Green Daily

A new study says that we shouldn't be so determined to save the planet that we kill everything living on it. A report from think tank International Institute for the Environment and Development says that the current UN focus on climate change isn't much good if the agenda doesn't also consider the needs of wildlife and people.

The group says that climate change researchers should work more closely with work focused on biodiversity and poverty to avoid having their efforts cancel each other out. The report notes that while preserving large areas of forest as preserves reduces greenhouse gases, it may be harmful to people who require local resources for their livelihood. They note that "many communities are already using agricultural biodiversity and traditional practices, such as seed exchange and field experimentation, to adapt to climate change."

A second concern of the report is the current boom in "green" biofuels, which is leading to conversion of previously wild lands to grow fuel stock. Apart from being a serious and immediate threat to biodiversity, the practice also has the effect of increasing CO2 emissions by destroying carbon-absorbing landscapes such as forests and peat bogs.