What is the Half-Earth conservation idea?

“To strive against odds on behalf of all of life would be humanity at its most noble,” EO Wilson

Before his passing in 2021, the biologist and Pultizer winner, Dr. E.O. Wilson came up with a concept and plan to solve the biodiversity crisis. His research concluded that if we conserve half of the Earth, we would save at least 80% of the earth’s species. 

In Dr. Wilson’s words, “…only by setting aside half the planet in reserve, or more, can we save the living part of the environment and achieve the stabilization required for our own survival.”

This week Rep. Don Beyer (Va.), author of the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act, marked the International Day for Biological Diversity by introducing a resolution in support of that Half-Earth initiative. 

I was lucky to be at the meeting when Congressman Beyer first met Dr. Wilson in 2016 and began the collaboration and friendship that resulted in this resolution. Both men had the wisdom, caring and power to do something big and bold to save the planet.

This resolution, which calls on Congress to “work to protect and conserve 50% of the land, freshwater, and ocean ecosystems in the U.S. and to encourage diplomatic efforts to achieve this goal worldwide” is there to inspire, to motivate and give us hope that we can safeguard our wildlife and humanity for the future. 

If you are inspired to do something to protect wildlife this summer, take a wildlife walk in your local park, learn more about wildlife in your neck of the woods, plant milkweed to save the monarch butterfly, make your lawn more bee-friendly, or take one action to protect wildlife.