Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 28
Chico Mendes and José Lutzenberger:
Ecosystem Management at Multiple Scales
of Government
Fernando José Rodrigues da Rocha and Fábio Valenti Possamai
Abstract
Chico Mendes and José Lutzenberger together orchestrate an incredibly
enthusiastic polyphonic call of encouragement for the socio-environmentalist cause.
They set examples of how much “the man of the forest” and “the man of the world”
can accomplish in the local and the national levels and how their idealism can set
examples throughout the world. It is argued that a culture based on principles of
environmental ethics should be encouraged in all educational levels throughout the
globe. And this has a series of implications such as: the abandonment of the current
anthropocentric, egoistic, materialistic, consumerist way of living; the abandon-
ment of absolute national sovereignty by governments in favor of a Global
Environmental Governance; the unrelentingly combat of corruption at all levels of
government in many countries, including Brazil. We are subject to the interests of
powerful international enterprises and the surreptitious lawful techno-bureaucracy
they impose on us. And the current tendency is that their infl uence will grow bigger
and bigger as technological novelties are put into the market. To bring it to a stop
and reverse it is not an easy task, but there are examples in history that changes can
take place when people have fi rm belief in their cause. Chico Mendes and José
Lutzenberger set examples that, regardless of one's geography, or socioeconomic
and political conditions, each and everyone's contribution is precious. It is the col-
lective effort from peasants to presidents that will provide the deep, necessary
changes which will make the Earth Stewardship dream come true.
Keywords
Brazil Cooperatives Earth stewardship Environmental philosophy
Recycling
Search WWH ::
Custom Search