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Conserving Biodiversity During Industrialization Director: Kelli Beard Institute for Domestic & International Affairs, Inc. © 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 [email protected]
Citation preview
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 [email protected]
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.
PhilMUN 2009 2
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,
PhilMUN 2009 3
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>.
PhilMUN 2009 4
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.
PhilMUN 2009 5
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.
PhilMUN 2009 6
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).
PhilMUN 2009 7
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>.
PhilMUN 2009 8
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.
PhilMUN 2009 9
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/
PhilMUN 2009 10
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).
PhilMUN 2009 11
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.
PhilMUN 2009 12
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.
PhilMUN 2009 13
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.
PhilMUN 2009 14
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
PhilMUN 2009 15
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)
PhilMUN 2009 16
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.
PhilMUN 2009 17
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).