Conservation, human values and democracy

H uman activity is changing the climate, depleting biodiversity, destroying habitats and poisoning the earth, the water and the air. It is increasingly understood and accepted that natural resources are limited and that their use should be sustainable. Campaigns to raise awareness and improve education have highlighted to the general public that human civilisation is on an unsustainable path that could lead to ecological, economic and human disaster. Yet, humans continue to degrade the biosphere and deplete natural resources at an unprecedented rate. There are many explanations for this apparent disconnect between knowing that our life style is unsustainable and doing nothing to change it. These include that the dominant economic model is based on continuous growth; that there is a lack of communication to stakeholders and policy makers; a lack of international coordination to address global problems; that people are reluctant to change their lifestyles; and that we do not experience the impact of global environmental problems on our daily lives. This disconnect also applies to other problems such as poverty, public health issues and hunger. Everybody dislikes the consequences, but nobody is willing to make the necessary sacrifices to address the issue.