Why biodiversity loss is not a disaster

Erscheinungsjahr 2020
ISBN: 978-90-8728-353-7
Verlag: Leiden University Press

Buch, Englisch, 88 Seiten, Format (B × H): 135 mm x 210 mm

"Everyone knows that species go extinct and biodiversity decreases. It seems obvious that this loss might have disastrous consequences. Maybe because of a cascading effect we will end up in a barren moonscape – and if that does not happen, we at the very least will remain dependent on biodiversity for food, health and well-being. This publication tries to remove some fear; there are no reasons to believe that biodiversity loss will cause any kind of disaster. Nature is not like a machine that stalls if parts are being removed: a collapse of nature is not looming. And although specific species are required for practicalities, this cannot be generalized to biodiversity overall. In this book Bas Haring argues that biodiversity loss is a pity, but not a disaster. "

Autoren/Hrsg.

Haring, Bas

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Naturschutzbiologie, Biodiversität
• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Biodiversität
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Bioethik, Tierethik
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Angewandte Ethik & Soziale Verantwortung Bioethik, Tierethik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Table of Contents

1. About Biodiversity and Disasters

.1. What Is Biodiversity and What Happens to It?

1.2. What Is a Disaster?

2. Collapse

2.1. A Network of Species That Supports the Whole?

2.2. The Ecosystem as an Economy

2.3. The Diversity-Stability Debate

2.4. Do Collapses Occur?

Intermezzo: Better Safe than Sorry?

3. Suffering

3.1. Animal Suffering

3.2. Human Suffering

4. Biodiversity’s Value “Because of Itself”

5. Conclusion

Bibliography

Über Autor(innen)

Haring, Bas
Bas Haring is a philosopher, professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Leiden University and author of a highly acclaimed popular science book on the theory of evolution (Kaas en de evolutietheorie). He is called ‘the people's philosopher’ and was awarded the ‘Clear Language Prize’ for being the clearest Dutch academic.