Forbes blogger Larry Bell is wrong about the biodiversity crisis and wrong about global warming

I’ve used this blog as a forum to highlight authors who deny the biodiversity crisis as a scam or hoax. We now have another example, unfortunately featured on the widely-read business website Forbes. I posted a plea on our Biodiversity Professionals Linkedin Group for help rebutting the article. I reiterate that plea here.

Please help me take some action! Read the article and tell me in a few sentences why Larry Bell, a professor of space architecture at the University of Houston is wrong to write “If we don’t begin to curb carbon-fueled capitalism and transfer governance and unfair wealth to the U.N right away, many thousands of as-of-yet undetermined insects, microbes and other species are most surely doomed!” Incidentally, Dr Bell (not a biologist or climate change scientist) recently wrote a book titled Climate of Corruption: Politics and Power Behind the Global Warming Hoax so you know where he’s coming from. I’ll gather the collected sentences and provide a point-by-point rebuttal to this global warming and biodiversity crisis denier.

Please can you help by providing your thoughts? You can let Larry Bell know what you think here in the comments section, or on our Linkedin Discussion. Either way, Dr. Bell has to know that he can’t just throw around labels such as “feverish global warming hype.” Dr. Bell gets more personal criticizing the likes of Edward O. Wilson, say that the species going extinct according to Wilson “primarily inhabited the computer hard drive that generated his theoretical model.” It’s time to let Bell and his ilk know that extinctions aren’t “theoretical.” Moreover, the readers of Forbes deserve better. Bell’s article sarcastically emphasizes the loss of micro-biodiversity, saying that the purported sacrifices needed to save biodiversity will benefit only insects and microbes such as Paramecium. And why the hell should we care about those, he implies. Such a mean-spirited and misleading article is not, I am sure, the quality of writing the editors of Forbes expect of their writers. Business leaders need to know that biodiversity conservation is good for business and saves money, and does not demand his fear-mongering exaggeration that we “curb carbon-fueled capitalism and transfer governance and unfair wealth to the U.N right away.”

So yes, please help me take action. Reply directly on the Forbes article, or comment here or on the Linkedin discussion, and I’ll collect together the responses from the biodiversity community and let Dr. Bell know what we think of his nasty, dangerous propaganda.

Global patterns of terrestrial vertebrate diversity analyzed in the study. Each of the 32 bioregions is colored by its vertebrate species richness (amphibian, reptile, bird, mammal richness combined; dark green represents the lowest values and dark red represents the highest values -- click on image for full size).

Explaining the variable distribution and abundance of species such as latitudinal gradients has been the goal of biodiversity researchers since the patterns were first described by 19th century naturalists.

An important paper in the March edition of PLOS (Public Library of Science) Biology throws light on these complex global biodiversity patterns.

In the PLOS paper, Walter Jetz and Paul Fine look at biodiversity patterns among amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Their analysis compares processes such as history, habitat area and productivity at different spatial and temporal scales, combining them in a single statistical framework. The model shows the relative importance of the various processes driving biodiversity, and the scales at which such processes become important.

Of course, the bottom line is how the data can be used to map the vulnerability of habitats onto species richness, helping scientists prioritize areas and species for conservation efforts.

Reference
Jetz W, Fine PVA (2012) Global Gradients in Vertebrate Diversity Predicted by Historical Area-Productivity Dynamics and Contemporary Environment. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001292

For more information about the list, see the SavingSpecies post: A directory listing biodiversity institutes

At least part of the problem may be in the term itself. In this, the Year of Biodiversity, the BBC reports that when members of the public were asked what they thought what biodiversity was, the most common answer was “a kind of washing powder.” Ouch!

Given such myopia, it’s understandable that Mike Shanahan, press officer at the International Institute for Environment and Development, would suggest on his blog that we “kill biodiversity,” i.e., that the word is ditched altogether. However, as the comments on Mr. Shanahan’s post suggest, the idea to get rid of the word is unlikely to take hold. It’s impractical to abolish it. Much media and academic discourse has already been invested in it.

A constructive approach would be to agree on a definition of biodiversity that can be included in all outreach, education and media. Indeed, Twitter user @RobertRead asks “Doesnt the term “biodiversity” badly need reframing”?

Taking that cue, let’s start with what definitions of biodiversity are already the most established. A Google search for definitions of biodiversity returned a bunch of different results (see list below).

Clearly there is a diversity of definitions! How can we make sense of the numerous variations to arrive at a consensual definition? One way is to look at the common themes. We can visualize this with a word cloud, which emphasizes the most frequently occuring words. Here is a word cloud for the definitions in the list (omitting common words such as “the” and self-referential words such as “biodiversity).

Word cloud created from definitions of biodiversity found with Google search.

From the word cloud, we see that species is clearly dominant in the definitions, followed by life, variety and diversity. Species de facto dominate in the online definitions, but there is no scientific basis for such dominance, as important as species are for conservation or taxonomy. However, biodiversity applies to ecosystems, biological communities and genetics but these are less prominent in the word cloud. Biodiversity applies to all life.

This exercise suggests that the range of definitions is simply further confusing the public, teachers and students of biodiversity. And, I suggest, formal definitions are not helping. For example, Article 2 of the Convention on Biological Diversity states: “‘Biological diversity” means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.”

Blech! How can we expect teachers, students and the public to get excited about that?

Let’s simplify the definition of biodiversity. I propose “the variety of life.” It’s all-encompassing and, perhaps, more importantly, it’s easy to understand. It’s the same definition as that used on Ecokids, the only children’s site in the list of definitions. We need to take biodiversity beyond academia. Convoluted definitions will just be a hindrance. Biodiversity as “the  variety of life” is simple and easy to understand, but still meaningful.

With this admittedly minimalist definition, “biodiversity” remains a useful term, but specifics would have to be applied in its usage. For more complex usage we can further define biodiversity as needed, for example in terms of variety at the ecosystem, species or genetic level, or referring to a region, biome or time period. The word cloud below gives a more impressionist sense of the simplified “biodiversity.”

Word cloud for the word biodiversity created from frequency of words in a simplified definition.

Is this the final word on the word? Of course not! But we badly need consensus. And we need to communicate that quickly and effectively to the media, teachers, students and the public. I hope that this post is a first step in that direction. Certainly biodiversity professionals must begin to agree and converge on common meaning and terminology. Unless we do, the public are likely to be no better informed after this Year of Biodiversity than they were before.

List of definitions of “biodiversity” found with a Google search

I have ordered the list in approximate order of authority. The ranking is based on Google page rank (measured with Page Rank Checker) combined with the Alexa traffic rank. (With Google Page rank, higher is better. Maximum score = 10. Page ranks were unavailable for some sites. Alexa traffic rank applies to the top domain only. Lower is better. Best score = 1.)

• Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or for the entire Earth. Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity (6, 7)
• the diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole); “a high level of biodiversity is desirable” wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn (6, 5,542)
• usually considered at the genetic, species, and ecosytem levels. Includes the measure of the number and frequency in an assemblage oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth370/gloss.html (5, 12261)
• The vast variety of species and stocks within a species www.genetics.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/kids/glossary.php (5, 24340)
• The natural world is multi-layered and interdependent—from the ecology of micro-organisms to the ecology of plants, animals, and humans; renewal of species is dependent upon the diversity of living systems; biodiversity as the basis of life and to undermine it is to undermine life itself www.ecojusticeeducation.org/index.php (5, 11414792)
• the diversity (number and variety of species) of plant and animal life within a region en.wiktionary.org/wiki/biodiversity (4, 829)
• The tendency in ecosystems, when undisturbed, to have a great variety of species forming a complex web of interactions commpres.env.state.ma.us/content/glossary.asp (4, 6378)
• The variability among organisms on Earth and within an ecosystem. Maintaining biodiversity is necessary to preserve the health and survival of an ecosystem www.job-hunt.org/green-jobs-job-search/green-industry-glossary.shtml (4, 56492)
• A multiplicity of species in a given area, representing various interdependent life forms. Biodiversity usually refers to native species only www.pima.gov/cmo/sdcp/kids/gloss.html (4, 69201)
• biodiverse – Biotically diverse; having a high degree of biodiversity en.wiktionary.org/wiki/biodiverse (n/a, 829)
• The variety and variability among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur www2.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/sepo/atjup/fp.html (n/a, 875)
• the number (richness) and distribution (evenness) of species in an area www.nps.gov/plants/restore/library/glossary.htm (n/a, 4762)
• Short for biological diversity. Refers to the wealth of ecosystems in the biosphere, of species within ecosystems, and of genetic information within populations web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTOED/EXTENVIRONMENT/0,,contentMDK:21813865~menuPK:5189977~pagePK:64829573~piPK:64829550~theSitePK:4681890,00.html (n/a, 6995)
• The variety of life on Earth. “Bio” means life and “diversity” means difference. www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/glossary/index.cfm (n/a, 420314)
• The totality of genes, species, and ecosystems in a region or in the world naturalsciences.org/microsites/invasives/glossary.htm (n/a, 843042)

Alltop curates feeds from the best blogs on specific topics

I am pleased to announce that Alltop has adopted my suggestion for a biodiversity topic feed on the site. You can now get the best biodiversity blog posts in one place. The page features the most popular stories to the top left of the listed sites, so it’s a great way to save time getting the latest news on biodiversity.

Alltop is an aggregator site that collects “the headlines of the latest stories from the best sites and blogs that cover a topic” to “to help you answer the question, “What’s happening?”” You can customize your page to get news on all the topics that interest you including, now, biodiversity! The site is the brainchild of Guy Kawasaki, a technology venture capitalist and author of several books on media and technology. (Learn more about Alltop.)

Here’s a list of the website feeds selected for inclusion. If you want your feed to be listed or have suggestions for other feeds, please contact me and I’ll make the request to the Alltop team. (Please note that your site must have an RSS feed to be included.)

• THE STICKY TONGUE
• OHIO BIRDS AND BIODIVERSITY
• DAVID WITHOUT BORDERS
• CBD NEWS HEADLINES
• INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF BIODIVERSITY
• ISLAND BIODIVERSITY RACE
• THE PIMM GROUP
• MIGRATIONS
• MONGABAY.COM
• THE BIODIVERSITY CREW @ NUS
• BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE LIBRARY
• UNDER THE BANYAN
• TALES FROM TORIELLO
• CONSERVATIONBYTES.COM

Our logo for the Biodiversity Professionals group on Linkedin

Biodiversity has been in the news recently (yay!). And thousands of people are actively engaged in various aspects of biodiversity (also yay!). But there are not a lot of professional networking resources specifically for folks in biodiversity careers (boo!).

A lot of the social networking resources revolve around Facebook and Twitter. These are great, but the conversation tends to be a bit scattered and is often cause-based or promotional.

Biodiversity professionals need a place where they can engage in more focused conversations. The Biodiversity Professionals group on Linkedin provides that platform. It does not have the distractions or spam prevalent on Facebook. Our Linkedin group for professionals engaged or interested in biodiversity-related careers provides features for users to:

• Engage in discussion on biodiversity-related topics
• Connect with similarly-minded group members
• Promote specific issues or causes
• Post or search for biodiversity jobs

Take a minute to visit the Biodiversity Professionals group page and request to join. (Group membership is by invitation or approved request only.) See you there!

Other resources

Biodiversity Media Alliance – Aimed at media professionals with an interest in biodiversity

A Daily Telegraph blogger asserts that biodiversity is a scam. But he's the one who's scamming.

Blogger James Delingpole has got me mad. He wrote a post on the Daily Telegraph blog claiming that environmentalists are “ditching climate change” as a cause. Instead, he says, they are taking up biodiversity as “the new big lie.”

Wrong.

One big lie is that environmentalists are ditching climate change in favor of biodiversity. Anyone who follows the field knows that climate change is one cause of biodiversity. It’s hardly likely to be “shamelessly” shoved aside in favor of the “newer, younger, sexier model” – biodiversity.

The other big lie is that biodiversity is indeed a “lie” or a “scam.” Here are four points of rebuttal to this preposterous assertion.

1. Sensationalist headline designed to drive traffic

First, such a simplistic provocative headline (‘Biodiversity’: the new Big Lie) seems crafted to get hits for a blog page on the Daily Telegraph site. There’s no attempt at accuracy. Biodiversity in of itself is not a “lie.” It’s an observation. Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. It exists. It’s there, and it begs our understanding and appreciation. So to say “biodiversity is a lie” is a sensationalist semantic diversion. Is the motive for calling biodiversity a scam more to do with lust for controversy and website visitors than with valid science or economics? It’s rather mercenary to use a topic of genuine importance and great concern just to drive traffic.

2. Author has no science background

Second, Delingpole has no background in science. He read English at Oxford. In the absence of meaningful science, his arguments cannot be given any credence. There’s more than enough science that supports the importance of biodiversity and its frighteningly precipitous attrition. Thousands of scientists, including many in the Pimm Group and colleagues, have dedicated their lives to unraveling the mysteries of biodiversity. And thousands more have dedicated decades of research to showing how intricately human well-being depends on high levels of biodiversity. High biodiversity is vital to society for ecological, economic and aesthetic reasons. How can someone with no background in science meaningfully argue against the weight of such academic gravitas?

3. Biodiversity provides services to humanity that are impossible to replace

Third, we cannot afford to lose significant biodiversity. According to a 1997 paper in Nature , for the entire biosphere, the value of ecosystem services “is estimated to be in the range of US$16–54 trillion per year, with an average of US$33 trillion per year.” Do those for whom biodiversity is a “lie” have a sound plan to provide such services once nature is no longer able to? Why are calls to preserve biodiversity, and legislation and regulation to limit biodiversity loss a “scam”? How can reasoning informed people believe the bizarre myth that preserving biodiversity is a conspiracy by governments and institutions to control the populace?

4. Human actions are causing biodiversity to disappear in a mass extinction of life

Fourth, the overwhelming consensus of scientists is that biodiversity is indeed undergoing a crisis, ranking with the great mass extinctions of geologic history. If we do care about the variety of life on Earth, and about its demise, then how is it a “scam” simply to want to do something about it — to right a wrong? It’s human nature to protect something that’s precious and beautiful. It’s the human instinct for justice and to do what is right. That’s a simple truth. Those who cannot see that truth deserve our pity. They can’t see what we stand to lose… what future generations will never experience. What of those who do see such truth but don’t care or, worse, exploit that vulnerability for their own material or social gain? What will their children and grandchildren thank them for?

So shame on those who use their talents to promulgate such nonsense, and shame on the Daily Telegraph for providing a platform to spread such misconceptions any wider than they deserve. If anyone is scamming, it’s someone who tells “big lies” to boost their Internet traffic and to cultivate their reputation as a perfidious mudslinger.

Forest fruits from Barro Colorado illustrate tropical rainforest biodiversity. (Image courtesy of Wikipedia.)

Biodiversity is in the news. 2010 is the UN Year of Biodiversity, which has done much to raise public awareness. So inevitably we are seeing more blogs dedicated to the topic.

Yay! But it’s hard to sort out the wheat from the chaff. Google “biodiversity blog” (with quotes) and you get several thousand hits.

Which of those can you put into your RSS reader? Which bloggers are engaging and authoritative but independent?

Here’s a review of the best blogs about biodiversity. I searched high and low with search engines, and used sites such as Technorati, to find them. But more than likely I’ve missed some good ones. Please let me know your favorite biodiversity blog if it’s not included!

I have tried to rank the sites in order of which would be most interesting and useful to the biodiversity community (that’s an in-joke for ecologists!). I based my ranking on:

• Adherence to the principle and philosophy of blogging (an independent, opinionated, non-corporate individual voice).
• Overall relevance and focus on biodiversity.
• Design, scope and general appeal.

I ranked the blogs from 1 to 5 — I couldn’t find ten that matched the criteria. The ranking is subjective. Some of the lower ranked sites might get more traffic than higher ranked sites. Traffic estimates are based on data for June from compete.com.

NOTE: This is intended to be a list of blogs that focus on biodiversity so I did not include the many wonderful blogs that cover conservation, endangered species, global warming, etc.

1. The Sticky Tongue
http://thestickytongue.com
The Sticky Tongue is a quirky, imaginative approach to informing and educating about biodiversity and conservation. The blog focuses on herpetology. But its Biodiversity Photo of the Day can be anything from the Vancouver Island Marmot (one of the rarest animals in North America) to the critically endangered Lord Howe Island Stick Insect. The blog’s author is Candace Hansen. She has “a passion not just for reptiles but also for all forms of wildlife conservation and animal rights.” In particular, her blog does not preach environmentalism and activism. Rather, she presents the issues, often with a touch of humor, to inform and educate. It’s only been online a short while, but its traffic has grown fast.
Compete.com traffic: ~2,000 per month

2. The Artful Amoeba
http://theartfulamoeba.com
Jennifer Frazer is a science writer living in Boulder, Colorado. She dislikes the term “biodiversity” because “it turns people off to the subject” and “It’s too often used for boring platitudes about species richness.” Jennifer has a bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in systematics and biotic diversity from Cornell University. She also has a master’s degree in plant pathology with a concentration in mycology (also from Cornell), and a master’s degree in science writing from MIT.
Traffic: ~1,000 per month

3. Island Biodiversity Race
http://islandbiodiversityrace.wildlifedirect.org
Island Biodiversity Race highlights the vulnerability of island biodiversity due to the relatively rapid loss of species from islands. The blog focuses on islands in the Gulf of Guinea, primarily Sâo Tomé. The contributors provide an account of expeditions funded by the California Academy of Sciences, the Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe government and others. The blog is hosted by WildlifeDirect, a Kenya and US registered charitable organization founded and chaired by African conservationist Dr Richard Leakey.
Compete.com traffic (wildlifedirect.org): ~20,000 per month

4. Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog
http://agro.biodiver.se
Mostly, talk of biodiversity concerns natural species and habitats. The Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog highlights biodiversity in a non-natural system — agriculture. This is important because an oft-cited reason for preserving natural biodiversity is to provide a source for new genetic material that could have practical applications, primarily in agriculture. The site’s authors are Luigi Guarino and Jeremy Cherfas, both professionally involved in biodiversity. Their goal is to collect in one place anything they find on the Internet that relates somehow to the notion of agricultural biodiversity. Luigi Guarino is Senior Science Coordinator at the Global Crop Diversity Trust and served as a consultant for the FAO and IBPGR from 1984 to 1988. Jeremy Cherfas is responsible for public relations at Biodiversity International. He has extensive experience as a science writer and editor, for print, radio and TV.
Compete.com traffic (biodiver.se): ~3,000 per month

5. Ohio birds and biodiversity
http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com
You don’t think of Ohio as a biodiversity hotspot, but Jim McCormac does a nice job of highlighting his state’s natural beauty and biodiversity. McCormac has made a study of natural history since the age of eight. His goal is to get more people interested in nature. In doing so, he says, “The more of us who care, the more likely that our natural world will survive.”
Traffic: N/A

Runners-up

Here are additional social or news sites that are relevant to raising awareness about biodiversity. (For more complete listing of links to biodiversity sites, check out Wikipedia: Biodiversity.)

David Without Borders
http://www.davidwithoutborders.com
Blog authors David Aimé and David Fabrega call themselves explorers of biodiversity. They use images and video to “gather the most current information from local entrepreneurs, scientists, and communities on biodiversity and sustainable development topics.” They’re blogging during their around the world trip planned to be completed in July 2011.
Traffic: N/A

Biodiversity Media Alliance
http://biodiversitymedia.ning.com
This social network site was created IIED, IUCN and Internews to help connect journalists with the biodiversity scientists. Its goal is to increase the quantity and quality of coverage of biodiversity issues in the media. You need to register to become a member. Members can use the blog section to share news, thoughts, ideas and publications, as well as include photos and links to other websites or attachments.
Traffic: N/A

2010 International Year of Biodiversity Australia
http://www.biodiversity2010.org.au
The site is a “biodiversity hub” for events in Australia. It is a part of the Council of Australasian Museum Directors (CAMD) International Year of Biodiversity project. The site is a venue for others to promote biodiversity news and events, showcase stories, and share ideas and find events and resources. Although it is not a blog in the strict sense, it is a great site!
Traffic: ~1,700 per month

Mongabay.com
http://www.mongabay.com
Mongabayis the most popular website in our list. Since 1999 it has been dedicated to rainforest conservation news and activism. It has done a good job reporting on biodiversity loss.Founder Rhett A. Butler does not have a biology background but he has authored or co-authored several papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. According to the site’s About page, the site has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and has provided advice and assistance to numerous other organizations.
Traffic: ~500K per month

Migrations
http://migration.wordpress.com
This blog is the work of Dan Rhoads, an American molecular biologist who has moved to the Republic of Cyprus and now works in the biotech sector. As a longtime birdwatcher, Dan is an ardent supporter of the work of BirdLife Cyprus, and this blog now focuses mostly on topics relating to the nature of Cyprus. Dan frequently covers biodiversity issues in his posts.
Traffic: N/A

The Biodiversity crew @ NUS
http://nusbiodiversity.wordpress.com
A news site about staff and students in the biodiversity research focus group at the Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore.
Traffic: N/A

Biodiversity Heritage Library
http://biodiversitylibrary.blogspot.com
Twelve major natural history museum libraries, botanical libraries, and research institutions have joined to form the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Posts are a hotchpotch of quirky insights into the literature and history of biodiversity, such as Book of the Week and links to archives such as Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club. 1899-1902 and Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. v.3 (1907).
Traffic: N/A

Zero Race
http://www.zero-race.com
The Zero Race Blog follows zero emission cars in an around the world in 80 days race. The blog is not about biodiversity as such, but the race aims to ‘raise awareness for Biodiversity Protection. “Each car has the name and the logo of a species that is threatened by climate change,” to show “that electric cars and renewable energies provide a solution to help protect biodiversity.”
Traffic: N/A

The Biodiversity Media Alliance aims to boost the quantity and quality of media coverage of biodiversity issues.

Biodiversity Media Alliance is a Ning social network for media professionals who are covering biodiversity issues. The International Institute for Environment and Development, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Internews created the site to help connect journalists with sources of information about biodiversity.

The site’s tagline is “Linking Journalism With the Web of Life.” According to Mike Shanahan, press officer at IIED in London, “Journalists worldwide now have a vital new resource to help them report on the world’s biodiversity, what its decline means for humanity, and how it can be tackled. The Biodiversity Media Alliance’s online network builds bridges between journalists and the information they need to tell this story. More than 700 biodiversity experts* have already joined the network, including scientists, policymakers, NGO staff and indigenous people from some the most biodiverse parts of our planet. This new partnership between the IIED, Internews and the International Union for Conservation of Nature aims to boost the quantity and quality of media coverage on biodiversity around the world.”

*Editor’s Note: Including Dr. Stuart Pimm.