Editor’s Note

Is protecting biodiversity just the job of the government or do people have a say in what action should be taken? The Elephant Task Force (ETF) constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests comprised 12 persons from a variety of disciplines. The ETF compiled information critical to the survival of elephants in India. After inviting input from the public (121 responses), public hearings and field visits, the ETF outlined actions to save the people’s animal. Sanjay Gubbi and Divya Gandhi assess the report within these pages.

The second initiative involving broad public participation, Biodiverity 100, is a unique online campaign launched by Guillome Chaperon and George Monbiot in association with the Guardian that calls for suggestions from people across the world regarding what goverments of the world should do to save biodiversity. This unique campaign has already attracted responses from over a hundred people, and in these pages you will see Current Conservation’s involvement with the program and contributions from our readers.