Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-04-23-Speech-3-253"
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"en.20080423.21.3-253"2
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"Mr President, in the light of this debate and of Earth Day yesterday, I would like to highlight the urgent need for greater understanding of the concept of biodiversity and its implications for our society. It is a very poorly understood concept.
Virtually all of Earth’s ecosystems and their services have been dramatically transformed through human action. The current rate of loss of biodiversity is now faster than ever before in human history and there is no sign of this process slowing down. 2010 – how are you!
Many animal and plant populations have declined in numbers and geographical spread. While species extinction is a natural part of the Earth’s history, human activity in recent years has increased the extinction rate by at least a hundred times compared to the natural rate. Within well-studied groups, between 12% and 52% of species are threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN Red List. In general, the most threatened species are those that are higher up the food chain, have a low population density, live longer, reproduce slowly and live within a limited geographical area.
Within many species groups, such as amphibians, African mammals and birds in agricultural lands, the majority of species have faced a decline in the size of their population and in their geographical spread. Exceptions are almost always due to human intervention, such as protection in reserves, or to species that tend to thrive in human-dominated landscapes.
People need to be made aware of their growing ecological footprint, that it reaches far beyond the borders of the EU and that our lifestyles have direct consequences on indigenous people in the developing world. Whilst most of us now have at least some understanding of the extent of the problem of climate change, many have not made the connection between climate change and biodiversity loss.
Indeed, in this area, I think we need to link up the work of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change. In fact, I would go so far as to ask whether we still need a stand-alone COP on biodiversity. The question should be faced, and I attended the COP last year in New York.
Yes, I agree that climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, including deforestation, must support biodiversity. I welcome Commissioner Wallström’s comments in relation to marine biodiversity issues. We must include here cold-water corals and seamounts, which shelter rich and often unique ecosystems. There are huge gaps in our scientific knowledge on the impact of climate change in marine areas. We must remember that more than 70% of the world’s surface is covered by oceans, 97% of all the planet’s water is contained in the oceans and oceans provide 99% of the Earth’s living space.
I will conclude, Mr President, not to raise your blood pressure any further. Let us be honest with one another. The goals established in Johannesburg six years ago will be impossible to achieve. Let us stop fooling ourselves and stop the talk."@en1
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