Ecomodernism: what Can Technology do to Save Nature

Post-Modernism: Ecomodernism: what can technology do to save nature' in the UK

This report is about ecomodernism and its manifesto, which with the use of technology can save nature in the UK while meeting the Aichi targets. The targets which this aim of the report is sustainability by government stakeholders, degradation of forests, overfishing and pollution reduction.

Background:

Ecomodernism comes from an environmental philosophy that presents arguments about humans protecting nature by a form of decoupling. The decoupling aims are to unite technology with nature in two modern trends, Urbanisation and industrial agriculture in this case. (Crist, 2015). Ecomodernism accepts substitution between natural ecological services and energy, along with technology, and synthetic solutions. Also embracing genetically modified, desalination, fishes from aquaculture farms, waste recycling and urbanisation. And using denser energy fuels. The goal is to intensify the use of technology so there much more room for wild nature. Ecomodernism has appeared from the academic design written by Eric Benson and Peter Fine in an article (2010). The arguments which arose at the time was based on humans being a dominant force on earth's ecosystems from agriculture to atomic bombs. Others debate which has a more positive outcome would be because of ecomodernism the change of decarbonization to mitigating climate change and the acceleration between the economic and social disorders of the world such as poverty. Also, in 2015 the ecomodernism manifesto created by 18 self-described eco modernists, putting the ideas together of what ecomodernism. (En.wikipedia.org, 2018).

Current issues in the UK:

Ecological restoration:

In the UK, 13 per cent of forests is woodland, most which are native. Native woodland makeup to 1/3 of forests but tend to create more biodiversity benefits, the idea here is to restore the woodlands because it creates more space for wildlife, due to the fact that the current situation in the UK is about afforestation which is seen to have a drastic drop because it affects the forest carbon sink. The decline reflects the rules for carbon that has defined by the Kyoto protocol which now excludes second generation forests from the carbon sink. In relation to technology saving nature. The UK has been part of a Pan European criteria that supports and enhances forest resources and its contributions to the global carbon cycle. The need for ecological restoration is because forests, distinct types of woodland help the economic growth because of afforestation which leads to softwood- timber which then imported to other countries. The benefits of afforestation which is non-profitable are scape amenity, carbon sequestration, pollution absorption, water supply and quality (Woodlandtrust.org.uk, 2018). Therefore, ecological restoration is an issue that could solve if afforestation and urban parks would continuously build giving more space to nature.

The UK the global leader:

The UK wants to be the global leader when it comes down reducing pollution. The goal of 104-page clean air pollution which released by the prime minister Margaret Thatcher. The issue that is occurring is that the pollution reduction goal is particularly challenging since the task is to get rid of a smog which includes ammonia and that is hard to rein in, also to make industrialized companies with stricter emissions target. Therefore, New rules could limit the use of polluting fuels such as wet wood and then raise emission standards for new stoves. Also, the plan is to start phasing out diesel fuelled trains by 2040 also tightening standards so tiny particles will not throw off in use of tires and brakes. Another way of reducing the issue is to reduce ammonia emission which creates chemical reactions in the atmosphere which then leads to bigger problems, ammonia is releasing because of farmers using fertilizers and manure from livestock. It could be a key turning point if ammonia emissions can reduce. However, farmers may disagree and for the UK to be the global leader it dreams of being it would need other EU countries to help cut down smog levels and mostly from the southeast since it would lean to create harmful gases. (Warren, 2018). however, UK has slammed 3 court cases down because they did not have an adequate plan to reduce air pollution. The high court ruled it out to be unlawful'. since scientists have found that 40,000 people are dying out of bad air quality. Furthermore, a spokesperson from the department of environment, food and rural affairs quoted that The judge found that our modelling [of air pollution] is compliant [with regulations] and that our approach to areas with major air quality problems is sensible, rational and lawful'. (Harvey, 2018).

Bycatch:

It is one of the downfalls when it comes to overfishing, even though overfishing itself is a big issue here. Not seeing the other downsides along with extinctions of fishes. The fishing industry over time has only improved at catching fishes such as the big ship's involvement in it, they have fish processing, packing plants, freezing systems and a large enormous engine to pull fishes. The UN believes that 70% of fishes in the ocean overly exploited due to a high demand for fishes. It is also a global issue because as more fishes exploited, extinction levels increase. Half of the world depends on the fish industry and have been past conflicts such as Pakistan and Indian fisherman deciding overfishing. In the overfishing processes, other animals caught up too such as marine mammals and birds, which eventually caught in the machine and die (bycatch). Not only that but also bottom crawling which ends up destroying the seabed of the ocean leading most marine habitats to die. This issue of overfishing can only control if stakeholders of the world reduce poverty and reserve and create rules to support and sustain a better marine life, so extinction does not become a problem, NGOs such as Greenpeace trying to create awareness about this. In a relation to the world, there should be more UN laws about the sea and its marine protection, so the predator species do not run out and cause extinction and fishers to attack more fishes down the food chain. (Greenpeace UK, 2018)

Seeing the greater good:

In ecomodernism, Humanism is a great positive way of looking at how technology can save nature because it is a term where humans are the centre and the capabilities humans can go to. Focusing on the better things and goals such as the abolishment of poverty, education and healthcare supplied for everyone in the world, humanism is at the heart of the manifesto. This creates decoupling with modernisation, the ecomodernism manifesto believes that it will save the world. Because of urbanisation which tends to create more large cities allowing everyone to come in because of high opportunities. Internal rural to urban migration and international migration is mostly people looking for a better life, health care and education which the modernization manifesto believes in. if more cities are being developed this also benefits the environment more because it creates space for wildlife and food that is being grown in underground greenhouses, therefore, using less wild space to create farms. Technology comes hand in hand with diverse ways of achieving an end without always using resources from nature. The rules when Zero emissions energy solutions and problem fixing of depletion of water such as the North and South China water transfer all because of technology. Some authors believe that technology is the engine in need for aspiration to the world. (Crist, 2015).

Recommendations

Consumption levels:

The consumption that we have right now is growing rapidly, that's why one of the Aichi targets is By 2020, at the latest, Governments, business and stakeholders at all levels have taken steps to achieve or have implemented plans for sustainable production and consumption and have kept the impacts of use of natural resources well within safe ecological limits. This can be achieved through the Manifesto. The authors believe that modernization balances population alongside with consumption levels. Because modernization looks for ways in which the natural resources used is limited and more leaned into technology, so, therefore, consumption levels can be controlled if all stakeholders take part, then consumptions level be easily managed. (Crist, 2015).

Freedom of the nonhuman:

The freedom that is associated with humans seems to be more of human freedom privilege, which then oversteps and rattles other non-human spices freedom. The Aichi Targets that can be achieved if biodiversity is cared for is if By 2020 the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved and sustained". Some animals go extinct because of overhunting such as rhinos and marine life which gets overly fished leading to predator and pray mismatch causing extinction. The Freedom of Reaches authors imply that our modern so-called freedom definitely needs more restricting. (Crist, 2015).

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