Biodiversity Conservation Network
Facts on the Foundation of Life
What is being done to conserve biodiversity?
Conserving biodiversity is important to Americans. According to a 1993 public opinion poll, 89% of the public agrees that human beings have an ethical responsibility for protecting plant and animal species.38 Seventy-eight percent of Americans believe that greater protection should be given to fish and wildlife habitats on federal forest lands, and a large majority supports the Endangered Species Act.39
Public concern over the protection of wild plant and animal species often benefits society indirectly. For example, in 1972, public outcry over the declining populations of the American bald eagle caused the U.S. to ban the production and sale of the pesticide DDT; this chemical was later identified as a serious cancer-causing agent in humans.
Global concern over the unprecedented loss of living resources has brought governments together to draft the International Convention on Biodiversity. This comprehensive agreement recognizes, for the first time, that the conservation of biodiversity is a common concern of all the world's people.40 Already, more than 100 countries have ratified it. By adding its signature to the Convention, the United States would send the global community a strong message about its commitment to protecting biodiversity.
Public acknowledgement of the importance of biodiversity has begun to influence U.S. foreign policy. Increasingly, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and U.S.-based nongovernmental organizations, the U.S. is helping other countries link their economic and social development with the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Informed leadership, supported by a growing public awareness, is critical to meeting the social, economic, and environmental challenges the world now faces.
