BOSTON -
"This is the most communal endeavor with a clear definable goal that humanity has ever had and we need to get the kind of cooperation and ethical harmony and planning in order to make it work," Wilson told Reuters in an interview outside Boston on Oct. 21.Today, species are going extinct at a rate not seen in 10 million years, with around 1 million currently on the brink.
Humanity continues to solve problems by burning materials - coal and oil - left behind by ancient organisms, Wilson said, decrying the continued exploration and burning of fossil fuels, which amplifies the destruction of biodiversity.The Group of 20 rich countries remain divided over phasing out coal and committing to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures.
"I already had a serious library from my collection of bugs and butterflies," Wilson recounted during the interview. Wilson is a natural storyteller and his accessible writing style is on full display in "The Ants", a 1990 book he wrote with Bert Holldobler. The monograph is more than 700 pages and weighs more than 7 pounds .
Despite his love and fascination of ants, he waves off any suggestion that humans should model themselves after their traits or those of any other species as a way of improvement.