EVEN AS we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s great discoveries in evolution, the result of the evolution process, biodiversity, is gradually slipping away.
A global biodiversity decline is upon us that suggests there may be fewer species on the planet today than when Charles Darwin published his great work, On the Origin of Species,in 1859.
The significance of this decline will be explored in a lecture by Prof Jonathan Silvertown, writer and professor of ecology at the Open University. Fragile Web: What Next for Nature?is the title chosen by Silvertown, who delivers an RDS/ Irish TimesIreland in 2030 lecture on November 24th, the date of first publication of Darwin's Origin.
Amphibians such as frogs are dying off around the world, with many species nearing extinction. Worst-case predictions suggest that we face a complete loss of the world's coral reefs by 2050, in part due to global warming, and with them the rich fauna the reefs support. Silvertown will explain what biodiversity is and why maintaining it is essential. He will also highlight efforts already under way to reverse the loss of biodiversity. Silvertown is the author of a number of popular science books including 99% Ape and An Orchard Invisible. He is an accomplished public speaker and a proponent of the greater public understanding of science.
The lecture begins at 7pm in the RDS Concert Hall, Ballsbridge, Dublin. Admission is free of charge and open to all, but due to public interest, advance booking is essential. To book, contact Karen Sheeran at the RDS on karen.sheeran@rds.ie or 01-2407289. Further details of the lecture are available on the RDS website, rds.ie/science.