The problem with fences...

While reading Myers text ("The rich diversity of biodiversity issues", Washington, D.C. 1997 (1)), several questions came to my mind:

1. What does protection mean and how can it be implemented?
2. How can we change our perception of time?
3. What has changed in the last decade (since this text was written) regarding the protection of biodiversity?

We are aware of the facts, that biodiversity is necessary for us to live, that too many species are highly endangered, that human actions are mainly responsible for the actual state of affairs (2), that something needs to be done. Even though we already have many ideas what "this something" could be and how we should do "this something", we have not really made any significant progress in protecting our biodiversity: Human mankind keeps on growing in numbers and requests every day more space, more food, more development, more wealth.

It seems difficult to find solutions which protect efficiently biodiversity.

Shall we create more protected areas, natural parks and reservoirs? To build fences around the hotspot areas (3)?

The problems of our ecosystems have already proceeded that far that building fences would be no solution, since climate change and atmospheric pollution cannot be stopped by these kinds of barriers. Furthermore, I consider fences as a general expression of fear, bondage and low level of education. It can be that, within the celebrations of Berlin’s fall of the wall these days, I have a special negative association to any kind of artificial separation.

But imagine that human mankind would simply behave respectfully and wise towards the treasures of nature, without the necessity of extra barriers!

Our time perception is another problem: We are discussing the importance of biodiversity, climate change and pollution since more less 3 decades; from my personal point of view, a long time, as it is the length of my life so far. From the geological perspective, 30 years may be considered relatively short. Myers draws the attention to time dimensions and underlines how long ecosystems need to recover. He includes an important aspect: The aspect of justice among generations and points out “The present generation is effectively imposing a decision to the unconsulted behalf of at least 200,000 follow-on generations” (p.133). Only by changing our time perception we will be able to realize the significance of the consequences human activities cause and to interfere. Hereby, it is absolutely necessary to take into consideration the well-being of the current as well as of the future generations. Myers doubts that it could be already too late: Even if the “whole of humankind were to be removed from the face of the Earth in one fell swoop, (…) gross biospheric impoverishment would continue” (p. 136). He is concerned that our impacts on environment have been already that strong and have weakened that much the ecosystems, that even eliminating all human activities could not prevent the earth of loosing it’s biodiversity. So, does everything seem senseless?

Even though the scenario which has been presented is very negative, I see some progress in protecting biodiversity: a higher problem awareness, better international networking, more sustainbale education – the UN decade on sustainable education is still going on.

Nobody could imagine 20 years ago that the Berlin wall would fall, an historical event made come true from the power of people, their hope and willingness to act.

I put my hope in a continuous education of people: I hope that the number of people being aware of the problem of our biosphere, willing to act and to change life patterns, will grow and that we can keep nature’s treasures for the next 200,000 follow-on generations and even more.

Footnotes:

(1) Myers, N. in: Biodiversity II: understanding and protecting our biological resources, edited by Marjorie L. Reaka-Kudla, Don E. Wilson, and Edward O. Wilson. Washington, D.C., 1997

(2) Myers also points out that today’s biodiversity’s a weak and unhealthy state may also derive from the past, specifically from the Pleistocene episode. Nevertheless, human activities have led to the current mass extinction taking place since the 50’s (p. 132)

(3) Areas which have a variety of different species above the average