Peter Elson hears how two leading Liverpool scientists contributed to a landmark text on our future

THERE are plenty of Liverpool lads made good, but only two who have contributed to what could be the new bible of biodiversity.

And if biodiversity means nothing to you, think again as it could be the saviour – or the downfall – of the human race.

Biodiversity is the incredible and complex inter-relation of earthly life, ranging from minute bugs to mammals, from which much has been learned by science to enhance our existence.

There is far more still to learn, but this may never be discovered before our rapacious exploitation of planet Earth destroys irreplaceable natural organisms and habitats.

Our two “lads”, Prof David Molyneux and Prof David Newman, are among the international experts assembled to produce the book, Sustaining Life.

Its subtitle says it all: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity. Nothing like it is likely to be published again within the next decade.

And, if we don't alter our actions, many species and habitats could be permanently wiped out within that 10-year period.

“If you were an alien approaching planet earth, what would be your most important question? The answer is 'how many species are there on the planet?’,” says Prof Molyneux.

The approximate answer is 1.5m.

The genesis of the book can be traced back to when Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and Global Environment became interested in biodiversity in the mid-1990s.

One of the book's two editors, Dr Eric Chivian is founder and director of the Center. Chivian also co-founded International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, which won the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize.

“I was invited by the Center to speak on infectious diseases in New York,” says Prof Molyneux, former director of Liverpool University's School of Tropical Medicine.

From this, the Center conceived the book with 10 leading scientists as lead authors.

In 2002, Prof Molyneux was given the responsibility of contributing to the chapter dealing with ecosystem disturbance, bio-diversity loss and human infectious disease. Prof Newman, from Wallasey, contributed to the chapter on medicines from nature.