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Reimagining the way we care for our Planet: advancing biodiversity conservation through the hopeful vision of Laudato si’ and Half-Earth

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  • Paula J. Ehrlich
Paula J. Ehrlich
E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation - 219 Hardscrabble Drive, Hillsborough, NC 27278, USA.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/ifm-1228

Pubblicato 2026-10-06

Parole chiave

  • biodiversity conservation,
  • Half-Earth,
  • Laudato Si',
  • Species Protection Index (SPI),
  • Half-Earth Project Map,
  • Conservation ethics,
  • Planetary stewardship,
  • Protected areas effectiveness,
  • Transdisciplinary environmental governance
    • ...Più
    Meno

Come citare

Ehrlich, P. J. (2026). Reimagining the way we care for our Planet: advancing biodiversity conservation through the hopeful vision of Laudato si’ and Half-Earth. L’Italia Forestale E Montana, 81(2s), 19–25. https://doi.org/10.36253/ifm-1228

Copyright (c) 2026 Paula J. Ehrlich

Creative Commons License

Questo lavoro è fornito con la licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale 4.0 Internazionale.

Abstract

To be responsible stewards of our planet, we must urgently explore, discover, and learn as much as possible about biodiversity, and identify the network of places where we have the greatest opportunity to safeguard the most species. This paper explores how the complementary visions of Pope Francis’s Laudato si’ and E.O. Wilson’s Half-Earth call for a transformative shift in humanity’s relationship with the natural world, offering a hopeful, unifying framework that combines scientific rigor with moral urgency. Drawing on the work of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation’s Half-Earth Project, the paper examines tools such as the Half-Earth Project Map and the Species Protection Index (SPI), which enable data-driven identification of high-priority conservation areas. Case studies from Italy’s Pollino National Park and Alabama’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta illustrate how keystone trees and intact habitats serve as ecological anchors for underprotected biodiversity. As E.O. Wilson said, biodiversity holds the world steady. By deepening human understanding of and connection with nature, the Half-Earth Project helps reimagine how conservation is practiced, empowering decision-makers, scientists, and citizens alike to protect the web of life and ensure that no species is left behind.

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