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“Scientific curiosity and technological endeavors are deeply rooted
aspects of human nature. They are responsible for the development of human
society and welfare. But they are also responsible for much of the environmental
problems we are facing today. Solutions for these shortcomings are inconceivable
without full scientific and technological support. EOLSS has the goal to
provide a firm knowledge base for future activities to prolong the lifetime
of the human race in a hospitable environment.”
“The focus on Science for all the reasons listed in your effective
‘mission statement’ for the EOLSS is not only appropriate, but it is imaginative
and, to my knowledge, unique. Much of what we can write about science,
about energy, about our far-ranging knowledge base, can indeed be found
in major encyclopedias, but as I understand your vision, never as a central
theme; the theme of humanity, embedded in nature and constrained to find
ways of maintaining a relationship with nature based upon understanding
and respect. I believe it will be important to explore the far reaches
of this knowledge base, even those areas which may never be applicable
to issues of life-support systems, environment, economics, development,
but are essential to the culture which drew humankind into the effort to
understand the universe from the infinitely distant cosmos to the infinitesimally
small micro-world. Of course, in our history such efforts proved to be
crucial to any capability we now have towards sustainable development of
life support systems. This mysterious and always surprising relevance of
the most abstract knowledge must be a strong theme, too.”
“Contemporary development pathways have opened up unusual opportunities
for a better and longer life. However, they are also associated with serious
social, environmental and economic problems such as increasing damage to
our life support systems of land, water, forest, biodiversity and the atmosphere,
increasing the rich-poor divide with 84% of the global annual income going
to one billion of the world’s population, expanding joblessness and increasing
poverty and economic inequality of the female. All these problems indicate
that we must adopt a change of course in developmental strategies. Such
a paradigm shift should help us to maintain continuity in areas where there
are positive advantages, and change in areas where harmful effects are
seen. For achieving such a process of continuity coupled with change in
human and economic development, it is essential that we impart a pro-nature,
pro-poor, pro-female and pro-employment orientation to science and technology
development and dissemination. The International Commission on Peace and
Food in its Report titled “Uncommon Opportunities: An Agenda for Peace
and Equitable Development” (published by Zed Press, London, 1994) has brought
out new and unique opportunities now available for working for a better
common present and future for mankind. Ecotechnology involving appropriate
blends of traditional technologies and the ecological prudence of the past
with frontier technologies such as biotechnology, information technology,
space technology, new materials, renewable energy technology and management
technology, can help us to promote global sustainable development involving
harmony between humankind and nature on the one hand and tolerance and
love of diversity and pluralism in human societies on the other. We need
shifts in technology and public policy which can lead to both unsustainable
life styles and unacceptable poverty becoming problems of the past. This
is a challenging task to which the Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems
should address itself.”
“A major issue for all is that of conservation of resources, raw
materials, energy. It requires the giving up of careless and wasteful behavior
in a throw-away society. It is a question of individual and collective
attitudes and not a consequence of science and technology. Science provides
the knowledge and technology the means of action. The decision about how
to make use of them is ours, as individuals. ……..……..The question is, what
change and at what rate?: an answer is to call for a responsible management
of the biosphere.……..Technology transfer should thus be effected in advanced
levels; it implies to introduce photovoltaic or nuclear electricity generators,
not coal-fueled power stations, high performance materials not steel mills,
etc. Such high tech transfer related to energy, materials and health implies
that we do the research that these countries cannot do at present (for
instance on tropical diseases) but also that we set the course that will
allow them in the future to make advances in technologies, and this requires
education and the transfer of knowledge. Beyond the general progress of
knowledge and the technological development, the most important impact
science can and must have on society is the spirit that it implies, the
scientific, rational approaches towards the world, life and society. Education,
science and technology may collide with tradition and disturb beliefs or
social structure. We must be prepared for that and take it into account
so as to overcome it. A very real issue concerns the situation of the scientist
with respect to ETHICS AND SOCIETY. It is my strong opinion that the scientist
has first of all a general responsibility to the truth, and only then is
there responsibility to the society and to the world at the particular
time in history. Ethics is a function of time, location and knowledge.
Pursuit of knowledge and truth supersedes present considerations of what
nature, life or the world are or should be, for our own vision can only
be a narrow one. Ethical evaluation and rules of justice have changed and
will change over time and will have to adapt. Law is made for man, not
man for law. If it does not fit any more, change it……….……….Some think that
it is being arrogant to try to modify nature; arrogance is to claim that
we are perfect as we are! With all the caution that must be exercised and
despite the risks that will be encountered, carefully pondering each step,
mankind must and will continue along its path, for we have no right to
switch off the lights of the future……..…….. We have to walk the path FROM
THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE TO THE CONTROL OF DESTINY.”
“EOLSS is concerned with the Life Support Systems: Water, Energy,
Environment, Food and Agriculture. Each of these systems is a very complex
one. ……. we have to think of all these “systems” as closely related “subsystems”
of the Planet Earth System. The situation is extremely different in most
of life support systems modeling……… the results are not needed with the
same degree of precision ……., but they should be robust (and valid) for
very different time horizons. There is not one model, but a hierarchy of
models. Examples of these situations will be given throughout the Encyclopedia.…..More
delicate are the global problems, involving several goals, with possible
conflicts of interest.……Rational decisions will be more and more possible
to envision if one will be able to couple the physical modeling to economic
and financial models and to human factors ………. These delicate and
fundamental questions will deserve a lot of attention in the Encyclopedia.”
“The demographic revolution as a fundamental change in the paradigm
of our development will be accompanied by basic changes in the age profile,
a change that never before happened in the history of humankind. The impact
of this rapid transformation is critical for the understanding of many
of the problems now facing the world. The population of our planet and
its development over the ages sets the scene for considering all global
problems and it is reasonable to begin their discussion with population
growth. …….Thus we are dealing with an interdisciplinary problem in an
attempt to describe the total human experience, right from its very beginning.
But without this perspective of time it is not possible to objectively
assess what is happening today and provide an objective view of the present
state of development, the challenge now facing humanity.…..Of other global
problems energy will be considered most. Energy in all its forms
is the main factor determining the production of food, support of industry
and transportation, the general well-being of humans and the security of
societies.”
 Maintained by Eolss Publishers Co. Ltd, © Copyright 2001 Eolss Publishers Co. Ltd. |
