To achieve good environmental status one needs to understand the environment
How would you qualify you're own understanding about the environment and
the solutions required? If scientists can admit that we actually know more today about the Moon than about our earth, how is it then that were so quick to blame for failing in the efforts of conservation. It is easy to be uninterested by the science of
climate change and the reason why biodiversity plays a significant role
in regulating the balances in nature. It seems easier to have less patience as to why solutions are not implemented more quickly and with better effectiveness.
"Ecosystems are unpredictable and still full of
surprises" - unfortunately to understand the environment we are
lacking critical knowledge. Society needs science to get that
understanding knowledge.
Today we use the word FAIL or POOR with such enthusiasm, as quick as a
click of the mouse when dealing with either government or businesses.
It is unfortunate that when we FAIL something, or sit as judges, what we're
actually saying is 'This is the problem. Deal with it'. Or even worse, "
This is your problem. You deal with it."
That’s an easy thing to do and not an isolated practice as media outlets use today's techniques and online tools at the service of this mentality. This behavior can be seen with ABC, TheGuardian, CyprusMail and with all types of issues, a desperate yearn for a quick headline and controversy - time enough for a twitter bash. Understandably, change for them is something they can report about but will be unlikely
to be instrumental in making change happen. It is evident that we are at embryonic stages of understanding the capital value of nature, or even heritage for that matter, why not get with the understanding - that would be like good news, who's interested in that.
In the specific case of conservation and Biodiversity loss, if we must point the finger for poor performance who would you choose then? Our scientists, businesses, law enforcers, governmental agencies, town planners, associations, civil society as a whole? It's not uncommon to be listening and reading about it with all types of qualifications and descriptors, and as far as I'm concerned, it seems that we're all having a role to play and its getting pretty redundant in informing us that the problem is ours to deal with.
Truly, with the wealth of information existing for the skeptics, and
climate change denialists, come today, the critics in the handy comfort of their mouse pad. We can sometimes forget that 70% of our planet is covered by oceans and is a territory with an ecosystem less explored and understood than the moon. So we can can now add another task on our list of requirements in
order to
meet the challenges of the next decade, help getting the major investments that marine
science and technology will be needing for understanding the oceans. Yes, those oceans which hold the answers to the
future of mankind in the sense that we're today incapable of understanding.
What are we to do? Let's be creative about it and move ahead with pertinent stakeholders, getting the knowledge, understanding, prioritizing and being helpful to those that are in need. Words of caution however, If you truly want to be helpful, then your responsibility is to
figure out how to offer help in a way that’s most likely to be
accepted. Pointing a problem out repeatedly, or publicly, accomplishes the exact opposite. If in the process we can help out the scientific community all the better.
Upcoming events of interest
Tη «Βραδιά του Ερευνητή» Researchers’ Night 2010 is a pan-European
fiesta whose aim is to give an insight on the human motivations of
research professionals and doing away with the traditional view of
researchers as oddities detached from society, belonging to a theoretic
world.
Read More: Sea+sun+science: Researchers' Night 2010 Cyprus
Only with a
substantial amount of high-quality research and technology will Europe
be able to cope with the growing pressures on our seas and oceans, and
to take advantage of the opportunities they present in a sustainable
way.
Read more: For a eurocean view of european maritime wealth