Biodiversity and Landscape Protection 217
should be applied after a dialogue that allows the minority an opportunity
to argue its concerns, and problem solving should be based on the most
complete possible cognitive basis. Any positive or negative decision about
environmental preservation should be revised if more recent scientific data
raise significant doubts about its correctness. However, the answer to the
question of which body decides is not apparent. The relevant spatial (only
people living in the area can decide) and temporal (only people living today
can decide) limitations are not self-evident. Certainly, the local population
should have the right to the first say. There are, though, many instances
where a biotope, a landscape or a monument can be considered of national
or even international importance, but its protection may hinder economic
activities of local inhabitants. In such cases it seems that the body making
the decision should be expanded to represent the national or international
society. In addition, the elements of the particular environment that are of
value cannot be considered property of this generation only. On the contrary, environmental values constitute a legacy that has been handed over by
previous generations and will be handed down to future ones. Do ancestors
and descendants have a say in the preservation of that legacy, and if they do,
how should they express it? A positive confrontation of this side of the issue
could be based on modern internal regulations; appropriate environmental
terms could substitute older rules of a religious type which were used to
preserve environmental values in the past.
On the other hand, if we accept that nature belongs to nature, then
conservation becomes man’s obligation in the framework of a non-anthropocentric worldview. Such a view necessitates a general respect for every
living entity, probably even for every abiotic natural element as well.
However, the full development of the rational consequences of this notion
leads to a rejection of human progress and the acceptance of a human
society of hunters-gatherers only that would be fully incorporated in the
natural ecosystems.
12.3 MEthodS oF biodivErSity conSErvation
Biodiversity conservation means species conservation complemented by
conservation of other ecological elements such as sub-species, genetic variety, ecosystem variety etc. This goal will be served if there is a cessation of
species extinction due to human influence, that is, with reduction of the
extinction rate to its natural extent. On a biosphere level this goal is not
feasible for the time being, mainly because of the socioeconomic state of
developing countries. It has already been achieved, though, in some developed countries where biodiversity has stabilized in a human time scale, after
having been decreased in the past. The goal is realistic in the medium term
should be applied after a dialogue that allows the minority an opportunity
to argue its concerns, and problem solving should be based on the most
complete possible cognitive basis. Any positive or negative decision about
environmental preservation should be revised if more recent scientific data
raise significant doubts about its correctness. However, the answer to the
question of which body decides is not apparent. The relevant spatial (only
people living in the area can decide) and temporal (only people living today
can decide) limitations are not self-evident. Certainly, the local population
should have the right to the first say. There are, though, many instances
where a biotope, a landscape or a monument can be considered of national
or even international importance, but its protection may hinder economic
activities of local inhabitants. In such cases it seems that the body making
the decision should be expanded to represent the national or international
society. In addition, the elements of the particular environment that are of
value cannot be considered property of this generation only. On the contrary, environmental values constitute a legacy that has been handed over by
previous generations and will be handed down to future ones. Do ancestors
and descendants have a say in the preservation of that legacy, and if they do,
how should they express it? A positive confrontation of this side of the issue
could be based on modern internal regulations; appropriate environmental
terms could substitute older rules of a religious type which were used to
preserve environmental values in the past.
On the other hand, if we accept that nature belongs to nature, then
conservation becomes man’s obligation in the framework of a non-anthropocentric worldview. Such a view necessitates a general respect for every
living entity, probably even for every abiotic natural element as well.
However, the full development of the rational consequences of this notion
leads to a rejection of human progress and the acceptance of a human
society of hunters-gatherers only that would be fully incorporated in the
natural ecosystems.
12.3 MEthodS oF biodivErSity conSErvation
Biodiversity conservation means species conservation complemented by
conservation of other ecological elements such as sub-species, genetic variety, ecosystem variety etc. This goal will be served if there is a cessation of
species extinction due to human influence, that is, with reduction of the
extinction rate to its natural extent. On a biosphere level this goal is not
feasible for the time being, mainly because of the socioeconomic state of
developing countries. It has already been achieved, though, in some developed countries where biodiversity has stabilized in a human time scale, after
having been decreased in the past. The goal is realistic in the medium term