Business and Biodiversity Initiative

New Scientist has an interview with conservationist and author, E. O. Wilson in which he addresses the how and why of saving biodiversity, calling for an IPCC for species protection.

Wilson argues, "if you save the living environment, you will automatically save the physical environment. But if you only try to save the physical environment, you will lose them both."

According to Wilson, the issue is so important that only a larger degree of international cooperation will be able to stop the loss of species.  "I want to set up an effort along the lines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to protect species. The panel has had huge success marshalling global science to address climate change, providing models and the evidence to show climate change is happening, and that it is due to human activity. But it is still all about the physical world."

E. O. Wilson is also part of the Encyclopaedia of Life project, which is attempting to collaboratively record different species.

The entire interview is available here.