A fresh global survey of biodiversity literacy among students studying environment-related subjects raises concerns about the preparedness of the future stewards of this planet, while also revealing a number of encouraging signs.
Climate Change Denial Ships with chickens like the ones that swam from a deserted feed farm under five feet of water to the courthouse in Redwood Valley, California.
Currently, the students of several countries have not realized and are underestimating the fact that climate change is one of the primary factors pushing biodiversity to loss. This is very common in the cases of countries that produce a lot of CO2 like Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia.
It is this perception gap that researchers believe may be connected as to why students in these majors are not aware of how climate change affects biodiversity. According to Prof Martin Solan, departments of environmental studies at universities in these countries should take care that the connection between climate change and biodiversity loss is a topic addressed prominently throughout the curriculum. Failure to address this vital nexus could undermine the ability of the next generations of environmental leaders to devise strategies that are effective in challenging the modern biodiversity crisis.
Ignoring the harmful effects of pollution
Also concerning is that in rich countries with more intact ecosystems, such as Australia, Sweden and Germany, students often underestimate the importance of pollution as a driver of biodiversity loss.
According to the study, this perception gap may be due to the fact that pollution is not seen as a serious problem in these countries, where the state of the environment is generally cleaner. They take care to note that it could generate a dangerous complacency about the harm pollution represents to biodiversity.
If these lessons can be taken from this devastating loss, then the arguments for environmental education should stress an end to complete (and agreeable) physical environment focused education in those countries affected by and inflicting today a global biodiversity crisis.
Conclusion
The results from this massive worldwide research underscore the need to redress the lack of biodiversity literacy among tomorrow’s leaders in environmental management. Therefore, to develop and implement successful strategies for conserving our biodiversity on the planet, it is paramount that we impart up-to-date and holistic understanding of the multitude drivers in students enrolled in programs related to environment. Bridging these perception gaps will be essential to ensure a sustainable future for biodiversity and the critical ecological services our biodiversity provides humanity.
