E.O. Wilson on Biodiversity.

E.O. Wilson, a self-proclaimed secular humanist, believes that human beings are fundamentally inclined toward preservation of the natural world. As he explains in his book The Creation, people are naturally inclined to care deeply about nature, but unable to articulate what preserving nature means to them personally. Wilson makes an argument that human beings depend on nature, on the Creation, for their physical and spiritual well being. The bottom line is this: "The fate of the Creation is the fate of humanity."

Biodiversity refers to the number and variety of the species in a given ecosystem, biome, or even a whole planet and is often an indicator of how well an ecosystem functions. We are fully dependent on functioning ecosystems that are rich in biodiversity to filter our water, enrich our soils, and produce the air we breathe. Wild species provide food and resources, including a number of antibiotics and pharmaceuticals.

Unfortunately, the number of species on the Earth is rapidly declining. At the same time, the number of people on the planet is rapidly increasing. In his book, The Diversity of Life, Wilson says that a birth rate of 2.2 children per woman (the current rate is 2.6 per woman) would yield a population of 12.5 billion by the year 2050. Currently, the population is about 8 billion people and already putting considerable strain on Earth's natural resources. To provide every human being on the plant with the same amount of land, food, water and energy consumed by individuals in the United States would require an additional two planet Earths.

The increasing human population is causing the rapid extinction of many of Earth's species. As humans, however, we are aware of our place in nature and the impact we may have on it. Moreover, we are in a position to do something about it. E.O. Wilson has dedicated much of his time and effort into educating people on the impact humans are having on the Earth. He appeals to both science and religion in an effort to accomplish one goal: Save Creation. Preserve biodiversity and allow for the perpetuation of life on Earth.