The Emergence of Biodiversity as an Issue of Importance
Overview
Biodiversity, sometimes measured by the total number of different plant and animal species in a given area, emerged as an issue of great importance in the later part of the twentieth century. As an agenda item in many national and global political arenas, it was pushed by both environmental groups and scientists, capturing the attention of the public and politicians alike. Awareness of the potential problem grew in the 1970s and 1980s, while the 1990s saw the first concrete steps taken to halt the decline. This process tends to pit developed nations against less-developed ones to some extent because the greatest amount of diversity tends to be in poorer tropical nations. With much at stake for all parties, this issue is likely to continue to be hotly debated for years or decades to come.
Background
Until relatively recently, man's relationship with the rest of terrestrial life was best summarized by the biblical dictate: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." Virtually all cultures, religions, nationalities, and groups exercised this degree of dominion at some time or another during their history through farming, hunting, and other activities.
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