@franslanting

Photos by @FransLanting Within one day, we lost two of the greatest individuals involved in the protection of biodiversity on Planet Earth. Thomas E. Lovejoy III and E.O. Wilson passed away on December 25 and 26, respectively. Tom Lovejoy introduced the term biological diversity back in 1980 and Ed Wilson popularized the shortened version, “biodiversity," through his numerous publications. During his long and distinguished career, Ed changed how we think about nature in numerous ways, from his contributions to the field of sociobiology to his articulation of the concept of “biophilia” (the love of nature). His embrace of the idea of “Half Earth” became a rallying cry for protecting 50% of the Earth, including the oceans, by 2050. This is now becoming a policy goal for many governments and institutions. Tom Lovejoy pioneered the innovative debt-for-nature swap programs and embedded science within the World Wildlife Fund, giving the organization a big boost with his vision and energy. He was hugely influential behind the scenes as a senior advisor at the World Bank and the United Nations Foundation. What Ed and Tom shared and reinforced in me was a sense of wonder about our living planet and a concern for its future. Ed never stopped thinking about how the natural world worked and Tom never stopped influencing policies to safeguard biodiversity. I will miss both of them greatly but cherish the lessons I learned from them. Their legacies will live on in the actions all of us take to make our planet more sustainable for every living thing. Follow us @FransLanting and @ChristineEckstrom as we pay tribute to nature and the efforts of people to preserve it. @thehalfearthproject #UnitedNationsFoundation @world_wildlife @conservationorg @WildNetOrg @ThePhotoSociety #Biodiversity #ClimateChange #Nature #Conservation #Earth #Gratitude #Wisdom