Sandra Myrna Diaz, one of the world’s most influential ecologists, argues that humanity is missing the bigger picture. While climate change dominates headlines, she warns the deeper crisis is biodiversity collapse, the unravelling of the living web of plants, animals, soil and water that sustains life. In this Talk to Al Jazeera interview, Diaz criticises governments for failing to meet biodiversity targets and calls for a rethinking of consumerism-driven lifestyles. Her message: The survival of civilisation depends not just on curbing greenhouse gas emissions but also on protecting the fabric of life itself.