The following is a statement from Dr. Paula J. Ehrlich, DVM, PhD, President & CEO, E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, Half-Earth Project® Lead:
“We applaud the Biden-Harris Administration’s pledge to put America on the path to ‘conserve 30 percent of its ocean of our lands and oceans by 2030.’ Conservation areas are key to safeguarding species and to ensure future generations can benefit from biodiversity’s many contributions to functioning ecosystems and human well-being. The Half-Earth Project® recognizes the need for a much expanded and carefully selected network of lands, waters, and ocean prioritized for conservation to achieve this goal. In the US, currently, only about 12 percent of land and 26 percent of the seas are formally protected.
We herald the US for taking this important step towards Half-Earth, and for joining other countries in caring for our planet by adopting this goal. As guided by science, when we protect species, we protect the ecosystems – the intricate web of life – that sustains nature and sustains us as part of nature. We thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for providing leadership in support of sustainable habitat protection that protects biodiversity.
As E.O. Wilson has said, ‘To strive against odds on behalf of all life would be humanity at its most noble.’”
