Dear Friends,
In a relative blink of evolutionary time, humanity has become master of a global endgame. Our unique blend of animal instinct and social and cultural genius has created a historic path of reckless consequence for all of life on Earth. As this New Year dawns, however, I’m heartened by the way that people have come together under the umbrella of the Half-Earth Project as a goal of hope for our planet.
We are both innately drawn to nature, and a deeply embedded part of it. How saving the rest of life will affect humanity is one of the primary humanitarian, humanistic and political issues of our time. The environmental issues that are looming call for the best of our scientific knowledge and ingenuity, along with a strong sense of compassion and moral compass.
We are explorers and discoverers, able to reach the highest heavens and the deepest oceans on a planet that took the biosphere 3.8 billion years to build. There is no time more important than now to discover and map the species of our planet, and our relationship to them. Our understanding of how species interact within individual and collective natural ecosystems will be the keystone to caring for our planet and creating a Half-Earth future.
Thank you to everyone who has brought their unique experience and expertise to the Half-Earth Project, and joined us in a game-changing effort to care for our planet.
Very best wishes for a Happy New Year,
Edward O. Wilson
