Bio-Diversifying Bright Minds

Invaluable, immeasurable, inconceivable - these are words we can use to describe our Earth, where biodiversity is the architect.

Vol. 1, Issue 1, No.1

Brooke Bathie

3/18/2022

---

If someone were to ask me what the most pressing environmental issue is to date, I would first ask, “Why must I choose?” There are so many matters we should be addressing, concerning every species and every unnatural, natural disaster we have had to face due to climate change, deforestation, urbanization, etc.

I would then tell that person that we should not only be focusing on the most pressing issues, but the most important ways to solve those issues. My answer is, the root of all environmental disasters and the earth’s biodiversity decline lies within the chronic lack of education in our school systems and engagement within our communities, large and small. It is a problem-solution scenario, so we must anticipate the problem and formulate the solution.

The next question may be posed, “Why is protecting biodiversity important anyways?” There is an uncanny correlation between the network within nature and the network within humankind. Think about it – without teachers there would be no one to educate doctors, scientists, lawyers, engineers, etc.; thus, there would be no one to save lives, perform research, fight for our rights, or construct complex systems that we need to survive and advance technologically.

This domino effect is present in nature as well, even though it might not be as obvious to most. Every species has their own specialized niche that allows them to support the species around them. Without fungi layering the ground, small organisms would not have food and plants would not have a nutritious source of fertilization. Without plants, there would be no oxygen and no food for larger species, therefore there would be no humankind. We would cease to exist.

So, maybe instead of asking what the most pressing environmental issue is to date, we should really be asking the question, “What strategies can we use to address every issue we face globally, and how can we reach the largest audience possible?” Once we begin diversifying engagement and education strategies, we will be able to reach the vast number of minds that make up the biodiversity of the world and keep our crucial, natural systems flowing.