[Taxacom] Biodiversity washes whiter

[Bob Mesibov]

This is fascinating. The Web is full of references to the Kate Rawles piece, but I've managed to find a 2006 occurrence:

"Dr Peter Wyse Jackson, director of the [Irish national botanical gardens], then gave us an overview of the history of the gardens and some of the characters that shaped it over the years. People like Dr Augustine Henry who, while in China, collected over 158,000 specimens and who had a profound influence on Irish forestry, including recommending the extensive planting of Sitka spruce, which formed the base for our present forest industry.

Commenting on the lack of knowledge among many of the general public when dealing with the subject of plants, wildlife and the environment in general, he said that in a recent survey in Britain, when people were asked what biodiversity was, the majority said they thought it was a washing powder!"

http://www.independent.ie/farming/ah-yes-thats-a-washing-powder-98121.html; 16 May 2006

The Community Biodiversity Network report I cited earlier was probably mid-1990s, and may refer to this American study:

"The National Survey on Biodiversity was commissioned by Defenders of Wildlife and conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Inc. It was carried out by Geoffrey Garin and Debbie Klingender of Hart Research Associates, and Professor Stephen J. Kellert of Yale University. Kellert gave a detailed briefin on the survey to environmentalists, scientists, and policymakers attending the Capitol Hill forum on “Biodiversity: Science, Public Opinion and Policy”", back in 1994.

I haven't found a online copy of this survey yet. From contemporary newspaper accounts, it sounds like it may have gotten the 'washing powder' response to the question 'what is biodiversity?, but that would more likely have been 'laundry detergent' in the USA at the time.
-- 
Dr Robert Mesibov
Honorary Research Associate
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, and
School of Zoology, University of Tasmania
Home contact: PO Box 101, Penguin, Tasmania, Australia 7316
Phone: (03) 64371195; 61 3 64371195