An eminent insects expert is to study aspects of biological and religious diversity in order to find ways of conserving the natural environment. Until recently Head of Entomology (the study of insects) at London’s Natural History Museum, Dr Dick Vane-Wright is the recipient of a NESTA Fellowship. ‘I suspect that taking a more sustaining role, acting as nature’s steward, is something which most belief systems support’ says Vane-Wright, who has studied the relationship between biodiversity and value systems over several years. It’s sounds like a fascinating project, but I’m not sure Dr Vane-Wright has been much exposed to the belief systems of the new economy. Biological metaphors were frequently used by its boosters to justify ruthless behaviour that paid scant attention to the interests of the environment. That story is well-told in Metaphors of Life and Death in Silicon Valley.