178: Why Biodiversity Matters with Nigel Dudley

“Why Biodiversity Matters” is fundamentally a philosophy book. However, the author and our guest, Nigel Dudley, is not a philosopher but an accomplished conservation biologist who has accumulated an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience working on conservation projects across the world. He has worked as a consultant ecologist with international organisations like WWF International, IUCN and UNESCO. He is a co-founder of Equilibrium Research and Industry Fellow in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is the author and editor of numerous titles, including being a co-author of Leaving Space for Nature (Routledge, 2020), Arguments for Protected Areas (Routledge, 2010) and Authenticity in Nature (Routledge, 2011).

The book is an interesting and thoughtful discussion on the subject of “rights” applied to different entities. The author analyses the overlaps, synergies and also contradictions between concepts like ecosystem rights, biodiversity rights, animal rights and, last but not least, human rights. While reading the book I was impressed by the deep analysis which at the same time was presented in simple and easy to understand language. Everything is illustrated with stories and examples taken from the author’s vast experience in places like Vietnam, Bhutan, Africa, Tanzania, the UK, and South America.

I found this book to be insightful, balanced and thought-provoking. Especially since it deals head-on with widely discussed hot-button topics like human-made ecosystems, invasive species, predator control, trophy hunting and the disproportionate attention given to charismatic megafauna at the expense of wildlife that is “more important” from the ecological point of view. Whoever tried their hand at discussing these topics at any length is well aware of how nuanced and difficult such discussions can be. So, more kudos to the author for concisely and competently dealing with them in his book.

I would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the different concepts of rights as they relate to the environment as well as the wildlife and humans inhabiting it. As always, you can purchase the book using the link below and by doing so, you will support my work as I’ll get a small commission from each sale.

All life on Earth has the right to exist, but as we teeter on the verge of a sixth extinction this book discusses why biodiversity matters and why we should care if species go extinct.
We are witnessing the largest and fastest rate of extinction in the history of the planet. While the concept of rights is a human one, all plants and animals strive to survive, and this book argues for their rights to continue doing so without being driven into premature extinction by human actions.

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