Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
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It is a pity to note that Education for Sustainable Development is less popular
today, even in Japan, which was the country that proposed this program in the
first place and continues to support it. Education for Sustainable Development
was proposed to the United Nations at the Johannesburg Summit in 2000, and
now UNESCO is responsible for its implementation. Education for Sustainable
Development may stand as a useful and pertinent tool for promoting the release
of information on environmental issues, and the establishment and promotion of
integrated science has been strongly suggested by the Japanese Commission to
UNESCO in relation to Education for Sustainable Development. This type of
international collaboration should be promoted more aggressively and system-
atically in order to achieve a sustainable use and appreciation of Earth.
Discussion
In summarizing the above ideas, several points can be suggested in terms of the
futurability of island ecology. The first point is the concept of conservation. It is
usually noted that nature conservation is an action taken against the anthropogenic
destruction of nature. For the complete protection of nature, we should avoid all
actions against nature, and a reduction in anthropogenic activities should be one of
the most important goals. To reduce the rate of artificial activity to zero, the best and
easiest way is to make humans extinct, but no conservationists realistically expect
this to happen. Conservation demands that the human race augurs a future, and a
prosperous future, for itself. The development of any human activities is part of the
destruction of nature, although I note respectfully that the zoning of the Japanese
Archipelago was successful through the artificial actions of our ancestors.
The primitive nature of the Archipelago was partly destroyed by these people, but
no one can criticize the creators of the New Stone Age for their distinct influence on
nature. They cut down primitive forests on the Archipelago and initiated agriculture
in developed areas, but their attitude toward this development was driven by a desire to
retain a harmonious coexistence with nature. In this sense, they partly modified the
surface of the Earth but did not destroy the nature around them, even in cutting the
forests down. This type of development with the expectation of harmonious
coexistence with nature should be promoted to retain a better relationship between
nature and humankind. After achieving rapid technological development based on
modern science, humankind has acted as if it were the hands of the gods, and it has
recklessly exploited the Earth's surface for its own benefits, without harmony with
nature. As a result of such development, especially during the twentieth century, we
now, in our daily lives in the twenty-first century, place a heavy load on the Earth's
environment. We should keep in mind the concept of harmonious coexistence with
nature and should develop a better environment for ourselves on Earth.
The second point again concerns nature conservation. Nature in its strict sense
should be a term used to describe areas free of artificial influence. There is no truly
authentic nature left on Earth, since human activity has covered most of the
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