Lovejoy, who coined the term “biological diversity”, and was widely considered “the godfather of biodiversity”, was a member of the Conservation International Leadership Council. Having occupied numerous positions in a career that covered more than half a century, he was more recently a member of the UN Foundation and Professor of Environmental Sciences at George Mason University in Virginia.
His loss reverge through the world of conservation.
“I am terrible sad to listen about the death of Tom Lovejoy,” said the CEO of Conservation International M. Sanjayan. “He was a giant in conservation, a champion for the Amazon, and above all a child and a generous scientist. Tom was a mentor and a friend for many. We will do it a lot.”
Lovejoy made numerous and deep contributions to environmental science and policy.
In 1984, Lovejoy proposes the “exchange of debt by nature”, in which a part of the foreign debt of a developing country is forgiver in exchange for commitments to the protection and policy of environmental protection. Since the first exchange of debt by nature between Conservation International and Bolivia in 1987, the idea has become a pillar of conservation, with billions of dollars in funds available for environmental protection. (These swaps acquired additional importance of the COVID-19 pandemic, since many debt countries resisted economic problems while displacing their priorities for financing environmental protection).
But Lovejoy’s legacy went far beyond the conservation tools that change the game more significantly, it is attributed to help focusing the world’s attention in perhaps its most important bioma and the left between climate or biodiversity.
“It’s time for biodiversity to leave the shadows of the great environmental problems,” Lovejoy said last year. “It must come for a period or a notable achievement.”
His prolific investigation and writings reflected this opinion. A 2019 book that co -eded with the International Conservation Scientist Lee Hannah, “Biodiversity and Climate Change: transforming the biosphere”, a sequel to a seminal work published in 2005 by the same authors, is a teaching. Textalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalallaseralalalalalalalalalalalalarioalalalalallal
The next generation that will continue with its legacy reminded Lovejoy not only for its immense scientific contributions but also for its good generosity.
“Tom was a giant, in all the best ways,” said Rachel Golden Kroner, a member of Environmental Governance at Conservation International who obtained a PH.D. At George Mason’s University while studying with Lovejoy. “He was not only a pioneer of conservation science, but he was also a generous connector and an enthusiastic diplomat. His work will continue to inspire us all working for our planet.”
Lovecoy’s optimism, and his vision of the earth as an inefficient living entity, prevented his work.
“We still have time to act on the recognition that our planet is an intricately linked biological and physical system that has the capacity to heal and clean it,” was written with Hannah in 2018. The benefit of humanity and a lifetime on earth. “
“Finding our path through the climatic crisis also requires that we remember how our native planet works, as a biological and physical system linked to a heart of wild forests.”
Bruno Vander Velde is the director of Senior Conservation International Communications. Why read more stories like this? Register to obtain updates by email. Donate to Conservation International.
Cover image: Thomas Lovejoy speaking on a panel. (Flickr/Creative Commons)
