Half Earth – A new year’s resolution for 2026?
Biologist Edward O. Wilson says we need to set a bold goal to reserve no less than 50% of land and sea on for nature – and it’s achievable. He explains why and how in his wonderful book “Half- Earth- our Planet’s Fight for life”. ( Half-Earth Book – E.O. Wilson )
If, like me, your heart is wounded and battered each time you find out about yet more devastation to the natural world, this is a tough read at times, but it’s rewarding too. I finished his book with renewed faith and hope.
In 2010, as a result of the Convention on Biological Diversity, World Governments (on the whole) agreed on the Aichi Biodiversity Targets to save and protect 17% of land and 10% of marine areas by 2020.
It was succeeded by a new and improved version in 2022. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is a strategy to address biodiversity loss with a more ambitious 30×30 target to protect 30% of Earth’s land and oceans by 2030. Recently in September 2025, 60 Governments ratified the Global Ocean’s treaty protecting 30% of Earths’ oceans to be set in international law.
This is brilliant news and I don’t want to knock it but 30% is not enough.
Edward O. Wilson uses the Species Area Relationship (SAR) formula to show that the number of species increases to the 4th root (the square root of the square root) to the area increases. When worked out, this prediction is that protecting 50% of the Earth will preserve 80-85% of our living species from extinction.
Protecting 50% of the planet for the natural world is a huge goal which matches the magnitude of the current crisis we face. Due to human activity, we’re “haemorrhaging” non-human species. The rate of extinction is accelerating. “Researchers who study the trajectory of biodiversity loss are alarmed that within the century an exponentially rising extinction rate might easily wipe out most of the species still surviving at the present time.” We need to wake up to this.
Wilson says it’s not too late to reverse this extinction crisis and Half-Earth can get this done. Part of the strategy would be to expand existing Nature reserves, which already have an abundance of biodiversity, plus creating more corridors for nature.
With half of the globe’s land and water given over to nature, most of the species that are currently in danger of extinction could recover on their own, meaning more diversity of life and greater populations of species that will thrive. It could also enable nature to adapt and be more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Biologists have an acronym called HIPPO to describe the order of the most destructive of human activities:
- H – Habitat destruction (the biggest cause of species extinction)
- I – Invasive species (mainly caused by the globalisation of human travel and consumption)
- P – Pollution (human activity has polluted the soil, air, and water)
- P – Population growth (Over 8 billion humans needs for more houses, roads, land, items for consumption, waste disposal). Wilson points out that it’s estimated there are 1000 people currently for every species of organism so that’s potentially a sponsor that could be found for every single species!
- O – Over hunting. A century ago there were millions of Rhinoceroses. Humans relentlessly killed almost all of them for sport and poaching. In the 90’s the Javan Rhino was discovered that’d been hidden in unprotected rainforests. By 2010 every single one had been shot and poached. Tuna, swordfish, sharks, and fish such as cod, halibut, red snapper numbers “have fallen 90% since 1950.” It’s not just animals, we’ve managed to destroy many more plants, insects, pollinators, and more.
Another huge threat to nature is the lack of value and respect for non- human life. The book illustrates our lack of care in the names we’ve given for example “fish as fisheries, animals as livestock, trees as timber, rivers as freshwater, and coastline as beachfront”. This renaming legitimises the conversion to “extinction”. Nature is commodified by business “ventures” with little concern for important of eco-systems which are also our life support.
Wilson strongly argues that non-human life has as much right to survive and thrive as we do. There’s been life on Earth for 3.8 billion years, “Humanity” arriving only 200.000 years ago. The intricate and complex balance of eco-systems that’s sheltered all of Earth’s species developed over 1 billion years. Wilson estimates it could take about 5 million years to restore the biodiversity we are currently hellbent on destroying.
Wilson contacted all of the experts he knew of all over the world asking them to name 5 places rich in biodiversity that were most in need of research and protection. Reading the pages and pages of them he lists is glorious and uplifting. One of the biodiversity hotspots is the Madrean Pine Oak Woodlands in Mexico which permits a nature corridor between the USA, and central America. There are other wonderful areas of nature rich with an abundance of life in Africa, Poland, Siberia, Western Ghats of India, and more. It’s important to recognise we have these magnificent places and work towards having more of them.
He’s not suggesting achieving the 50% goal by pushing people out of their homes reclaiming their land. There are other ways and means such as if less meat was consumed a large percentage of the 75% of agricultural land currently dedicated to livestock could be given over to Half-Earth. Indigenous plants were then replanted, and indigenous species were reintroduced.
Wilson strongly felt Conservationists continued to do good work but it’s not enough as they are often only focussed on a small number of species and isolated habitats. Shift is happening but only in small increments whilst many more areas of unprotected habitats are decreasing, becoming more and more fragmented. Smaller and declining areas means less biodiversity and less opportunities for species to survive long term (as per the Species Area Relationship formula mentioned above).
Decreases in biodiversity heightens the risk of eco-systems collapsing. Less life forms to balance and provide conditions that maintain the forests and wetlands to filter our air and water, less pollinators which are essential for food production, less tiny creatures to decompose and break down organic matter returning vital nutrients in the soil for plants to grow. Without a good level of biodiversity our future looks grim, ugly, and a very hard place to live including for humans.
It’s estimated there are 2 million known different species with around 4 million still unknown. The Half Earth foundation and others are putting in tremendous efforts to map areas for unknown species using tools like “geo-spatial” technology, which plays a crucial part in identifying so far mysterious species to protect as much biodiversity as possible.
Wilson passionately believed technology will be increasingly used to reduce our ecological footprint and energy needs. He even suggested unobtrusive cameras could be used for virtual tourism in nature reserves where nature is left undisturbed. According to him technology should be used to favour biodiversity not destroy it.
He says using technology to put carbon back in the ground is not the answer – it does not address or change the human behaviour that caused the problem in the first place. Crossing our fingers that our genius minds will solve the issues using technology without changing our behaviour or questioning where we place our values is a huge and risky gamble. And is causing great harm to non-human life.
Wilson writes we are at a “bottleneck” and have a choice to make. We can keep treating nature badly bending natures rules, or we can set our intentions and choose the endgame to be “nature positive” where the odds are much stronger that more species will survive (including our own).
It makes me think why set the limit at 50%, why not 80% (4/5th parts nature).
Or perhaps we should leave that for 2027…..
Sadly Edward O. Wilson passed away in 2021. Part of his legacy is the Half Earth Foundation. Since 2017, Half-Earth Day summits have been organised annually all over the world with the aim of stopping the decline of biodiversity whilst highlighting critical ecosystems and indigenous knowledge.
The Half Earth Foundation states that approximately 80% of the world’s biodiversity on land is in the guardianship of Indigenous peoples. 91% of this land is in a good or fair ecological state which is a “testament to their stewardship”.
To find out more about this wonderful and fantastic organisation see:
Half-Earth Day – E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation
Other articles by Sharon Michelle:
