Karin Bojs: So many stitches on endangered species

The last half of the year, people's interest in the climate has increased in an extent which I never before have seen in the over twenty years I have been covering the topic. Young people are demonstrating all over the world, inspired by the Swedish Greta Thunberg. Friends and acquaintances go by train for long distances instead of taking the low-cost airline. At the car rental facility has electric hybrid has become the alternative of choice.

In the week came a report from the IPBES, the intergovernmental organization shall be to biodiversity what the IPCC is for climate. That is to say, a heavy and authoritative compilation of the scientific knowledge, as all the serious players can stand behind.

the Message from the IPBES was all words and no visor. A million species in the world are threatened with extinction, which undermines ”our economy, our food supply, our health and our quality of life”.

the national today. It is produced by the Swedish Species information centre and are set by the environmental protection agency and the Marine and water authority.

as the red list is published every five years. The next will be about a year, and the current was 2015.

Of the latest today shows that we have about 50,000 multicellular species in Sweden. Of them, the researchers have an eye on less than half, sek 21,600 species, or 43 per cent. Of these investigated species is expected, over 2,000, which more or less threatened. Further, over 2,000 of the most studied species is assessed as ”near threatened”.

Among the endangered mammal species are, for example, several bats, wolverines, lynx and arctic fox, while the bears are assessed as ”near threatened” and wolf as ”vulnerable”.

Of fish include eel and spiny dogfish critically endangered.

several species of wild bees are on the as the red list as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable. And, of course, many other insects, vascular plants, birds, fungi, amphibians, crustaceans, etc.

I feel trying to do right for themselves. The seriousness of climate change has sunk in, although many have a long way to go to set about their lives in a more climate friendly direction.

But when it comes to biodiversity is ignorance extreme, and even among people in my surroundings that would otherwise have a track on the lot.

A friend who often publicly boasts of its high formation to build a ”field of flowers” with the lupines. (Lupinen is an invasive species, which effectively smothers other more sensitive species in its vicinity, and which should be removed as soon as you see it. Time to dig them up by the roots.)

People chop down oak trees that are hundreds of years old and mocking those who are protesting. (The old oaks are the most valuable type of habitat, we at all have in Sweden.)

with the ”zero weed”. (The biological diversity in such a lawn is to compare with a concrete slab. To mix the grass with vitklöver and other herbs are much better, and the best thing is to replace the lawn with a real field of flowers, with domestic flowers).

Known matentusiaster advocates eel on christmas ”because it is a mature tradition” and sushi restaurants serving eel without any react.

If people are biological illiterate and can't distinguish an anemone from a viol, how will we be able to know which species are threatened?

Friends makes fun of people with big knowledge of the species, and find that they exhibit the height of nerdiness.

But if people are biological illiterate and can't distinguish an anemone from a viol (also an acquaintance recently), how will we be able to know which species are threatened?

to know some really knowledgeable people, both professionals and amateurs, who have sufficient knowledge to inventory such as flowers, insects, birds and lichens. Some of them may be a bit odd personalities, but they are absolutely indispensable. The artkunniga constitute the front line when we conserve biodiversity.

We who are not as savvy can at least have some basic knowledge. We can let the sun shine on the oak trees and sälgar, eradicate lupinerna and refrain from the sushi with the eel.

Read more: Nine things you can do to promote biodiversity