Eco-ethical issues: Self-regulating versus subsidized ecosystems

Sustainable use of the planet requires dependable delivery of ecosystem services at a level necessary to meet the needs of humankind. During the last two centuries, particularly in the twentieth century, ecosystems have been fragmented and stressed in a variety of ways, including biotic impoverishment. Self-regulating ecosystems are capable of maintaining nominative structure and function, including normal variability. Those ecosystems incapable of self regulation will require subsidies, which will divert resources from other activities that may also be important to sustainable use of the planet. If ecosystems are not subsidized, the loss of natural capital and ecosystem services will almost certainly impair the quest for sustainable use of the planet. Although most discussions of sustainability reflect an awareness of humankind's dependence on natural systems, ecosystem self regulation has not received an adequate amount of attention.     

Renewable Resources and the Idea of Nature – What Has Biotechnology Got to Do With It?

The notion that the idea of nature isnot quite the unbiased rule to designsustainable futures is obvious. But,nevertheless, questions about nature, how itfunctions and what it might aim at, is leadingthe controversial debates about bothsustainability and biotechnology. These tworesearch areas hardly have the same theorybackground. Whereas in the first concept, theidea of eternal cyclical processes is basic,the latter focuses on optimization. However,both concepts can work together, but only undera narrow range of public acceptance in Europe.The plausibility of arguments for usingbiotechnology within sustainable technologiesvaries according to the assumed part natureitself plays for reaching optimized states. Theculture related vision of nature's functionshas impact on agricultural biotechnology,dealing not only with food crops but also withnon-food plants like renewable resources thatare used for energy or fiber production. Theseplants are grown to reach sustainabledevelopment. However, there is a fundamentaldifference between regarding biofuels as``renewable' and ``regenerative,' due to thetension between the concepts of ``the natural'and ``the sustainable.' Arguments ofoptimization, efficiency, and efficacy arecritically discussed in order to take thepresent need for sustainable technologies forserious.