PLANNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE EUROPE? - TU Berlin

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International, for example, demonstrate how once classic conservationist movements now
have significantly broadened their horizons:
We can only conserve nature with people and not against them - this is one of the
fundamental ideas of the European Natural Heritage Fund (EURONATUR). Our
activities focus on the natural heritage in its diversity, which we endeavour to preserve
for ourselves and for future generations. … The preservation of traditional cultural
landscapes is one of EURONATUR's fundamental aims. Moreover, we want to initiate
a broad international dialogue to increase the quality of environment and life. 50
Many of the pressures that threaten birds, their habitats and biodiversity also have
adverse effects on local communities. Unsustainable use of natural resources deepens
poverty as essential resources are exhausted. … Conservation that excludes people can
lead to increased poverty, resentment and lack of co-operation. An alternative is to
link biodiversity conservation with measures to meet people's needs, through
sustainable economic development, poverty alleviation and improvement of local
livelihoods with bottom-up decision-making. Through the integration of conservation
and development, BirdLife International helps people to achieve a secure livelihood
that is sustainable. This allows the values of natural ecosystems to be realised without
damaging the resources on which human well-being depends. 51
Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth International exemplify the classical allround
perspective of activist environmental NGOs:
Greenpeace is an independently funded organization that works to protect the
environment. We challenge government and industry to halt harmful practices by
negotiating solutions, conducting scientific research, introducing clean alternatives,
carrying out peaceful acts of civil disobedience and educating and engaging the public.
Greenpeace seeks to protect biodiversity in all its forms; prevent pollution of the
earth’s oceans, land, air and fresh water; end all nuclear threats; promote peace, global
disarmament and non-violence. 52
Friends of the Earth International is a worldwide federation of national
environmental organizations. This federation aims to protect the earth against further
deterioration and repair damage inflicted upon the environment by human activities
and negligence; preserve the earth's ecological, cultural and ethnic diversity; increase
50
See www.euronatur.org/euro_engl/start_E.htm. Note that EURONATUR’s website might feature
conservationist principles but that its policies are certainly at odds with Deep Ecology approaches. Also,
given that key EURONATUR sponsors include Lufthansa and DaimlerCrysler, this NGO is far from being
anti-capitalist.
51 See http://www.birdlife.net/people/index.cfm
52 There is no specialized Greenpeace mission statement for Europe. The current quote is taken from the
Greenpeace Canada website (www.greenpeace.ca)