Biological Extinction
New Perspectives

Questions why species are becoming extinct, and how we can protect the natural world on which we all depend.

Partha Dasgupta (Edited by), Peter Raven (Edited by), Anna McIvor (Edited by)

9781108711814, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 5 September 2019

462 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm, 0.77 kg

'This volume provides an informative reference for policy makers and practitioners, offering new perspectives on biological extinction that adopt principles of social justice and sustainability.' R. A. Delgado, Jr, Choice

The rapidly increasing human pressure on the biosphere is pushing biodiversity into the sixth mass extinction event in the history of life on Earth. The organisms being exterminated are integral working parts of our planet's life support system, and their loss is permanent. Like climate change, this irreversible loss has potentially devastating consequences for humanity. As we come to recognise the many ways in which we depend on nature, this can pave the way for a new ethic that acknowledges the importance of co-existence between humans and other species. Biological Extinction features chapters contributed by leading thinkers in diverse fields of knowledge and practice, including biology, economics, geology, archaeology, demography, architecture and intermediate technology. Drawing on examples from various socio-ecological systems, the book offers new perspectives on the urgent issue of biological extinction, proposing novel solutions to the problems that we face.

Introduction Partha Dasgupta and Peter Raven
Prologue. Extinction: what it means to us Martin Rees
1. Extinction in deep time: lessons from the past? Neil Shubin
2. Biodiversity and global change: from creator to victim Timothy Lenton
3. The state of the world's biodiversity Stuart Pimm and Peter Raven
4. Extinction threats to life in the ocean and opportunities for their amelioration Jenna Sullivan, Vanessa Constant and Jane Lubchenco
5. Out of the soil: soil (dark matter biodiversity) and societal 'collapses' from Mesoamerica to the Mesopotamia and beyond Timothy Beach, Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach and Nicholas Dunning
6. The Green Revolution and crop biodiversity Prabhu Pingali
7. Population: the current state and future prospects John Bongaarts
8. Game over? Drivers of biological extinction in Africa Calestous Juma
9. Why we're in the sixth great extinction and what it means to humanity Partha Dasgupta and Paul Ehrlich
10. The consequences of biodiversity loss for human well-being Charles Perrings and Ann Kinzig
11. Terra incognita: in search of the disconnect Mathis Wackernagel
12. How do we stem biodiversity loss? Gretchen Daily and Stephen Polasky
13. Can smart villages help to stem biodiversity loss? Brian Heap, John Holmes and Bernie Jones
14. The new design condition: planetary urbanism + resource scarcity + climate change John Hoal.

Subject Areas: Sustainability [RNU], Biodiversity [RNCB], Applied ecology [RNC], International environmental law [LBBP], Environmental economics [KCN]