THE GREAT ACCOUNT OF ALL THINGS THAT DO CREEP AND FLY

What shape is the life of the plants and animals on our planet really in? Now that the decade of biological diversity declared by the United Nations is coming to an end, this question is more topical than ever.

In the extensive report on biodiversity compiled by the IPBES (a part of the United Nations), 500 scientists detail the status quo of the ecosystems, their living organisms, and their environmental conditions by drawing on studies conducted around the globe. They register what the planet has already lost, what it is about to lose, and what the odds are for what remains. Biologist and science journalist Kurt de Swaaf has delved into this exhaustive subject. He notes that it is almost high noon already, but he also considers our prospects of turning back time with hope. By reforesting the rain forest in Costa Rica, for example, with the aid of research and investments—people just have to want it enough.