Soneye Ooreoluwa Ifeloluwa

WHATCANBEDONETOPREVENTBI ODI VERSI TYLOSS? Bi odi ver si t yi sgot t enf r om t wowor ds“ bi ol ogi cal ”and“ di ver si t y” .Thi st er m r ef er st oal lt hevar i et yofl i f et hatcanbef oundonear t h( l i vi ngt hi ngs, i ncl udi ngpl ant s, ani mal s,f ungi ,mi cr oor gani sms) ,aswel last hecommuni t i est hatt heyf or m andt he habi t at si nwhi cht heyl i vei n.I nagi venhabi t atatapar t i cul art i me,t heamountof di ver si t y bet ween di f f er entpl ant s,ani mal s and ot herspeci es i sr ef er r ed t o as bi odi ver si t y.Anexampl ei st hedi f f er entvar i et i esandt ypesofani malandpl antt hat l i vei nanocean, whi l ehumanbei ngsexi stonpl anetear t h. Bi odi ver si t yar eoft hr eemai nt ypes:di ver si t ywi t hi nspeci es,bet weenspeci es andbet weenecosyst ems.I tboost secosyst em pr oduct i vi t ywher eeachspeci es,no mat t erhowsmal l ,havei mpor t antr ol e( s)t opl ay.Forexampl e,wher et her ei sal ar ger numberofpl antspeci es,t her ewi l lbeagr eat ervar i et yofcr op.Gr eat erspeci es di ver si t yensur esnat ur alsust ai nabi l i t yf oral ll i f ef or ms. Fr om t heabovedescr i pt i onof“ bi odi ver si t y” , i t sl ossi st her ef or et heabsenceof t hese speci es ( pl ant s and ani mal s)f r om t hei rhabi t at s.Bi odi ver si t yl oss i st he r educt i on,ext i nct i on,andl ossofspeci esf r om t hei rabode.I tr esul t sf r om cl i mat e change,pol l ut i onsomeot herf or msofenvi r onment alst r ess.Thi sl ossdi sr upt st he f unct i oni ngofecosyst ems;i tmakest hem mor evul ner abl et oper t ur bat i onsandt hey ar el essabl et opr ovi demanwi t ht hei rneeds.Themaj ort hr eat st obi odi ver si t yar e: cl i mat echange,def or est at i onandhabi t atl oss,over expl oi t at i on,i nvasi vespeci es,and pol l ut i on. Thusi nt hef or egoi ng, t opr eventbi odi ver si t yl oss, t hef ol l owi ngshoul dbeputi n pl ace. 1)Pr oduct st hatar eecof r i endl ywi t hecol abel sshoul dbepur chasedi nhomes andof f i cesast heyal l owconsumer st ol ear nwhatpr oduct sar emadef r om and t heper cent agesoft hei ngr edi ent si nt hepr oduct . 2)Recycl i ngal lpl ast i candgl asspr oduct si nahousehol dast hi spr event st he over useofpet r ol eum pr oduct si nt hemaki ngofi t ems,al sopr ot ect st r essand f or est susedi npaperpr oduct s. 3)Theuseofpr oduct st hatdamaget heozonel ayer ,t heenvi r onmentandadds pol l ut i ont ot heai rwebr eat hesuchast hoset hatcomesi naer osolcansshoul d ber educedorel i mi nat ed. 4)Consumemor eofor gani cal l ygr ownpl ant s,t hesef r ui t sandveget abl esgr own wi t houtt heuseofhar mf ulf er t i l i zer sof t enmadeofchemi cal sandcomponent s. Meatpr oduct sofani mal sf ed wi t h gr assoror gani cf eed i t emsshoul d be pur chased.Rest aur ant st hatuser ecycl edpaperpr oduct sshoul dbesuppor t ed as t hey pur chase pr oduct s t hat ar e gr een,t her eby pr omot i ng gl obal def or est at i onef f or t s, r educewast eofhousehol df oodr esour ces. 5)Getr i dofout doorpest susi ngnat ur alsoi landcompost i ngef f or t s, t hi spr ev ent s pl ant sandveget abl esl oss.Fr ui t sandveget abl esnat ur al l ygr ownshoul dbe consumedi nst eadoft hoset hathavebeengenet i cal l ymodi f i ed. 6)Li t t er sf r om par ks,yar dsandgar densi nt hecommuni t ysuchascansand pl ast i car enotbi odegr adabl eandcanaf f ecthabi t at snegat i vel ywhenl ef tal one. 7)Seaf oodi t emst hathavebeencer t i f i edshoul dbepur chased. 8)Bat t er i est hatar er echar geabl ewi t hr el at edki t sshoul dbeused.Tur nof fl i ght s af t erl eavi ngar oom,ener gyconser vi ngl i ghtbul bsshoul dbeusedi nyour house.Putpur chasi ngavehi cl et hatusesl essf uelorf unct i onsel ect r i cal l yi nt o consi der at i on. 9)Cl eani ngcompani esandser vi cest hatusegr eenpr oduct sshoul dbehi r ed.They donotusehar shchemi cal si ncl eani ng,sur gepr ot ect or sshoul dbei nst al l edi n homesandof f i ces.Cl oseyourcur t ai nsdur i ngt hesummermont hsoft heyear , t r eesshoul dbepl ant ednearyourhomet opr oduceshadedur i ngsummer ;t he useofdr yerf orl aundr yact i vi t i esshoul dbel i mi t ed. 10) Cosmet i cpr oduct spr oducedf r om nat ur aloi l sshoul dbepur chased. Oft hei mpor t antal t er nat i v est omai nt ai nt heheal t hoft hepl anet , t hesear ef ew measur esweshoul dadher et o, t opr eventbi odi ver si t yl oss.