On 5 June 2020, Elena Miron, Roxana Anton, Mohammed Aaqib and Philip Brown of the United Nations Association Coventry Branch explored World Environment Day. The theme this year was Biodiversity.

The following video stimulated a discussion of zoonotic diseases. See also the article https://unacov.uk/biodiversity-and-epidemic-diseases/

We visited many web pages, tried to answer some quiz questions and watched a video produced by UN Environment Programme which Bernard Bett mentions the Dilution Effect, saying “Although zoonotic diseases are shared between animals and people, keeping nature and species diversity intact protects us against pandemics. In some cases high host species diversity can reduce disease risk. This is called the dilution effect.”

We then explored the evidence for this hypothesis and found that the dilution effect has been the subject of speculation and controversy and it is still highly disputed whether the dilution effect generally occurs. Indeed, there is also an amplification effect which occurs when increased biodiversity is related to an increase in prevalence of infectious disease, not a reduction.

After much discussion we suggest a number of ideas about what ordinary citizens can do to save the environment and prevent the reduction in biodiversity.

We visit the following websites

https://www.un.org/en/observances/environment-day
https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/colombia-host-2020-world-environment-day-biodiversity
https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/did-you-know/take-quiz

On The Dilution Effect

Click to access 2020.04.20.050377v1.full.pdf

https://www.wur.nl/en/show/Is-the-dilution-effect-true.htm

Romania facing legal action over destruction of Europe’s last natural forests

https://bit.ly/2AcGgVX

Climate Case Explained

https://www.globalmeatnews.com/Article/2013/10/01/Meat-quality-influenced-by-animal-welfare
https://bit.ly/3dS2HOIhttps://www.soilassociation.org/organic-living/what-is-organic/
https://www.ciwf.org.uk/your-food/know-your-labels/
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/04/asia/india-elephant-death-intl-hnk-scli/index.html
https://cnn.it/3cF2Sfc
https://one-voice.fr/en/blog/romania-quiet-we-are-killing.html
https://bit.ly/3dIrg0B
https://www.stwater.co.uk/news/news-releases/severn-trent-appeals-to-everyone-to-help-with-saving-water-as-it/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/02/extinction-rebellion-protests-putting-bigger-strain-police-terrorism/
https://bit.ly/3h4Qx7n
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/2-billion-package-to-create-new-era-for-cycling-and-walking
https://bit.ly/2MFx7Ik