I find it very difficult discussing it with people, as I often feel they don't give my argument any consideration. As my sister pointed out, in these circumstances, the problem is that although we can listen to eachother (she too is a people over trees kind of person), we both fundamentally believe that we are right and the other person is wrong. For me though, I have spent so long fighting in what feels like the loosing corner of this battle, that in order to keep people on side and listening, I have to be very good at actually hearing what the other person says. However, I don't feel that always happens the other way round. I know my sister is right, deep down, no matter how much I listen to, and understand the other point of view, I still believe conservation is the most important issue facing the planet as a whole, and I just can't see why other people don't see it too!
Another argument which comes up a lot when talking about the work that I am doing, is the question of scale. For my research (and what I hope to turn into my career) I have chosen to work at a local scale. Don’t get me wrong I agree that it is important to look at the bigger picture, and that the only way to ensure that your work is relevant is by making sure that you understand the bigger issues. However, I also believe that it is very rare that anything get’s done if you only focus on the bigger picture. In my circumstances, the issue is forest loss and the degradation of one of the world’s most unique areas of biodiversity. To work at the scale of the ‘bigger picture’ one would be petitioning governments, getting them to sit down to sign binding agreements forcing them to change their policies and behaviours, and enforce practices that save biodiversity. That would be great. Unfortunately environmentalists have been trying to achieve this for over 30 years, and no matter how many COPs there are, and not matter how many marches I go on, or petitions I have signed, we still have not yet been successful. This is not to say that we should give up. Not at all. I will continue to go on these marches and sign the petitions, and when ever I get the chance I will push governments to do more. But, as Einstein’s said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So there have got to be other ways to approach the problems that we have.
As we have seen all over Africa and the Middle East recently, local people have voices that need to be heard, and they should be given the support they need to achieve what they want. In the area in Kenya that I am working the preservation of the cultural and sacred forests is so important to the local people, but they do not have the resources to be able to protect these forests.I believe that working at the local level (as well as the global level), is important to achieving sustainable conservation. It is all good and well petitioning governments to put into place strategies to conserve the environment, but in areas where the local people are passionate about protecting their environment, for what ever reasons that may be, it is foolish, and immoral not to support them to do this. In the area that I will be working in Kenya, there is a range of unique and important biodiversity, and it is in the top 25 priority areas for conservation worldwide. The coastal forest is also important for defence of the land from sea erosion, as well as for water security and for food the preservation of resources such as food and medicinal plants. Not to mention their importance as a carbon sink, and their huge significance culturally and spiritually.
Therefore, with such an important area I believe it is vital to get onto the ground, understand the values of the local people, and find out what is important to them. So often in the past western people have come in and decided how conservation should be done, often at the detriment to not only local people but also to biodiversity. It is time for this attitude to change, and for conservation to be done in a way that values and takes into account local peoples values, cultures and traditions - and this is only possible when you work at the local scale. If you can do this, and you can support local people, to create conservation that is not only sympathetic to the lives of the local people, but enhances it, and you can make conservation integral to their daily lives, then you really can achieve sustainable conservation. If you can do this in a number of areas, so that conservation starts to become important to every person, then it is possible to start pushing again for changes at the larger scale. This is known as bottom up change, and I think that when you are dealing with cultural and spiritual issues alongside conservation, bottom-up approaches are vital.
To me only working at the ‘large-scale’ is ridiculous. Nothing actually ever gets done, unless there are people on the ground putting change into place.
Earlier I stated that I believe conservation is more important than humanitarian issues. This in not strictly true, for one simple fact... Environmental conservation is a humanitarian issue! One of the major problems that the human race faces, and which will cause significant number of deaths, and have a significant effect the survival and quality of life of all people across the globe, especially the poorest people in the world, is deforestation. The devastation that this will have is catastrophic. Well beyond issues of malaria and aids, and far more of an issue than schooling for all children. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that the work that many humanitarian organisations do is brilliant, and I always give £15 every year to comic relief. I am by no means saying that the work such organisations is not important. I think this work is phenomenally important, and that the work that many organisations do in dealing with these issues is wonderful. However, I do think that peoples’ priorities are a bit skewed. It is all good and well ensuring that every child has an education, but what good is that education when their homes are flooded due to the destruction of mangrove forests? Or when they starve as a result soil erosion due to loss of forests, which means they cannot grow any food? Or they die from lack of water as rivers run dry due to deforestation? This doen't even begin to take into account other environmental issues such as pollution, over-exploitation of finite resources and fossil fues, damage to the earth from unsustainable mining practices, and climate change. The problems that are being tackled under the name of environmental conservation are huge, and affect every person across the world, and all I can think is: Surely the survival of the human race should be our primary goal.
The thing is I can understand the importance of so called humanitarian projects, and I would never dream of telling anyone that this work is not vital. I just believe that if even a fraction of he money that was spent on projects to improve the lievs of people was spent on the environment then we would be in a much better state than we are, and it would be far better for people worldwide. But I know, that along with many other conservationists, I find myself in the minority with this point of view. Who is going to pick the protection of a forest, over providing food for a starving child in Africa (other than conservationists)? And because we would make that choice our work is looked down on, and our humanity and moral integrity is called into question.
I was once told that if I were to put the same energy into trying to correct the issue of poor state schools in the UK as I do into the protection of forest in Africa, then I could achieve amazing things here at home. All I could think was that surely by trying to help to protect the human race from the devastating effects of deforestation and environmental degradation I could achieve something even more amazing? If only the people who had that much passion for changing systems which, although have faults, are still quite incredible, would put that effort into the protection of the environment across the world, then maybe, just maybe governments would be forced to act to protect our environment and save the lives of billions of people across the world.
I was once told that if I were to put the same energy into trying to correct the issue of poor state schools in the UK as I do into the protection of forest in Africa, then I could achieve amazing things here at home. All I could think was that surely by trying to help to protect the human race from the devastating effects of deforestation and environmental degradation I could achieve something even more amazing? If only the people who had that much passion for changing systems which, although have faults, are still quite incredible, would put that effort into the protection of the environment across the world, then maybe, just maybe governments would be forced to act to protect our environment and save the lives of billions of people across the world.
Emma xxx
