Editors' note

• Author: Blake M. Mensing - Addie Haughey
• Position: Editors-in-chief
• Pages: 1-1

1SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT LAW & POLICY

Variety is not just the spice of life; it is its backbone. The

United Nations declared 2010 to be the International

Year of Biodiversity, and along with the 2010 Biodi-

versity Target, this year is set to highlight the importance of the

world’s f‌lora and fauna to the fundamental functioning of the

global ecosystem. This added atte ntion to bio diversity issues,

including the rapid increase in the rate of its loss, which is pre-

cisely what the 2010 Biodiversity Target is seeking to address,

reveals that we may be experiencing the Earth’s sixth great

extinction. Biological diversity, or the variability a mong living

organisms, helps to provide food for human civilization, protects

against the spread of disease, and offers innumerable opportuni-

ties for scientif‌ic study and casual enjoyment. Humanity is both

a part of this great diversity and the single largest cause of its

rapid loss. With disastrous events such as the recent oil spill in

the Gulf of Mexico fresh in the minds of the American public, it

is clear that biodiversity is under siege.

In this issue of Sustainable Development Law & Policy,

our auth ors will disc uss several inte rnational instrumen ts that

seek to preserve biodiversity, including the Convention on Bio-

logical Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Another author

will analyze the threat of endocrine-disrupting chemicals to the

United States’ wildlife and suggests that the Clean Water Act is

a possible regulatory solution to this problem. The introduction

of this issue offers some of the root causes of biodiversity loss

and puts forward novel, science-based solutions. Our student

features present some lesser known threats to biodiversity loss,

including the impacts that controlled and wild f‌ires have on for-

est management, the potential loss of agricultural biodiversity

due to the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of cloned

livestock, and the potential impact that new sources of renew-

able energy could have on various species.

We hope that this issue advances the dialogue between

practitioners, policymakers, and the scientif‌ic community, by

presenting unique solutions to problems that will inevitably

affect all life on Earth. This issue looks beyond the charismatic

mega-fauna, such as the polar bear or the tiger, that have become

important symbols of biodiversity preservation and the environ-

mental movement itself, and delves into the heart of biodiversity

loss. The state of the world’s biodiversity is undeniably bleak.

We hope that this issue serves as a complementary note in the

essential clarion call to action.

Addie Haughey Blake M. Mensing

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

EDITORS’ NOTE

FEATURES:

17 | LIVESTOCK ANIMAL CLONING: THIS STEAK

IS GIVING ME DÉJÀ VU

by Blake M. Mensing

23 | USING THE CLEAN WATER ACT TO PROTECT OUR

OCEANS’ BIODIVERSITY

by Kate Halloran

34 | USING REDD TO PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY-

SENSITIVE FOREST FIRE MANAGEMENT SCHEMES

by Alex Hoover

41 | THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC IN THE AMERICAN

PIKA’S FUTURE

by Yoona Cho

42 | FINDING THE BALANCE: HARMONIZING RENEWABLE

ENERGY WITH WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

by Tina R. Goel

43 | WILL CLIMATE CHANGE HELP OR HARM

SPECIES LISTING?

by Jessica B. Goldstein