Irish in the dark about threat to biodiversity

MOST Irish people say they have never heard of and don’t know anything about the loss of biodiversity, despite up to half of all Europe’s birds, butterflies, fish and animals being threatened with extinction.

The Irish were also at the bottom of the class when it came to knowing how such a loss would affect them, according to a poll carried out for the European Commission across the EU.

Scientists say the rapid disappearance of all kinds of life, from bacteria and insects to plants and animals, is as dangerous as climate change, and closely related to it. Without the variety, things we take for granted are under threat.