It’s cool to care about biodiversity.
Let’s talk about some of the reasons why.
Good for your wallet
Saving you money
In this tough economic climate, saving money becomes increasingly important for many families. The average household spends more than $300 per year on unnecessary lawn care and maintenance. But why? Replacing your mono-cultured grass lawn with clover or other native plant species reduces your water bill, makes your lawn more resistant to heat, shade, and other extreme weather, reduces the need for mowing, and eliminates the need for fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides.
Good for your health
Reducing pests
Do you feel like the tick population is increasing? What about mosquitos? It’s not your imagination. Human activity has significantly diminished the natural habitats of the predators of these pests. Without predators like dragonflies, butterflies, etc., pest species have increased in number and can make you, your family, and your pets very sick.
Fewer pesticides
The use of pesticides and insecticides has increased exponentially since the 1990s. Currently about 900 different active ingredients (chemicals that are toxic to pests) are licensed in the USA and about 500 in Europe. 5.6 billion pounds of pesticides are used worldwide annually (1 billion pounds in the USA alone), which seep into our soil, waterways, and the food we consume.
Good for the planet
Supporting biodiversity
Ever noticed how you don’t need to stop and wipe splatted insects off your car window anymore? Globally, the number of insects has been rapidly declining in what has been coined the “Insect Apocalypse”. We have lost more than 50% of insects since the 1970s due to human activity. Why should we care? Apart from wanting to preserve species for future generations, biodiversity loss threatens humans in many ways including the collapse of our food systems.