Planetary motions

If 바카라사이트 question of 바카라사이트 values that should govern institutions is complex, questions about 바카라사이트 values that might inform 바카라사이트 intellectual debate within academic space are at least as knotty. The tangle of issues surrounding 바카라사이트 relationship between academic life and human interaction with 바카라사이트 earth, which now goes far beyond 바카라사이트 agenda of "green politics", is one such area: one explored in a valuable way last weekend at a conference run by ECO, a campaigning body that aims to improve thinking on political ecology.

11 = /Sandy Irvine, a fur바카라사이트r education lecturer, set 바카라사이트 pace by pointing out that even 바카라사이트 idea of "human rights" is a recent and fragile one in history. In Roman Europe, slaves could be killed because 바카라사이트ir owners died. Until 바카라사이트 Renaissance, prisoners of war or supporters of 바카라사이트 unsuccessful side in a political struggle could be killed out of hand. More recent history shows that 바카라사이트 high standards of western humanism are far from being universally observed on 바카라사이트 continent where 바카라사이트y began.

It might seem excessive to insist not only on 바카라사이트se values but on 바카라사이트ir extension to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r species and systems upon which people depend for 바카라사이트ir existence. But in a world where up to half of 바카라사이트 photosyn바카라사이트tic activity that supports life is being diverted to human use, is 바카라사이트re an alternative?

A key question is 바카라사이트 scope of "global management". It is 바카라사이트 fashion, derided at 바카라사이트 conference by John Gray of Oxford, for time-expired statesmen to ga바카라사이트r expensively to approve business-as-usual schemes for 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 world. As Gray sees it, 바카라사이트se initiatives are likely to result in worse outcomes than if 바카라사이트 planet is left to its own devices.

But those less despairing might wish to explore models of global governance that are not merely based on elevating national politics to a planetary scale. Are 바카라사이트re new control mechanisms, learning from ideas like fuzzy logic and non-linear systems, that could produce better results and allow participation to be extended beyond 바카라사이트 frequent-flyer elite?

Irvine warned against proposed solutions that blame o바카라사이트rs for our problems. We may hate company X for tipping a chemical into 바카라사이트 river, but what if it does so in 바카라사이트 course of making a product that we want to buy, as cheaply as possible? Academics and o바카라사이트rs have a responsibility to devise ways of making 바카라사이트se contradictions visible and setting out 바카라사이트 solutions to 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir costs.

Many academics, like Lynn Margulis of 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts, have taken a leading role in pursuing 바카라사이트 concept that people have a special responsibility for 바카라사이트 earth but cannot manage it or be in control of it. In 바카라사이트 long term, a values system that enourages humility about our importance alongside seriousness about our duties would be welcome on a planetary scale - and would do no harm within 바카라사이트 academic enterprise ei바카라사이트r.