Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability of life on earth. It involves all species, from largest to the microscopic, and the many ecosystems they form. Its importance cannot be overestimated as the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink all rely on it in one way or another. However, problems such as urban sprawl, climate change, and deforestation are threatening biodiversity, and the consequences could be disastrous. The loss of biodiversity could impact everything from food production and medicine, to the loss of ecosystems and the survival of species.

Unlike climate change, however, it is difficult to feel biodiversity loss in our everyday lives. Extreme weather, wildfires, droughts, floods, and rising temperatures are all signs of climate change that populations around the world are experiencing first-hand. The extinction of a species may not be so noticeable, but the chain reaction it causes could be devastating. Changes in biodiversity could, for example, see a microbe or insect that help kill harmful bacteria disappear. This could in turn lead to disease, food shortages, and malnutrition. As resources become scarcer, the chain of events could lead to global shortages, price increases, political turmoil, and even war.

As a result, biodiversity has been referred to as "silent killer," although increased awareness could help lead to solutions. Crucially, scientific and business interests are converging in the field to help ensure the problem is not either dominated by financial interests or simply ignored. As our lives depend on biodiversity in ways we often fail to understand, many hope that efforts to protect it will be backed by international political efforts. We are already losing troubling amounts of biodiversity, but there is room for optimism. A number of agreements have been proposed and signed which seek to underline the importance of protecting biodiversity as vital to the survival of life on earth.

At an international level, at least, efforts to protect biodiversity have thankfully tended to be apolitical. This is important as the more problem is politicized, the less likely it is that agreements will be ratified and repeated. That is often not the case at domestic levels, where issues are used to score political points. Whether politically motivated or not, a concerted effort will hopefully not doom us to the prospect of perhaps being the first species to not only comprehend , but also witness our own extinction.