We're all in this together

We're all in this together. That's the message from a new EU campaign to inform us about biodiversity and to get people actively engaged in preserving and restoring it.

The timing is critical as it coincides with the International Year of Biodiversity and according to the Stern Review on the Economic effects of climate change, 15-40% of species could disappear by the end of this century. Despite the pretty wide margin there, any loss of species is undoubtedly a bad thing and  needs to be guarded against.

The campaign will target all EU countries but with particular focus on Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and Romania. Quite why these specific countries have been chosen, I'm not sure.

The campaign entitled "We are all in this together" (certainly NOT We're... or to be confused with the UK Conservative Party slogan used in the recent elections) was launched at the start of the year with a snazzy new logo. As a means of getting their point across quickly, it looks pretty succesful.

Recent research in the Netherlands show that only one third of Europeans feel they know what biodiversity means or how it benefits them, with many associating the term with "distant wildlife".

A key part of the campaign is to emphasis the effect biodiversity has on every citizen and how a loss of biodiversity has negative impacts on human society - from water purification to food supply, and from energy to pharmaceuticals.

A campaign spokesperson said, "Expect to see provocative images and messages designed to catch people's attention, channelled through word-of-mouth 'viral' marketing, such as graphic outlines of a dead sparrow or flower chalked on city streets and pavements. The initiative will also feature a widspread print campaign, social networks such as Facebook and a dedicated website on biodiversity in Europe".

You can biodiversify a photo of yourself here.