Perhaps the most unexpected outcome of the recent fire at Notre Dame was not what was lost, but what was saved.The majority of the irreplaceable treasures inside the building were taken to safety. The altar and the choir stalls survived. The stonework and most of the glorious, stained-glass windows remained intact.
But which of the survivors of the fire were ultimately of the greatest value to the world at large?
Surely it must be the two hundred thousand honey bees who were housed on the roof. Initially, the bees were thought to have died, but the carbon dioxide from the fire put them to sleep. They were later discovered, intoxicated but alive, safely housed inside their hives.
There's no denying that Notre Dame is both awe-inspiring and truly magnificent. But, much as we would miss such fine, historic buildings, ultimately we could exist without them.However, as Albert Einstein declared, "If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live."
As in Paris, here in London we are also supporting bees.
This week, a seven-mile long 'bee corridor' is being planted in Brent in an effort to boost the number of pollinating insects.
But, worldwide, there is little good news on this front. Our indiscriminate use of pesticides has caused the insect population to go into sharp decline.Nor are they alone. I'm sure you've read details of the very sobering, UN-backed report that was published the other day. It didn't pull its punches.
Over a million species, it states, are currently threatened with extinction. The world's biodiversity is fast vanishing, and one in four species is at risk of disappearing. This includes forty-three per cent of amphibians, twenty-five per cent of mammals, thirty-four per cent of conifers, twenty-two per cent of coral reefs, and fourteen per cent of birds.
And the reason for this dire situation?
Yes, you're quite right. As with the the current climate crisis, human activity is largely to blame.
Habitat degradation, thoughtless exploitation, deforestation and plastic pollution lie at the heart of the problem.
We are, in effect, sawing through the branch we are sitting on . . . and it won't offer us security for much longer.
Have we arrived at this realisation too late? Who knows. With many world leaders denying climate change, with mass felling of the remaining rain forests, and our UK politicians preoccupied with Brexit, it would seem that there's little or no hope of a positive political initiative.
However, the people at large may be waking up and experiencing a change in perspective.
Not only are we losing patience with our political leaders, but, more importantly, we are becoming aware of wider issues.For centuries we've put our economic needs at the top of our agenda. Albeit belatedly, we're now realising the need to bring the intrinsic value of nature into our economic thinking.
For centuries we've considered the human race to be separate and superior to all other species.
At this eleventh hour, could it be dawning on us that we're but a fragment of an united and inter-dependent whole?
And this is where, as I'm sure you've noticed, two people have stepped into the limelight. Two people who strongly believe in our ability to wake up and change . . . one of whom is old and experienced, the other young and passionate.
No-one has done more to draw our attention to the critical situation of life on the planet than the veteran naturalist and broadcaster, David Attenborough.
Whilst the Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg, prompts young people worldwide to take action, motivates the Extinction Rebellion movement, and succeeds in rallying politicians to her cause.
So, with David Attenborough to instruct and guide us, Greta Thunberg to inspire us, and the bees of Notre Dame and Brent to give us hope . . . we may not deserve it, but surely there's still time to strengthen our fragile branch before it breaks?
And, if you want to petition Parliament for support, then why not click here.
