5.3 Realistic Visions and Recommendations
Environmental behaviour depends strongly on experience and conceptual understanding of the natural world. Humans are social organisms with natural and cultural
attitudes in their behaviour as part of their nature. We assume that the natural part of
human behaviour is not absolutely fixed, and the cultural part, including creativity, is
not completely free. The relationship between nature and culture may be a dichotomy at both ends of overlapping attitudes. However, the central part is an essentiality. It is precisely here that much effort is required—with respect to our
environmental conditions, survival of the species, and cultural perspectives.
Humans depend on environmental conditions and are part of the ecosystem in
which they live, or in which they temporarily stay. Humans are unique ecosystem
engineers, and not very different from other organisms with respect to these characteristics and their uniqueness. We assume that the development of landscapes and
habitats under human influence is flexible. This also means that current economic
and political processes and conditions, which are heavily influenced by powerful
economic globalisation and a further growth of the world population, will not be the
final answer and can be altered.
However, the political and cultural flexibility that can allow for conditions to
change in order to assure the survival of a threatened species become redundant the
moment the last individual of a certain species dies. Every species extinction at
global scales is a further silent but sudden limitation, of nature and culture, including
aesthetic perspectives. Creative design landscapes integrating the survival of species
and ecosystems would imply monitoring of threats and the guarantee to avoid any
species extinction at global scales. Under fortunate conditions, people should be able
to implement adequate programmes without unrealistically expensive investments.
Most countries in the world have signed the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD). The aspiration of the CBD—to avoid species extinctions—requires work on
new programmes, investments, legislation, monitoring, creativity and political decisions, not only at the national level, but at all other spatial scales as well. Furthermore, an exchange of knowledge including education, responsibility and money
must always be adjusted against any species extinction.
The illegal trade of rare species, and natural products of threatened species, is not
meant to eliminate species because this would be the end of the trade connection. We
assume that a lack of money/jobs and knowledge might be the main driver. Economic consequences together with educational programmes can be seen as key for a
reduction in criminal behaviour since the effect of restrictions alone is often rather
small.
The multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals (Washington
Convention, CITES) is characterized by shortcomings and concerns. It is time to
replace the negative list of more than 20,000 species in the appendices by a positive
list. A positive list would define products and living individuals of species that are
neither regionally nor globally threatened and are legal to trade. The list would be
much smaller than the appendices of CITES and therefore could be better controlled.
Land Use Change and the Future of Biodiversity
481
Environmental behaviour depends strongly on experience and conceptual understanding of the natural world. Humans are social organisms with natural and cultural
attitudes in their behaviour as part of their nature. We assume that the natural part of
human behaviour is not absolutely fixed, and the cultural part, including creativity, is
not completely free. The relationship between nature and culture may be a dichotomy at both ends of overlapping attitudes. However, the central part is an essentiality. It is precisely here that much effort is required—with respect to our
environmental conditions, survival of the species, and cultural perspectives.
Humans depend on environmental conditions and are part of the ecosystem in
which they live, or in which they temporarily stay. Humans are unique ecosystem
engineers, and not very different from other organisms with respect to these characteristics and their uniqueness. We assume that the development of landscapes and
habitats under human influence is flexible. This also means that current economic
and political processes and conditions, which are heavily influenced by powerful
economic globalisation and a further growth of the world population, will not be the
final answer and can be altered.
However, the political and cultural flexibility that can allow for conditions to
change in order to assure the survival of a threatened species become redundant the
moment the last individual of a certain species dies. Every species extinction at
global scales is a further silent but sudden limitation, of nature and culture, including
aesthetic perspectives. Creative design landscapes integrating the survival of species
and ecosystems would imply monitoring of threats and the guarantee to avoid any
species extinction at global scales. Under fortunate conditions, people should be able
to implement adequate programmes without unrealistically expensive investments.
Most countries in the world have signed the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD). The aspiration of the CBD—to avoid species extinctions—requires work on
new programmes, investments, legislation, monitoring, creativity and political decisions, not only at the national level, but at all other spatial scales as well. Furthermore, an exchange of knowledge including education, responsibility and money
must always be adjusted against any species extinction.
The illegal trade of rare species, and natural products of threatened species, is not
meant to eliminate species because this would be the end of the trade connection. We
assume that a lack of money/jobs and knowledge might be the main driver. Economic consequences together with educational programmes can be seen as key for a
reduction in criminal behaviour since the effect of restrictions alone is often rather
small.
The multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals (Washington
Convention, CITES) is characterized by shortcomings and concerns. It is time to
replace the negative list of more than 20,000 species in the appendices by a positive
list. A positive list would define products and living individuals of species that are
neither regionally nor globally threatened and are legal to trade. The list would be
much smaller than the appendices of CITES and therefore could be better controlled.
Land Use Change and the Future of Biodiversity
481