Ark of the Broken Covenant: Protecting the World's Biodiversity Hotspots

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Blending scientific and legal expertise, Kunich proves that a devastating ecological crisis is imminent or even underway already, and that conservation law has yet to catch up with biological science. He challenges readers with a hotspots wager, arguing that he have vastly more to gain than lose by legally protecting biological hotspots, and that foregoing them in favor of the relatively minor and immediate returns arising from their devastation is both foolish and, ultimately, dangerous. Legal thought lags behind modern science in focusing on and setting priorities for global conservation. An extinction spasm is imminent, many scientists argue, due to the ongoing global devastation of biological hotspots, home to a disproportionate share of all life forms, including perhaps millions of unknown species. These hotspots have already lost 88 percent of their primary vegetation and are likely to lose much more, yet few legal measures exist to protect them. Environmental legal protections are often incomprehensive and feebly enforced. Even worse, 62 percent of all hotspots are unprotected. Kunich provides a brief history and science of extinction. He discusses the importance of saving species from extinction and analyzes the legal measures directed toward preserving biodiversity in nations that harbor hotspots.

Reviews

Original, stimulating, and accessible reading for ecologists, conservation biologists, and environmental policy and legal scholars at all levels. Highly recommended. All levels. * Choice *
Blending scientific and legal expertise, the author tries to prove that a devastating ecological crisis is imminent, or even underway already, and that conservation law has yet to catch up with biological science. He asserts that there is more to gain than lose by legally protecting biological hotspots. * Abstracts of Public Administration, Development, and Environment *
[K]unich's book is an important contribution to this issue of global concern, as it raises the level of the biodiversity debate to a search for practical solutions. The book has a wealth of references and details for the serious reader, but at the same time, it is written in a casual tone . The book is filled with analogies, starting with the title, in which the 'ark' symbolises the biodiversity hotspots which are lifeboat for earth's living things. The hotspots are obviously a key target for protection efforts. However, because these areas are so complex, controversial, and difficult to work in, little has been done to date. This book may contribute to changing that. * Natural Resources FORUM *
[P]rovides a sobering lookn at a sobering toic-extinction.Consider our nation's willingness to commit resourcers, peopple, and money in fighting the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction. Isn't the threat of mass extinction in the world's hotspots on the same scale and shouldn't the same or greater resources be brought to bear on a potential solutionArk of Broken Covenant poses that challenge. * The State of The Natural Resources Literature *

Author Bio

JOHN Charles KUNICH is Associate Professor of Law, Appalachian School of Law, Virginia.