Register      Login
Pacific Conservation Biology Pacific Conservation Biology Society
A journal dedicated to conservation and wildlife management in the Pacific region.
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Failure of science, death of nature1

Harry F. Recher
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

School of Natural Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, and School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, and Australian Museum Research Institute, The Australian Museum, College Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. Email: hfrecher@gmail.com

Pacific Conservation Biology 21(1) 2-14 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC14907
Submitted: 28 December 2014  Accepted: 27 January 2015   Published: 21 April 2015

Abstract

As a people, Australians have lost contact with the world of nature, risking the collapse of civilisation. One factor in the alienation of nature in Australia is the failure of the scientific community to take responsibility for the technology created by the knowledge generated from scientific research. Science has failed to protect Australia’s flora and fauna. Scientists must communicate more widely with society, but need to be educated on how to communicate and on their ethical responsibilities to others and other species. Government needs to show leadership in environmental management and nature conservation, while conservationists need to ‘invert the paradigm’, taking a new, less anthropocentric approach to conservation. None of this is possible in a market-place economy and Australians must move to an economic system that is ecocentric. This will not be easy as it requires a reduction in the consumption of resources and a smaller population.


References

Adam, P. (2010). The study of natural history – a PPP. In ‘The Natural History of Sydney’. (Eds D. Lunney, P. Hutchings, and D. Hochuli.) pp. 1–15.(Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales: Sydney.)

Andersen, H., et al. (2008). Editorial – Journals under threat: a joint response from history of science, technology and medicine editors. Historical Records of Australian Science 19, ii–iv.
Editorial – Journals under threat: a joint response from history of science, technology and medicine editors.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Anon. (2010). Bradfield Scheme would end MDB controversy: Katter. Agribusiness, 23 October 2010. Available at http://www.northqueenslandregister.com.au/news/agriculture/agribusiness/general-news/bradfield-scheme-would-end-mdb-controversy-katter/1976567.aspx [verified 31 March 2015].

Australian Conservation Foundation (2011). Submission to a Sustainable Population Strategy for Australia. Australian Conservation Foundation, Melbourne.

Beehler, B. M. (2010). The forgotten science: a role for natural history in the twenty-first century? Journal of Field Ornithology 81, 1–4.
The forgotten science: a role for natural history in the twenty-first century?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Birch, C. (1982). Born Again Science and Technology. Available at http://our.murdoch.edu.au/University-Secretarys-Office/University-history/Lectures-and-speeches/Keith-Roby-Memorial-Lecture [verified 31 March 2015].

Bradshaw, C. J. A., and Brook, B. W. (2014). Human population is not a quick fix for environmental problems. Proceedings National Academy of Sciences 111, 16610–16615.
Human population is not a quick fix for environmental problems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2cXhvVWmsLrN&md5=071cb38005c7f42fbc3fd645571361ceCAS |

Burbidge, A. A., and McKenzie, N. L. (1989). Patterns in the decline of the mammal fauna of Western Australia: causes and implications for future conservation. Biological Conservation 50, 143–198.
Patterns in the decline of the mammal fauna of Western Australia: causes and implications for future conservation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Calver, M. C. (2013). RAM the PI-BETA, C3PO – what the H-STAR happened to my promotion application? Or: The pros and cons of bibliometric evaluations of researchers. In ‘Grumpy Scientists: The Ecological Conscience of a Nation’. (Eds D. Lunney, P. Hutchings, and H. F. Recher.) pp. 106–121. (Royal Zoological Society of NSW: Sydney.)

Calver, M. C., and Bradley, J. S. (2009). Should we use the mean citations per paper to summarize a journal’s impact or to rank journals in the same field? Scientometrics 81, 611–615.
Should we use the mean citations per paper to summarize a journal’s impact or to rank journals in the same field?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Calver, M. C., and Bradley, J. S. (2010). Patterns of citations of open access and non-open access conservation biology journal papers and book chapters. Conservation Biology 19, 574–577.

Cheeseman, O. D., and Key, R. S. (2007). The extinction of experience: a threat to insect conservation? In ‘Insect Conservation Biology’. (Eds A. J. Stewart, T. R. New, and O. T. Lewis.) pp. 322–348. (CABI: Wattingford, UK.)

Collins, P. (1995). ‘God’s Earth: Religion as if Matter Really Mattered.’ (Dove: Melbourne.)

Commonwealth of Australia (2010). Australia to 2050: future challenges. (Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.)

Cooper, S., and Poletti, A. (2011). The new ERA of journal ranking: the consequences of Australia’s fraught encounter with ‘quality’. Australian Universities Review 53, 66–72.

Craigie, I. D., Pressey, R. L., and Barnes, M. (2014). Remote regions – the last places where conservation efforts should be intensified. A reply to McCauley et al. (2013). Biological Conservation 172, 221–222.
Remote regions – the last places where conservation efforts should be intensified. A reply to McCauley et al. (2013).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Date, E. M., Ford, H. A., and Recher, H. F. (1991). Frugivorous pigeons, stepping stones and weeds in northern New South Wales. In ‘Nature Conservation 2: The Role of Corridors’. (Eds D. A. Saunders and R. J. Hobbs.) pp. 241–245. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Date, E. M., Recher, H. F., Ford, H. A., and Stewart, D. A. (1996). Conservation biology of rainforest pigeons in northern New South Wales. Pacific Conservation Biology 2, 299–308.

De Vos, J. M., Joppa, L. N., Gittleman, J. L., Stephens, P. R., and Pimm, S. L. (2015). Estimating the normal background rates of species extinction. Conservation Biology 29, 452–462.
Estimating the normal background rates of species extinction.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 25159086PubMed |

Diamond, J. (1992). ‘The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal.’ (HarperCollins: New York.)

Diamond, J. (1997). ‘Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies.’ (W.W. Norton: New York.)

Diamond, J. (2005). ‘Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.’ (Viking: New York.)

Easlea, B. (1984). Conflict, science and the Garden of Eden. Available at http://our.murdoch.edu.au/University-Secretarys-Office/University-history/Lectures-and-speeches/Keith-Roby-Memorial-Lecture [verified 31 March 2015].

Ehrlich, P. R. (1968). ‘The Population Bomb.’ (Ballantine Books: New York).

Ehrlich, P. R. (1985). Extinction: the implications of loss of our biological heritage. Available at http://our.murdoch.edu.au/University-Secretarys-Office/University-history/Lectures-and-speeches/Keith-Roby-Memorial-Lecture [verified 31 March 2015].

Ehrlich, P. R. (1993). Communication: how can ecologists get their message out? In ‘Nature Conservation 3: The Reconstruction of Fragmented Ecosystems’. (Eds D. A. Saunders, R. J. Hobbs, and P. R. Ehrlich.) pp. 295–301. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Ehrlich, P. R., and Ehrlich, A. H. (2009). ‘The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment.’ 2nd edn. (Island Press: Washington, DC.)

Ehrlich, P. R., and Feldman, M. (2003). What creates our behavioral phenome? Current Anthropology 44, 87–107.

Ehrlich, P. R., and Feldman, S. S. (1977). ‘The Race Bomb: Skin Color, Prejudice, and Intelligence.’ (New York Times Book Co.: New York.)

Ehrlich, P. R., and Tobias, M. C. (2014). ‘Hope on Earth: A Conversation.’ (University of Chicago Press: Chicago.)

Farnes, N. (Ed.) (2013). ‘Spike Milligan: Man of Letters.’ (Penguin Books: London.)

Ford, H. A. (2011). The causes of decline of birds of eucalypt woodlands: advances in our knowledge over the last 10 years. Emu 111, 1–9.

Ford, H. A. (2013). Are we underestimating the threat to Australia’s migratory land birds. Pacific Conservation Biology 19, 303–311.

Friedman, T. L. (2008). ‘Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution.’ (Macmillan: New York.)

Fuller, R. H., Lee, J. R., and Watson, J. E. M. (2014). Achieving open access to conservation sciences. Conservation Biology 28, 1550–1557.
Achieving open access to conservation sciences.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Gerland, P., Raftery, A. E., Sevcikova, H., Li, N., Gu, D., Spoorenberg, T., Alkema, L., Fosdick, B. K., Chunn, J., Lalic, N., Bay, G., Buettner, T., Heilig, G. K., and Wilmoth, J. (2014). World population stabilization unlikely this century. Science 346, 234–237.
World population stabilization unlikely this century.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2cXhs12nsLnF&md5=f82e93b54432d2048716bc74542c6868CAS | 25301627PubMed |

Hamilton, C. (1998). Using economics to protect the environment. Available at http://our.murdoch.edu.au/University-Secretarys-Office/University-history/Lectures-and-speeches/Keith-Roby-Memorial-Lecture [verified 31 March 2015].

Hecht, J. (2014). ‘Missing’ disaster led to all-time worst extinction. New Scientist 2992, 23.

Jevons, F. (1989). A science policy for the 1990s: globalisation and localisation. Available at http://our.murdoch.edu.au/University-Secretarys-Office/University-history/Lectures-and-speeches/Keith-Roby-Memorial-Lecture [verified 31 March 2015].

Johnson, C. (2006). ‘Australia’s Mammal Extinctions.’ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.)

Jones, B. (1988). Politics, choice and long-term thinking in an age of technological revolution. Available at http://our.murdoch.edu.au/University-Secretarys-Office/University-history/Lectures-and-speeches/Keith-Roby-Memorial-Lecture [verified 31 March 2015].

Joppa, L. N., and Pfaff, A. (2009). High and far: biases in the location of protected areas. PLoS ONE 4, e8273.
High and far: biases in the location of protected areas.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20011603PubMed |

Leather, S. R., and Quicke, D. J. L. (2009). Where would Darwin have been without taxonomy? Journal of Biological Education 43, 51–52.
Where would Darwin have been without taxonomy?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Leather, S. R., and Quicke, D. J. L. (2010). Do shifting baselines in natural history knowledge threaten the environment? The Environmentalist 30, 1–2.
Do shifting baselines in natural history knowledge threaten the environment?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Leopold, A. (1949). ‘A Sand County Almanac.’ (Oxford University Press: Oxford.)

Lewis, D. (2014). Small mammals vanish in northern Australia. Science 345, 1109–1110.
Small mammals vanish in northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2cXhsF2gs7%2FJ&md5=2d73d2db87afe0b9e6a438d956236da5CAS | 25190772PubMed |

Lovelock, J. (2006). Controversial scientist predicts planetary wipeout. Daily Mail Australia, 29 November 2006.

Ludlum, R. (2001). ‘The Sigma Protocol.’ (St. Martin’s Press: New York, NY.)

Malthus, T. R. (1798). ‘An Essay on the Principle of Population.’ (J. Johnson: London.)

Martin, P. S. (1973). The discovery of America. Science 179, 969–974.
The discovery of America.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3cvmtFCqtQ%3D%3D&md5=a0b1269775ad5a91a5d8e38ff1dbd257CAS | 17842155PubMed |

Martin, P. S. (1984). Prehistoric overkill: the global model. In ‘Quaternary Extinctions’. (Eds P. S. Martin and R. G. Klein.) pp. 354–403. (University of Arizona Press: Tucson.)

Masters, P., Duka, T., and Moss, G. (2004). Koalas on Kangaroo Island: from introduction to pest status in less than a century. Wildlife Research 31, 267–272.
Koalas on Kangaroo Island: from introduction to pest status in less than a century.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Meadows, D. H., Meadows, D. L., Rander, J., and Behrens, W. W. III (1972). ‘The Limits to Growth: A Report to the Club of Rome Project on the Predicament of Mankind.’ (Earthscan: London.)

Merrilees, D. (1968). Man the destroyer: late Quaternary changes in the Australian marsupial fauna. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 51, 1–24.

Naess, A. (1986). Self-realization – an ecological approach to being in the world. Available at http://our.murdoch.edu.au/University-Secretarys-Office/University-history/Lectures-and-speeches/Keith-Roby-Memorial-Lecture [verified 31 March 2015].

Nelson, M. P., and Vucetich, J. A. (2009). On advocacy by environmental scientists: what, whether, and how. Conservation Biology 23, 1090–1101.
On advocacy by environmental scientists: what, whether, and how.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19459889PubMed |

NSW Nature Conservation Council (2012). The population policy of the NSW Nature Conservation Council. (NSW Nature Conservation Council: Sydney.)

Office of the Chief Scientist (2014). Science, technology, engineering and mathematics: Australia’s future. (Australian Government: Canberra.)

Ogilvie, F. (2014). Government stands firm on bid to reduce Tasmanian forest World Heritage listing. Available at www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-15/senate-world-heritage-forests-tasmania/5456214 [verified 30 March 2015].

Petty, J. (2009). Sustainability and surviving the Perfect Storm: will it be convergence or divergence? Available at http://our.murdoch.edu.au/University-Secretarys-Office/University-history/Lectures-and-speeches/Keith-Roby-Memorial-Lecture [verified 31 March 2015].

Rapport, D. J. (2012). Ecocultural health for a Sustainable Future. Available at http://our.murdoch.edu.au/University-Secretarys-Office/University-history/Lectures-and-speeches/Keith-Roby-Memorial-Lecture [verified 31 March 2015].

Recher, H. F. (1992a). Simple journalists or simple scientists?: Are environmental issues too complex for the media? Australian Zoologist 28, 19–23.
Simple journalists or simple scientists?: Are environmental issues too complex for the media?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Recher, H. F. (1992b). Ecology on trial. In ‘Zoology in Court’. (Ed. D. Lunney.) pp. 25–34. (Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales: Sydney.)

Recher, H. F. (1994). Science and conservation, towards alternative strategies for protecting Australia‘s biological resources. Australian Zoologist 29, 148–156.
Science and conservation, towards alternative strategies for protecting Australia‘s biological resources.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Recher, H. F. (1998). Public and political: the challenge for ecologists. In ‘Ecology for Everyone: Communicating Ecology to Scientists, the Public and the Politicians’. (Eds R. Wills and R. Hobbs.) pp. 9–15. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Recher, H. F. (1999). The state of Australia‘s avifauna: a personal opinion and prediction for the new millennium. Australian Zoologist 31, 11–27.
The state of Australia‘s avifauna: a personal opinion and prediction for the new millennium.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Recher, H. F. (2002a). Challenges for nature conservation. Australian Zoologist 32, 112–116.
Challenges for nature conservation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Recher, H. F. (2002b). Scientists in the wilderness. Australian Zoologist 32, 139–149.
Scientists in the wilderness.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Recher, H. F. (2003). WildCountry. Pacific Conservation Biology 8, 221–222.

Recher, H. F. (2008). Good English, God’s Nature: Science Education. Pacific Conservation Biology 14, 3–4.

Recher, H. F. (2013). What makes this old scientist grumpy. In ‘Grumpy Scientists: The Ecological Conscience of a Nation’. (Eds D. Lunney, P. Hutchings, and H. F. Recher.) pp. 1–8. (Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales: Sydney.)

Recher, H. F., and Ehrlich, P. R. (1999). The essence of science: the social responsibility of communicating. Pacific Conservation Biology 5, 161–162.

Recher, H. F., and Lim, L. (1990). A review of the status of Australia‘s terrestrial vertebrate fauna. Proceedings of the Ecological Society Australia 16, 287–301.

Recher, H. F. and Talbot, F. H. (1970). Australia in 2030. Walkabout 36, 7–10.

Recher, H. F., Calver, M. C., and Saunders, D. A. (2009). Communication and the publication process. Pacific Conservation Biology 15, 77–79.

Saunders, D. A., Arnold, G. W., Burbidge, A. A., and Hopkins, A. J. M. (1987). The role of remnants of native vegetation in nature conservation: future directions. In ‘Nature Conservation: The Role of Remnants of Native Vegetation’. (Eds D. A. Saunders, G. W. Arnold, A. A. Burbidge, and A. J. M. Hopkins.) pp. 387–392. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

South Australian Department of Environment and Natural Resources (undated). Kangaroo Island Koala Management Program: How and Why. South Australian Government, Adelaide.

Steadman, D. W. (2006). ‘Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds.’ (University of Chicago Press: Chicago.)

Talbot, F. H., Recher, H. F., and McMichael, D. F. (1969). Planning for population stability in Australia. Australian Journal of Science 31, 406.

Tewksbury, J. J., Anderson, J. G. T., Bakker, J. D., Billo, T. J., Dunwiddie, P. W., Groom, M. J., Hampton, S. E., Herman, S. G., Levey, D. J., Machnicki, N. J., Del Rio, C. M., Power, M. E., Rowell, K., Salomon, A. K., Stacey, L., Trombulak, S. C., and Wheeler, T. A. (2014). Natural history’s place in science and society. Bioscience 64, 300–310.
Natural history’s place in science and society.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Turner, G. (2007). A comparison of the Limits to Growth with 30 years of reality. SEED Working Paper Series 2008–09. CSIRO, Canberra.

Turner, G. (2014). Is Global Collapse Imminent. MSSI Research Paper No. 4. Melbourne Sustainability Institute, University of Melbourne.

Turner, G., and Alexander, C. (2014). Limits to growth was right. New research shows we’re nearing collapse. The Guardian, 2 September 2014.

Underwood, P. (2003). Beating nature? Reflections on human and global health. Available at http://our.murdoch.edu.au/University-Secretarys-Office/University-history/Lectures-and-speeches/Keith-Roby-Memorial-Lecture [verified 31 March 2015].

Union of Concerned Scientist (UCS) (1992). World scientists’ warning to humanity. Available at www.ucsusa.org/about/1992-world-scientists.html#.VHPleaouUcao [verified 31 March 2015].

United Nations (2013). World population prospects: the 2012 revision, key findings and advance tables. Working Paper No. ESA/P/WP.227. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, New York.

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) (2012). The business case for the green economy: sustainable return on investment. UNEP.

Visser, R. L., Watson, J. E. M., Dickman, C. R., Southgate, R., Jenkins, D., and Johnson, C. N. (2009). A national framework for research on trophic regulation by the Dingo in Australia. Pacific Conservation Biology 15, 209–216.

Wall, H. J. (2009). Don’t get skewed over by journal rankings. The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy 9, 1–10.
Don’t get skewed over by journal rankings.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Watson, J. R., Evans, M. C., Carwardine, J., Fuller, R. A., Joseph, L. N., Segan, D. B., Taylor, M. F. J., Fensham, R. J., and Possingham, H. P. (2010). The capacity of Australia’s protected-area system to represent threatened species. Conservation Biology 25, 324–332.

Wensley, P. (1992). Rio and beyond – global environmental issues: Australia’s role and interests. Available at http://our.murdoch.edu.au/University-Secretarys-Office/University-history/Lectures-and-speeches/Keith-Roby-Memorial-Lecture [verified 31 March 2015].

Wilhere, G. F. (2012). Inadvertent advocacy. Conservation Biology 26, 39–46.
Inadvertent advocacy.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 22280324PubMed |

Winston, A. (2010). Going green for the economy. Harvard Business Review, August 17 2010. Available at: https://hbr.org/2010/08/going-green-for-the-economy.html [verified 31 March 2015].

Woinarski, J., Burbidge, A., and Harrison, P. (2014a). ‘The Action Plan for Australian Mammals 2012.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)

Woinarski, J., Trail, B., and Booth, C. (2014b).’ The Modern Outback: Nature, People, and the Future of Remote Australia.’ (Pew Charitable Trusts: Sydney.)

World Commission on Environment and Development (1987). ‘Our Common Future.’ (Oxford University Press: Oxford.)