Posts Tagged "Year of Biodiversity"

  • Does the word biodiversity hinder public awareness and what can we do about it?

    I recently commented on the relative stagnation in searches for the word “biodiversity” during the first three quarters of 2010 -- a possible failure of the UN’s Year of Biodiversity. It’s hard to say if the lackluster performance of search results reflects lack of public interest in biodiversity. 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

  • International Year of Biodiversity 2010: Heading Towards Failure?

    On January 11 this year, the United Nations announced that 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity (IYOB). Activists and environmentalists were delighted. We can imagine the words "about time" on their lips. Likewise, scientists were pleased. They had long wanted a higher profile for a relatively neglected area of the biological sciences. We've certainly seen some positive attention. For example, in July the UN appointed actor Ed Norton as International Goodwill Ambassador for the IYOB. There's been plenty of hype and bandwagon jumping, but what about results? We're now three quarters into the year. Let's take stock and evaluate the IYOB. Has