Seventeen years ago, leaders across the world gathered for a summit to try and stem the demise of an environment where one in ten species faced extinction for every one-degree rise in global temperature.
Marine ecosystems were facing the disastrous consequences of oceans which had absorbed 120 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in the two centuries since Darwin's birth, and plant cultivation had declined to the point of relying on a dozen species for most human food.
There are currently 436 action plans for the UK's most threatened species and habitats. © Natural England
Predictably, they fell well short of their 2010 targets, but that hasn't perturbed planners from launching the International Year of Biodiversity in the UK with some serious environmental gusto, uniting everyone from farmers to green geeks, botanic beauty spots and wildlife favourites throughout Britain.
The idea is to conserve and use Earth's natural resources in a sustainable way, which seems as good a starting point as any when half the people questioned by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs didn't know what the word biodiversity meant (up from 44% in 2007).
The project has more than 200 partners in the UK. © WTPL Kat Jaiteh
"We are living in the best of times and the worst of times," says Lord Robert May, the government's former Chief Scientific Adviser, drawing on Charles Darwin's view of an altruistic society providing the best chance of progress.
"We're dealing with processes which grow exponentially, where small actions today are much more important than bigger actions later. The things that will really impact on people are seemingly distant, but for all that distance, what we do today is absolutely crucial."
Education activities and regional events form the core of the programme. © Buglife
There are numerous opportunities to embrace his call for action next year, ranging from tropical plants at the Royal Botanic Gardens and Chelsea Flower Show to an artificial rainforest at London Zoo, an 11,000-metre plunge to the bottom of the sea at the NHM (which will provide a centre for the campaign) and events revealing Scotland's "unique wildlife and habitats" during the course of 2010.
Some of the details remain a tad sketchy, but the domestic wing of the United Nations-run campaign has assembled an ambitious spread of activities with a strong emphasis on regional involvement and education in schools.
"The consequences for economies and people are profound," says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. "We need new vision and new efforts – business as usual is not an option."
With new international targets set to be agreed in October 2010, public actions could speak louder than his words.
Visit the campaign online for all the details.
