Wisdom is in Tartu – no doubt this beautiful pun is true, because the percentage of scientists and other highly educated people is significant in Tartu. However, in environmental matters, unfortunately, instead of wisdom we often encounter surprising ignorance.
In autumn 2022 we started a large five-year urban nature project “Tartu ROHEring”, 60% funded by the European Commission. With the help of the project we will improve the poor situation of the city’s green areas in terms of biodiversity and, with a more pleasant and healthier living environment, we will bring benefits to both the climate and people.
The story of the project corresponds exactly to what I expected and adequately describes the attitude of many towards environmental issues and knowledge of environmental problems. The positive thing is that we immediately received a clear and unequivocal message from the mayor that this is a valuable project and that the city supports it. This was to be expected, because the city government has generally had no difficulty making decisions based on science. However, from the beginning it was expected that some people would have a strongly negative attitude towards the project, and unfortunately this attitude is still found despite the explanation work.
A statement that comes up again and again is that the city of Tartu (or the Estonian state as a whole or even all of humanity) should not contribute financially to environmental issues in any way, or at least not to such an extent, because it is such a city -called niche problem or nice things to have. Often the idea is supplemented with the style necessary to address “real problems such as social protection” and some statements are added that have long been disproved by science. Stopping biodiversity loss is a rather pointless activity for people with this mindset.
It’s a shame that these critics didn’t bother to educate themselves on the real facts. The sixth wave of extinction has begun, almost a million species are in danger and up to 150 species die every day. It no longer seems like a niche topic if prejudices are replaced by facts. Calling one of the greatest crises in human history a niche topic!? We are facing a challenge that humanity has never faced. The United Nations has already declared the last decade the Decade of Biodiversity, and biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse are among the greatest threats humanity faces.
Even if we shouldn’t care that tigers and pandas have the same history for our future descendants as dinosaurs do for us (we should absolutely worry and avoid it), everyone should care about Estonian nature, and here it is worth knowing that a fifth of Estonian species are in danger of extinction. But those who are indifferent by nature and are only interested in the state of the economy, note that more than half of the world’s GDP depends on nature and the services it provides. Biodiversity is essential for human well-being because it provides the services that sustain our economic systems and societies. Conserving biodiversity can have direct economic benefits. Estimates suggest that an effective global conservation program for the remaining wilderness areas would have an overall benefit-to-cost ratio of at least 100:1.
Unlike all previous extinction waves, the cause of this extinction is human activity. Therefore, at this moment, more than ever, it is possible and necessary for each of us to protect nature. It is even sadder that, instead of contributing personally, many people are still fighting to prevent others from working on restoring nature.
The main reason for such irresponsible and harmful countermeasures is the lack of environmental education. Sometimes one gets the impression that in addition to training on anti-corruption and cybersecurity, the city administration should also start offering training on climate change and biodiversity. It would be of immediate benefit if current thought statements that ignore science ceased to exist. Unfortunately it seems that many people not only do not understand environmental problems, but do not want to understand them, because it is much more convenient to deny the problem and not believe that it exists.
The climate or biodiversity crisis is not a question of religion or worldview, but a fact, and the message from scientists in this regard is clear. Fortunately, there are also those who are ready to make decisions based on facts, not emotions. City Councilman Toomas Kapp is a positive hero worth following. At first Kapp was very skeptical about the green circle, but instead of stubbornly resisting, stuck in his prejudices, he did something that unfortunately very few do: he familiarized himself with the topic. The result was an intelligent and strongly supportive speech in the council chamber. Oddly enough, many are afraid to change their minds. It probably seems like a sign of weakness to them. But in reality it demonstrates strength and courage, and only in this way is it possible to make a wise decision. Every good scientist changes his conclusion when new circumstances become known to him.
My hope for the new year is that as many commissioners and officials as possible take the time, following the example of Toomas Kapi, to familiarize themselves with today’s most important global problems, such as the climate and biodiversity crises. This would prevent the re-proposal of claims that have long been refuted by scientists and allow cooperation to make wise, science-based decisions to protect the natural environment. Good environmental education brings wisdom to environmental issues.
Indrek Kuusk, member of the urban nature project “Tartu ROHEring”.
Chief Analyst of the Financial Department of Tartu LV, small business owner
SDE
The article reflects the personal opinion of the author
1 Maailma majandusfoorum (2020), Nature-related risk: why the crisis engulfing nature is important for businesses and the economy.
2 Balmford jt (Science, 2002), Economic reasons for wilderness conservation,
2024-01-20 20:13:25
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