The Future of Life

Wilson notes that much of the world’s biodiversity is being lost before those species are recorded. Why does this situation present a problem for the conservation of biodiversity, according to Wilson?

Wilson cites China as an example of what could happen to the rest of the planet if population growth is not constrained. Describe why China a helpful case study, citing examples.

Wilson uses Hawaii to illustrate the consequences of human activity for the world’s biodiversity. Name three ways in which human beings affect biodiversity, citing examples in Hawaii that illustrate these effects.

Wilson notes that biodiverse environments can contribute to genetic engineering but that genetic engineering may have a negative impact on biodiversity. Discuss the relationship between genetic engineering and biodiversity, as set out in Chapter 5.

In The Future of Life, Wilson notes that biodiversity loss could affect humans on both an economic and an ethical level. Discuss whether the economic or the ethical argument for conserving biodiversity is more persuasive, citing examples.

Wilson describes a pattern of extinctions that have followed the movement of Homo sapiens around the globe. Describe how early Homo sapiens drove extinctions, according to Wilson, and compare and contrast this pattern with how humans are causing biodiversity loss in the 21st century.

Identify three practices that Wilson suggests as possible tools of conservation in Chapter 7 and explain how these could be used to solve some of the threats to biodiversity introduced earlier in the book.

In Chapter 6, Wilson compares biodiversity to works of art by Shakespeare and Beethoven. Describe how this framing supports the conservation of biodiversity, according to Wilson’s argument.