Institute for Domestic & International Affairs, Inc.

United Nations Environment Programme

Conserving Biodiversity During Industrialization

Director: Kelli Beard

© 2009 Institute for Domestic & International Affairs, Inc. (IDIA)

This document is solely for use in preparation for Philadelphia Model United Nations 2009. Use for other purposes is not

permitted without the express written consent of IDIA. For more information, please write us at idiainfo@idia.net

Policy Dilemma ______________________________________________________________ 1 Chronology__________________________________________________________________ 2

1949: Industrialization During the Cold War __________________________________________ 2 1960: Aral Sea Disaster, Kazakhstan _________________________________________________ 3 1966: Pollution in Lake Baikal ______________________________________________________ 4 1982: Leak at the Arctic Nuclear Dump_______________________________________________ 5 1986: The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster________________________________________________ 5 2000: UN World Summit Meeting____________________________________________________ 6

Actors and Interests ___________________________________________________________ 7 The European Union ______________________________________________________________ 7 The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) _________________________________________ 8 Russia__________________________________________________________________________ 10 Transneft _______________________________________________________________________ 10 Greenpeace Russia _______________________________________________________________ 11

Possible Causes _____________________________________________________________ 12 Pollution________________________________________________________________________ 12 Global Warming _________________________________________________________________ 12 Industrial Competition____________________________________________________________ 13 Comparison of Causes ____________________________________________________________ 14

Projections and Implications___________________________________________________ 14 Conclusion _________________________________________________________________ 16

Discussion Questions _________________________________________________________ 17 For Further Reading _________________________________________________________ 18

Works Cited ____________________________________________________________________ 19

PhilMUN 2009 1

Policy Dilemma Biodiversity has suffered major losses since the Industrial Revolution:

approximately one-fifth of Earth’s topsoil, one-fifth of suitable agricultural land, nine-

tenths of commercial marine fisheries, and one-third of its forests.1 While high pollution

levels, overexploitation, war, and global warming are all causes of biodiversity loss, the

root cause rests in unchecked industrialization. With the Industrial Revolution came the

increased ability to use more of the planet’s resources to create more goods, but at an

environmental cost that has far reaching repercussions. Both states and businesses

engaged in rapid deforestation, thereby disrupting the natural habitats of many species of

plants and animals. Pollution from the byproducts of industrialization also manifested

itself in persistent organic pollutants (POPs), acid deposition, herbicides, and pesticides.

The increased amount of air, water, and land pollution leads to higher levels of carbon

dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and nitrous oxide in the air, all of which deplete

ozone. Man-made chemicals produced for pesticides, medicine, industry, and households

spread to the soil, contaminating the ground and destroying life in the topsoil. Each

harmful byproduct of industrialization contributes to a threatened biodiversity worldwide.

The debate on biodiversity is not a question of whether or not it is declining, but

rather how it can be reversed; it is already widely accepted that the Earth’s biodiversity

levels have been decreasing worldwide as a result of pollution, global warming, and

industry. The United Nations must encourage member-nations to work together to

increase biodiversity levels. While individual nations have biodiversity action plans that

include strategies to combat biodiversity loss, there needs to be more collaboration

between nations, companies, non-governmental organizations, and grass-roots programs

to come up with a comprehensive plan. With pollution, governments also need to enforce

pre-existing legislation so that any new legislation is taken seriously.

1 Chivian, Eric and Aaron Bernstein. Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity. New York: Oxford University Press. 2008.

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Biodiversity is essential to our survival. As biodiversity decreases, so does the

quality of the planet’s resources and the physical environment. Poor biodiversity allows

for a hastened spread of infectious disease and invasive species, which threaten the crops

and forests that we depend on for shelter, medicine, and sustenance. When biodiversity

decline environmental resources are depleted and entire populations go extinct.

Conservation of biodiversity has especially been problematic since the Industrial

Revolution, when new technologies were introduced to make the extraction of natural

resources easier. Due to careless disposal of industrial byproducts, habitat loss has

reached an all time high. Biodiversity is invaluable because of its usages in medicine and

food production, and with a worldwide decrease in biodiversity, those options are

threatened.

A successful means for individual developing countries to conserve biodiversity,

outlined in the Rio Conventions, is sustainable development, where the natural

environment is utilized reasonably. Modern biotechnologies, as outlined in the Cartagena

Protocol on Biosafety, can also be used to protect the environment in face of heavy

industrialization. In-situ conservation (“on-site conservation), the protection of an

endangered plant or animal species in its habitat, is one form of biodiversity protection.

Another is ex-situ conservation, which places the endangered plant or animal species in a

new location. Tackling the problem of global warming also works towards the

conservation of biodiversity, since temperature changes causes habitat loss globally.

National plans to protect individual species, called Biodiversity Action Plans, are also

useful for hotspot biodiversity conservation efforts. Any comprehensive solution must

take a multilateral approach, creating a partnership between companies, NGOs,

governments and academia.

Chronology 1949: Industrialization During the Cold War By 1949, the Soviets had already detonated their own atomic bomb, bringing

Western Europe into a new era of industrialization. After the advent of Communism,

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most Russian territories enjoyed industrial expansion. Albania built a modern industry

mechanizing agriculture.2 Bulgaria developed iron and steel works, chemical plants, and

a successful textile industry.3 Croatia’s industrialization mirrored Bulgaria’s, with more

of a focus on mining.4 Romania’s economy was primarily agrarian post-World War II,

but after the communist regime took over, the economy was quickly switched to one

based on metallurgy, chemicals, and engineering.5 Rapid industrialization by the Soviet

Union was achieved through collectivization, the movement of peasantry from individual

private farms to large collective farms6, and forced industrialization. As a result of rapid

industrialization in Eastern Europe, cities became more urban and crowded. The

mechanization of agriculture, helped in the shift from rural settlements to urban

settlements. With unchecked population growth and industrialization during the period

of the cold war, Eastern European cities became dense industrial centers that had little

measures in place to conserve the environment.

1960: Aral Sea Disaster, Kazakhstan The Aral Sea, located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, was once the fourth-

largest inland sea at 68,000 km2. In the 1950s, Soviet planners decided to divert the two

rivers that supplied the Aral Sea for the purpose of irrigating cotton plantations. As a

result, the Aral Sea experienced a steady drop in sea level. Although the water was being

used for agricultural development, Eastern Europe still experienced soil degradation and

desertification. The surrounding soil, already saturated with fertilizers and pesticides,

was blown farther out from the sea into neighboring regions, rapidly deteriorating the soil

there. The biodiversity in these areas rapidly decreased. In addition to soil degradation,

2 "Albania." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 04 Jun. 2008 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/12472/Albania>. 3 "Bulgaria." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 04 Jun. 2008 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/84090/Bulgaria>. 4 "Croatia." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 04 Jun. 2008 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/143561/Croatia>. 5 "Romania." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 04 Jun. 2008 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/508461/Romania>. 6 "collectivization." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 04 Jun. 2008 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/125592/collectivization>.

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the Aral Sea shrunk to only 10% of its original size in approximately 50 years.7 Towns

along the boundaries of the Aral Sea that once enjoyed a thriving fishing industry were

eventually abandoned. The remaining water in the Aral Sea has a salinity level five times

what it had been before the rivers were diverted, making the water too salty for flora and

fauna to survive. The problems associated with the Aral Sea stemmed primarily from

rapid industrialization that occurred across Soviet territory. While the Aral Sea itself is

getting much worse over time, efforts at maintaining what is left of the Aral Sea, which

has since separated into two sections, are underway.

1966: Pollution in Lake Baikal Lake Baikal is the oldest and deepest lake in the world, and is estimated to be

about 25 million years old.8 The lake holds about a fifth of the world’s fresh lake water.9

In 1966, the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill was built on the shore of Lake Baikal.10 The

pulp and paper industry is one of the most pollutant industries; it pumps its liquid waste

straight into the lake and solid waste accumulates along the shore of Lake Baikal.11

Chlorine bleaching is used to purify the paper, and once the chlorine is used, it is pumped

out into the lake as liquid waste. The solid waste along Lake Baikal contains high

concentrations of heavy metals, phenols, and dioxins found in the chlorine bleach.12

Since there is no entirely safe way of dumping the waste from the Baikalsk pulp and

paper mill, Lake Baikal has been subjected to pollution since the factories’ creation. This

water pollution is hazardous to the biodiversity of Lake Baikal and has corrupted its

potential use as a natural resource.

7 Mnatsakanian, Ruben. “The Aral Sea Disaster.” Environmental Disaster in Eastern Europe. Le Monde Diplomatique. 19 July, 2000. http://mondediplo.com/2000/07/19envidisaster. 29 July, 2008. 8 Colin McMahon. “Siberian Lake a Source of Debate: Environmentalists, Mill clashing over pollution.” Tribune. 2000. http://www.baikaler.com/article04.html/ (accessed 10 December 2008). 9 Ibid. 10 “Lake Baikal and the Human Impact.” http://www.baikalwave.eu.org/Oldsitebew/humimp.html/ (accessed 10 December 2008). 11 Ibid. 12 Ibid.

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1982: Leak at the Arctic Nuclear Dump At Andreeva Bay on the Kola Peninsula in Arctic Russia, a nuclear dump exists

that stores spent fuel rods are stored. It has been in operation since the 1950’s, coinciding

with the creation of the Russian nuclear submarine program.13 The main storage facility,

named Building 5, contains two storage pools.

During an inspection in 1982, the water levels in one of the two storage pools had

ruptured and leaked into the facility. Nuclear scientists determined that radioactive water

was leaking out of the facility at a rate of 30 liters a day. The problem was left

unaddressed, and the facility was leaking upwards of 100 liters a day. The containment

plan was not drafted until August of that year, and the leak was up to 30 tons of

radioactive water a day. The Russian North Fleet planned to place a concrete iron and

lead lid over the pool, followed by covering the entire leak site with concrete. To deal

with the water spill, the Ministry of Defense built a new pipeline so that the two pools

could completely empty out and be replaced with a new facility. As these solutions were

being attempted, the second pool broke and radioactive water flowed at a rate of 10 tons a

day. The first pool was covered in December, and the entire project was not completed

until June of 1983.14

Tests confirmed that approximately 3,000 cubic meters of radioactive water

escaped from Building 5, which is located near the Barents Sea.15 In the aftermath of this

nuclear dump leak, a copious amount of radioactivity was leaked into the environment.

The base itself remains contaminated and still requires a government-based cleanup

effort.

1986: The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster In April of 1986, operators at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine were

conducting tests concerning the turbines of the Nuclear Reactor. When the power output

was increasing to unstable rates, the operator went to shut down the reactor. However, 13 “Andreeva Bay Nuclear Waste.” http://www.american.edu/ted/andreeva.htm/ (accessed 10 December 2008). 14 Ibid. 15 Ibid.

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the design was flawed during construction, and a power surge caused the system to break,

releasing gases that ignited. Along with the explosion, burning graphite at the site

released 1200 tons of radioactive material into the surrounding environment. Deposits of

radioactivity from the air settled on the surface of the Earth and were then carried into

surrounding bodies of water via runoff. Making its way from the sediment to plant life

and eventually to aquatic life, the entire ecosystem was saturated with radioactivity.

Plants and crops nearby also picked up radioactivity from the air, which then manifested

itself into the soil and grazing animals. The ecosystem as a whole was subjected to

physical destruction, like the “red forests” named for the color of the pines that turn

ginger and die. The ecosystem also suffered mammal defects, present in cows that

contract thyroid disease and were either stunted in growth or died.16 The poorly designed

Chernobyl Nuclear Plant represents the hasty industrialization of Soviet territory during

the cold war and a lack of attention to safety. Post-Chernobyl, more attention is being

paid to potentially harmful industries, but pollution output in industrial hotspots is still a

problem left unaddressed.

2000: UN World Summit Meeting In the year 2000, at the UN World Summit under Secretary General Kofi Annan,

the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted by 189 UN member states. In

general, the MDGs form an agreement by every UN member state to meet urgent needs

facing the entire planet. The eight focuses of the MDGs are to end poverty and hunger,

implement universal education, create gender equality, improve child health, improve

maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, achieve environmental sustainability, and have

global partnership.17 Of these eight goals, the seventh goal promotes environmental

development. To meet this goal, the United Nations Environmental Programme assesses

global, regional, and national environmental conditions in order to generate the

16 “Chernobyl Accident.” World Nuclear Association. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/chernobyl/inf07.html. 29 July, 2008. 17 “Background.” http://un.org/millenniumgoals/bkgd.shtml/ (accessed 23 October 2008).

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information necessary to create sound environmental policies.18 The second target within

the seventh goal of maintaining economic stability is to “reduce biodiversity loss,

achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss.”19 To accomplish this goal,

the United Nations Environmental Programme reviews the proportion of land area

covered by forest, monitors the total carbon dioxide emissions, observes the consumption

of ozone-depleting substances, and keeps track of the proportions of fish stocks, total

water resources used, terrestrial and marine protected areas, and threatened species.20

This MDG deals directly with the decreasing worldwide biodiversity, and keeps nations

abreast of the global biodiversity level in order to promote successful means to improve

the rate.

Actors and Interests The European Union Concerning biodiversity, the European Union is committed to protecting the

environment. Around 850,000 km2 of land in Europe has been designated as protected

area for the purpose of conserving land for future generations and for the sake of

biodiversity.21 In its EU action plan, the EU plans to halt biodiversity loss by 2010,

accelerating progress towards the recovery of habitats and natural systems in the EU. The

first objective is to safeguard the EU’s most important habitats and species. Second, the

EU plans to conserve biodiversity in the wider EU countryside by making agricultural

and forestry policies more environmentally friendly, reducing pollution, and restoring

freshwater ecosystems sullied by industrial waste. Third, the EU plans to conserve

biodiversity in the wider EU marine environment by reducing pollution levels and

preventing over fishing. Fourth, the EU plans to integrate biodiversity into land-use

planning and development by allowing space for human development and space for

18 “Millennium Development Goals.” http://www.unep.org/MDGs/ (accessed 23 October, 2008). 19 “Ensure Environmental Sustainability.” 2007. http://www.mdgmonitor.org/goal7.cfm/ (accessed 23 October 2008). 20 Ibid. 21 "Nature & Biodiversity." Europa. 28 May 2008. 11 June 2008. <http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/index_en.htm>.

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preserved environments. Fifth, the EU will reduce the impact of invasive alien species.

Sixth, the EU wishes to strengthen their role in combating global biodiversity loss

through international governance, trade, and development cooperation, in addition to

increasing knowledge about biodiversity, global warming climate changes, and general

awareness.22 For the European Union, the optimal outcome by 2010 is the complete

reversal of biodiversity loss in land and marine environments foremost in Europe, and

also globally.

Although the European Union wants to see biodiversity increase for environmental

reasons, the EU’s motivations can be seen as primarily economic. The EU seeks to

neutralize any environmental issues that play a direct role in the economy. For example,

by-products from industrialization can seep into soil, affecting crop growth, quality, and

survival, which in turn affects the market for the affected crop. Additionally, ecotourism

plays a large role in certain economies. With large numbers of biodiversity loss

worldwide, the tourism industry will suffer, leading to a drop in the economy. Also, the

desire for sustainable resources plays an important role in biodiversity conservation.

There is a delicate balance between expanding industries and maintaining biodiversity.

With an ever expanding industry and no attempts at maintaining biodiversity, the overall

supply of a product will decrease as the resource is rapidly depleted. By making sure

resource use is sustainable, our industry and economy can continue without worry of

resources becoming completely depleted.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 191 countries ratified the Convention

of Biological Diversity as a plan for combating poor biodiversity levels worldwide. The

three goals of the conference are the conservation of biodiversity, the sustained use of

resources, and the fair sharing of benefits arising from commercial resources in a fair and

equitable way. Although the Convention of Biological Diversity is considered an

22 The European Union's Biodiversity Action Plan: Halting the Loss of Biodiversity by 2010- and Beyond. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2008.

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international treaty, the drive of its goals rests in the individual countries. Private

companies, landowners, fishermen and farmers affect biodiversity the most, so the treaty

contends that governments need to play a greater leadership role in a multilateral effort to

conserve biodiversity.23 To ensure governments will play an active role in biodiversity

protection, the Convention on Biological Diversity requires member nations to develop

national biodiversity strategies and action plans, which are meant to bolster overarching

national plans for development and the environment. In this commitment, countries are

to identify biodiversity components, establish protected areas, restore degraded

ecosystems, maintain knowledge and application of sustainable biodiversity use, prevent

the invasion of alien species, control the risks of biotechnology on the environment,

promote public participation, educate the public on the need for biodiversity, and report

on how biodiversity levels are doing and how the country is meetings its goals. With this

lofty plan, the Convention on Biological Diversity’s optimal outcome is, by 2010, to

achieve a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global,

regional, and national level.24

The Convention of Biological Diversity’s motivation comes from the desire of the

UN to actively combat biodiversity loss. In 2000, Secretary-General Kofi Annan

announced the Millennium Development Goals, a list of global issues that needed to be

resolved within a specified time limit. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)

was created to handle changes concerning the environment. In 2002, the UN held a

meeting that created the Convention on Biological Diversity. In an attempt to achieve

Kofi Annan’s Millennium Goals, the Convention of Biological Diversity works with

nations to ensure that biodiversity levels are increasing globally. However, government

regulation of business owners, fishermen, farmers, and landowners often gets lost in the

shuffle of red tape and political sway. In conclusion, the states that have signed the

23 “Sustaining Life on Earth.” The Convention of Biological Diversity. http://www.cbd.int/doc/publications/cbd-sustain-en.pdf 24 “2010 Biodiversity Target.” The Convention on Biological Diversity. 22/5/2008. http://www.cbd.int/2010-target/

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Convention on Biological Diversity have an express interest in promoting biodiversity,

but their reform so far has not as been as effective as it should be.

Russia The Russian Government has taken steps to halt biodiversity loss. In 1997, Russia

issued its first report on biodiversity conservation, outlining the measures Russia has

taken in order to fulfill the obligations of the Convention on Biological Diversity. In the

report, Russia outlines its current status, strategy, implementation, budget, factors, and

monitoring of biodiversity. One of the important aspects of the action plan is its

economic policy: “management of the biodiversity status can be performed both within

targeted environmental actions and by optimization of socio-economic development

areas.”25 Thus, Russia is willing to compromise with the CBD in order to halt

biodiversity loss and maintain the environment. Russia is motivated by the genuine

desire to increase biodiversity as well as preserve its economy during a period of

industrial expansion.

Transneft Transneft is one of the largest oil pipeline companies in the world, owning more

than thirty thousand miles of pipeline across Eastern Europe and Asia. Transneft owns

about 390 oil pumps and 830 reservoirs. Overall, Transneft is responsible for

transporting about ninety-three per cent of the oil produced in Russia.26 Transneft is

planning on installing some pipeline around Lake Baikal on its route to Asia, which is

sparking debate between oil companies and environmentalists. The pipe itself causes no

harm to Lake Baikal, but the possibility of a harmful leakage (one that would

contaminate Lake Baikal) makes the pipeline a very hotly debated issue. Transneft

25 The First National Report of the Russian Federation: Biodiversity Conservation in Russia. Moscow. 1997. http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:5z1wf2IbH0MJ:www.grida.no/enrin/biodiv/biodiv/nrcbd/russia1.pdf+russia+government+biodiversity&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us/ (accessed 10 December 2008). 26 “Transneft Company Profile.” 2008. http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/116/116235.html/ (accessed 10 December 2008).

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insists that the oil pipeline will pose no danger to the lake.27 Concerning the debate on

how to improve the decline in biodiversity, Transneft has little opinion of environmental

issues. At a press conference on Transneft’s Pacific pipeline, Transneft argued that the

location of pipelines depends mainly on economic and social considerations, and that the

environmental issue would only play into a possible pipeline re-route if it posed a serious

risk.28 Any compromise supported by Transneft and other similar companies to increase

in biodiversity would have to also be economic advantageous.

Greenpeace Russia Greenpeace Russia was established in March 1989 with the intention of

developing Russia-specific strategies. Greenpeace’s mission is to “use non-violent,

creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems.”29 Greenpeace

implements this mission by protecting biodiversity in all its forms, preventing water, air,

and land pollution, ending nuclear threats, and promoting peace, global disarmament and

non-violence.30 Since Greenpeace Russia outlines protecting biodiversity in its mission

statement, the optimal outcome for Greenpeace is for governments to enact legislation

and take measures to preserve existing biodiversity. To that end, any attempt at stopping

the decline in biodiversity would gain support from Greenpeace Russia. Greenpeace

Russia has previously worked with the Russian government in order to preserve

biodiversity at Lake Baikal by prohibiting Transneft oil pipelines from bordering the

lake.

27 “Russia’s Transneft Insists Baikal Pipeline is Safe.” 2006. http://www.rferl.org/content/Article/1067814.html/ (accessed 10 December 2008). 28 Leopard, Amur. “Pacific Pipeline Update.” 2005. http://www.tigrisfoundation.nl/cms/publish/content/downloaddocument.asp?document_id=29/ (accessed 10 December 2008). 29 “The history of Greenpeace Russia.” http://www.greenpeace.org/russia/en/about/history/ (accessed 10 December 2008). 30 Ibid.

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Possible Causes Pollution

The decline in global biodiversity cannot be separated from the theme of

industrialization. Unregulated technological advancement during the nineteenth,

twentieth and twenty-first centuries, produced pollution, sparked temperature increases,

and ignited biohazardous war. Pollution tends to be one of the biggest reasons

biodiversity has declined. Since the advancement of chemicals in the second industrial

revolution, pollutant waste has been a major contaminant source for all habitats and

species. Although regulations have been put in place to curb dumping industrial waste in

bodies of water, pollutants still reach the ocean and poison aquatic ecosystems. Wastes

such as mercury, lead, pesticides, herbicides, and even solid dumped waste such as

plastics and man-made garbage can have a very strong effect on the ecosystem.31 Non-

fatal effects of pollutants are a decrease in reproduction and stunted growth and

development. When a population is effected with any kind of toxin waste by-product, the

consequence can last for decades in birth defects and survival rate. The ability to

reproduce is directly linked with the survival of our many ecosystems. If a key species

were wiped out, every other species in that ecosystem would suffer as a consequence.

Additionally, the environment itself takes a hit from the toxins present in pollution.

Toxins that travel via air or water can spread to many different ecosystems and destroy

plant life, animal life, or terrain.

Global Warming With the prospect of industrialization came the noticeable increase in global

temperature. The gases in the atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane,

halocarbons, ozone, and nitrous oxide, all of which absorb energy from the sun that has

radiated from the earth’s surface. In what is known as the greenhouse effect, the radiated

heat then goes back to the surface, keeping our planet warm. If those gases did not exist,

31 “Pollution.” Environmental Protection Agency. 30 November, 2007. http://www.epa.gov/bioindicators/aquatic/pollution.html. 25 June, 2008.

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our planet would not have an atmosphere that could radiate the sun’s energy and our

temperature would resemble something like the temperate changes on mars.32 When the

chemical industry exploded during the Industrial Revolution, an increased amount of

gases was released into the air. Prior to the industrial revolution, the amount of carbon

dioxide in the atmosphere did not exceed 280 parts per million by volume. However, in

the past 150 years, carbon dioxide levels have raised to 380 parts per million by volume,

an almost 35 percent increase.33 Although in our planet’s history spikes in climate have

occurred, as evidenced in our ice ages, the 35 percent increase in carbon dioxide over the

past 150 years can not be deemed negligible. With more carbon dioxide molecules in the

atmosphere, the amount of heat-trapping molecules has increased and more energy from

the sun is being reradiated back to the earth’s surface, where the land and the oceans have

absorbed extra heat. More frequent evaporation and consequently precipitation from the

added heat in the ocean converts pollutants in the water to dangers such as acid rain.

Plant life, due to global climate change, is presented with the choice of adapting to a

relatively quickly changing environment or dying out. Bird migration patterns are

happening earlier due to a faster season changes, which causes problems when their prey

haven’t yet been born, and the cycle is interrupted. The salt levels in the oceans are

increasing, so species that depend on the aquatic ecosystem are slowly being poisoned.

Evidently, climate changes are forcing adaptation in our ecosystems, and biodiversity is

threatened in almost all situations.

Industrial Competition With the creation of streamlined metallurgy processes and factories came the need

to compete with other nations by way of arms. This competition in the arms race brings

nations to create more industry, produce more factories, and as a result, create more

industrial waste and by-product. With poor guidelines on industrial waste disposal, the

environment is hit with the brunt of the pollution. In addition to the creation of weapons, 32 Chivian, Eric and Aaron Bernstein. Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity. New York: Oxford University Press. 2008. 33Chivian, Eric. Et. Al. Sustaining Life. 2008.

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the use of them has a profoundly adverse effect on the environment. In Japan, the effects

of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still seen in the

environment. High radiation levels killed off plant life and caused cancer and leukemia

deaths in our population up until the end of the twentieth century. The ultimate

manifestation of the industrial revolution into weaponry has been an expedient force in

both pollution level increase and global warming.

Comparison of Causes All of the causes link back to the industrial revolution and improper disposal of

waste. As a result, many biological cycles have been disrupted and the complex

interactions between different species and ecosystems have threatened biodiversity levels

worldwide. The man-made industries of chemicals, electrics, petroleum steel, and

machinery are essential for our continued survival, but the legal systems of each state

need to do more to curb the malignant effects of industrial waste.

Projections and Implications If industry is left unchecked and the environment continues to suffer from

biodiversity loss, all life on earth will inevitably be affected. As explained, biodiversity

concerns all varieties of species, habitat preservation, and interactions among different

populations. The best representation of crucial interaction between different species in an

ecosystem would be the keystone species. A keystone species is any species that

influences the structure of an ecosystem, and if its population diminishes or disappears,

the ecosystem could suffer great consequences. For example, the tiger shark in Western

Australia is responsible for regulating green sea turtle and dugong populations, which

feed on the sea grass in the area. Without population regulation, the sea grass would

become overgrazed and the ecosystem, which relies on the sea grass for nourishment,

would collapse. Thus, without the tiger shark regulating dugong and sea turtle population

in Western Australia, the ecosystem would die out, making the tiger shark a keystone

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species.34 Keystone species and its effect on ecosystems is just one example of how

biodiversity is important to the environment. Without said interactions between the

ecosystem and the population, the ecosystem suffers. When industrial waste unbalances

the biodiversity levels present in our environment, a decrease in certain populations

occurs and threatens both that species survival and the ecosystem it lives in. Our

population relies on the ecosystem for our continued survival. The environment

provides nutrient and water cycles, soil formation and retention, resistance against

invasive species that could threaten our crops, plant pollination, climate regulation, and

pest and pollution control.35 Thus, if an ecosystem suffers from industrial pollution, we

lose out on the services the ecosystem can provide.

34 “So what’s so key about a keystone species?” National Geographic. 2006. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/gk2/keystone.html. 9 July, 2008. 35 “Biodiversity: what is it, where is it, and why is it important?” Greenfacts. 11 June 2008. < http://www.greenfacts.org/en/biodiversity/#1>. (accessed 9 July 2008)

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Conclusion Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, our environment has suffered a

loss of one-fifth of its topsoil and suitable farming land, and one-third of its forests.

Through the first and second industrial revolutions, mass population movement, and two

world wars, industry has grown to accommodate an increasing demand for

technologically advanced goods; industry and technology have expanded so has the

damage to the environment from poorly disposed by-products. Both the European Union

and Convention on Biological Diversity have committed themselves to helping

biodiversity increase, or at least stay stable, while the European Chemical Industry

Council and other industries worldwide focus mostly on expanding their businesses. It

cannot be disputed that the largest threat to biodiversity stem from a growth in industry

unchecked by strong regulations for waste disposal. If left unchecked, biodiversity will

continue to decrease, resulting in the inevitable destruction of ecosystems worldwide.

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Discussion Questions • What are ways in which non-governmental organizations can work with

Eastern European governments in order to preserve biodiversity? • Which of the listed causes does the most damage to biodiversity? What are

ways in which governments can reverse its effects? • Is there a good way to compromise between companies and environmentalists? • If the issue of biodiversity is left unchecked, how will it play out in the future? • Assuming biodiversity loss is halted in Eastern Europe, how will this affect

global biodiversity loss? • What is your country’s biodiversity action plan?

PhilMUN 2009 18

For Further Reading Chivian, Eric and Aaron Bernstein. Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity. New York: Oxford University Press. 2008.

This is an extensive book written on biodiversity that details the problem worldwide as well as its health effects on the human and ecological population. For a beginning look on how biodiversity was caused and its effects on the environment, this book is a good start.

The First National Report of the Russian Federation: Biodiversity Conservation in Russia. Moscow. 1997. http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:5z1wf2IbH0MJ:

www.grida.no/enrin/biodiv/biodiv/nrcbd/russia1.pdf+russia+government+biodiversity&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us/ (accessed 10 December 2008). This is an example of a Biodiversity Action Plan, created after the Convention on Biological Diversity outlined its plan for worldwide biodiversity increase. Read over parts of this action plan in order to get a feel for solutions that could be replicated in your nation.

PhilMUN 2009 19

Works Cited “2010 Biodiversity Target.” The Convention on Biological Diversity.

http://www.cbd.int/2010-target/ (accessed 22 May, 2008). "Albania." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/12472/Albania/ (accessed 4 June 2008).

“Andreeva Bay Nuclear Waste.” http://www.american.edu/ted/andreeva.htm/ (accessed

10 December 2008). “Background.” http://un.org/millenniumgoals/bkgd.shtml/ (accessed 23 October 2008). “Biodiversity: what is it, where is it, and why is it important?” Greenfacts.

http://www.greenfacts.org/en/biodiversity/#1/ (accessed 9 July 2008) “Bulgaria." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/84090/Bulgaria/ (accessed 4 June 2008).

“Chernobyl Accident.” World Nuclear Association. http://www.world-

nuclear.org/info/chernobyl/inf07.html/ (accessed 29 July 2008). Chivian, Eric and Aaron Bernstein. Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity. New York: Oxford University Press. 2008. "Collectivization." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/125592/collectivization/ (accessed 4 June 2008).

"Croatia." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/143561/Croatia/ (accessed 4 June 2008).

“Ensure Environmental Sustainability.” 2007. http://www.mdgmonitor.org/goal7.cfm/

(accessed 23 October 2008). European Chemical Industry Council. 2002. http://www.cefic.be/Templates/shwStory.asp?NID=478&HID=53 “Lake Baikal and the Human Impact.”

PhilMUN 2009 20

http://www.baikalwave.eu.org/Oldsitebew/humimp.html/ (accessed 10 December 2008).

Leopard, Amur. “Pacific Pipeline Update.” 2005.

http://www.tigrisfoundation.nl/cms/publish/content/downloaddocument.asp?document_id=29/ (accessed 10 December 2008).

"Maxim machine gun." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/370425/Maxim-machine-gun/ (accessed 4 June 2008).

McMahon, Colin. “Siberian Lake a Source of Debate: Environmentalists, Mill clashing

over pollution.” Tribune. 2000. http://www.baikaler.com/article04.html/ (accessed 10 December 2008).

“Millennium Development Goals.” http://www.unep.org/MDGs/ (accessed 23 October,

2008). Mnatsakanian, Ruben. “The Aral Sea Disaster.” Environmental Disaster in Eastern

Europe. Le Monde Diplomatique. http://mondediplo.com/2000/07/19envidisaster/ (accessed 29 July, 2008).

"Nature & Biodiversity." Europa. <http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/index_en.htm/

(accessed 11 June 2008). “Pollution.” Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/bioindicators/aquatic/pollution.html. (accessed 25 June 2008). "Romania." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/508461/Romania (accessed 4 June 2008).

“Russia’s Transneft Insists Baikal Pipeline is Safe.” 2006.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Article/1067814.html/ (accessed 10 December 2008). “So what’s so key about a keystone species?” National Geographic. 2006.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/gk2/keystone.html. (accessed 9 July 2008).

"Submarine." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/570813/submarine (4 June 2008).

PhilMUN 2009 21

“Sustainable Development balances three principal requirements:” European Chemical Industry Council. 2002. http://www.cefic.be/Templates/shwStory.asp?NID=478&HID=53

“Sustaining Life on Earth.” The Convention of Biological Diversity.

http://www.cbd.int/doc/publications/cbd-sustain-en.pdf The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers."World War I." Teaching Eleanor Roosevelt, ed. by Allida

Black, June Hopkins, et. al. (Hyde Park, New York: Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, 2003). http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/glossary/world-war-1.htm/ (accessed 4 June 2008).

The European Union's Biodiversity Action Plan: Halting the Loss of Biodiversity by

2010- and Beyond. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2008.

The First National Report of the Russian Federation: Biodiversity Conservation in Russia. Moscow. 1997. http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:5z1wf2IbH0MJ:

www.grida.no/enrin/biodiv/biodiv/nrcbd/russia1.pdf+russia+government+biodiversity&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us/ (accessed 10 December 2008).

“The history of Greenpeace Russia.” http://www.greenpeace.org/russia/en/about/history/ (accessed 10 December 2008). “The Mission.” European Chemical Industry Council. 2002.

http://www.cefic.be/Templates/shwStory.asp?NID=479&HID=111 “Transneft Company Profile.” 2008. http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/116/116235.html/ (accessed

10 December 2008). "World War I." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/648646/World-War-I (accessed 4 June 2008).

"World War II." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/648813/World-War-II (accessed 4 June 2008).

Works Consulted “2010 Biodiversity Target.” The Convention on Biological Diversity.

http://www.cbd.int/2010-target/ (accessed 22 May, 2008).

PhilMUN 2009 22

"Albania." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/12472/Albania/ (accessed 4 June 2008).

“Andreeva Bay Nuclear Waste.” http://www.american.edu/ted/andreeva.htm/ (accessed

10 December 2008). “Background.” http://un.org/millenniumgoals/bkgd.shtml/ (accessed 23 October 2008). “Biodiversity: what is it, where is it, and why is it important?” Greenfacts.

http://www.greenfacts.org/en/biodiversity/#1/ (accessed 9 July 2008) “Bulgaria." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/84090/Bulgaria/ (accessed 4 June 2008).

“Chernobyl Accident.” World Nuclear Association. http://www.world-

nuclear.org/info/chernobyl/inf07.html/ (accessed 29 July 2008). Chivian, Eric and Aaron Bernstein. Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity. New York: Oxford University Press. 2008. "Collectivization." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/125592/collectivization/ (accessed 4 June 2008).

"Croatia." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/143561/Croatia/ (accessed 4 June 2008).

“Ensure Environmental Sustainability.” 2007. http://www.mdgmonitor.org/goal7.cfm/

(accessed 23 October 2008). European Chemical Industry Council. 2002. http://www.cefic.be/Templates/shwStory.asp?NID=478&HID=53 “Lake Baikal and the Human Impact.”

http://www.baikalwave.eu.org/Oldsitebew/humimp.html/ (accessed 10 December 2008).

PhilMUN 2009 23

Leopard, Amur. “Pacific Pipeline Update.” 2005. http://www.tigrisfoundation.nl/cms/publish/content/downloaddocument.asp?document_id=29/ (accessed 10 December 2008).

"Maxim machine gun." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/370425/Maxim-machine-gun/ (accessed 4 June 2008).

McMahon, Colin. “Siberian Lake a Source of Debate: Environmentalists, Mill clashing

over pollution.” Tribune. 2000. http://www.baikaler.com/article04.html/ (accessed 10 December 2008).

“Millennium Development Goals.” http://www.unep.org/MDGs/ (accessed 23 October,

2008). Mnatsakanian, Ruben. “The Aral Sea Disaster.” Environmental Disaster in Eastern

Europe. Le Monde Diplomatique. http://mondediplo.com/2000/07/19envidisaster/ (accessed 29 July, 2008).

"Nature & Biodiversity." Europa. <http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/index_en.htm/

(accessed 11 June 2008). “Pollution.” Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/bioindicators/aquatic/pollution.html. (accessed 25 June 2008). "Romania." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/508461/Romania (accessed 4 June 2008).

“Russia’s Transneft Insists Baikal Pipeline is Safe.” 2006.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Article/1067814.html/ (accessed 10 December 2008). “So what’s so key about a keystone species?” National Geographic. 2006.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/gk2/keystone.html. (accessed 9 July 2008).

"Submarine." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/570813/submarine (4 June 2008). “Sustainable Development balances three principal requirements:” European Chemical

Industry Council. 2002. http://www.cefic.be/Templates/shwStory.asp?NID=478&HID=53

PhilMUN 2009 24

“Sustaining Life on Earth.” The Convention of Biological Diversity. http://www.cbd.int/doc/publications/cbd-sustain-en.pdf

The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers."World War I." Teaching Eleanor Roosevelt, ed. by Allida

Black, June Hopkins, et. al. (Hyde Park, New York: Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, 2003). http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/glossary/world-war-1.htm/ (accessed 4 June 2008).

The European Union's Biodiversity Action Plan: Halting the Loss of Biodiversity by

2010- and Beyond. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2008.

The First National Report of the Russian Federation: Biodiversity Conservation in Russia. Moscow. 1997. http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:5z1wf2IbH0MJ:

www.grida.no/enrin/biodiv/biodiv/nrcbd/russia1.pdf+russia+government+biodiversity&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us/ (accessed 10 December 2008).

“The history of Greenpeace Russia.” http://www.greenpeace.org/russia/en/about/history/ (accessed 10 December 2008).

“The Mission.” European Chemical Industry Council. 2002.

http://www.cefic.be/Templates/shwStory.asp?NID=479&HID=111 “Transneft Company Profile.” 2008. http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/116/116235.html/ (accessed

10 December 2008). "World War I." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/648646/World-War-I (accessed 4 June 2008).

"World War II." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/648813/World-War-II (accessed 4 June 2008).