. For example, by reforesting the rainforest in Costa Rica through research and investment - if only people want to.