No.4｜Why do we feel uncomfortable when we hear the word "Nature Conservation"?

This article is a translation of this article.

Many people may feel uncomfortable with the term "Nature Conservation". The destruction of nature is like a story that happens on Mars, and even if they can understand it in their head, it makes little sense to them. No matter how much Environmental Activists insist on its importance, the discussion does not bite. What's behind it?

In previous chapters I introduced the fact that people tend to be ruthless to what they don't know. If we are not aware of the blessing of nature, we will naturally not be motivated to protect or preserve it.

Based on this perspective, I would like to introduce why the gulf of recognition is not bridged.

1) Disconnection from nature

The first reason is that a large part of our lives has been cut off from nature, which has created a distance from it.

Nowadays, we can live comfortably with all kinds of things delivered to us without ever leaving our homes. Also, you can get most of the ingredients at the supermarket if you pay for them. But it is not "life" that is on display, but mere "things".

The meat is processed as a fillet, and there is no element of "death" in it. Consumers don't know what it was originally, how it was raised, how it was slaughtered, and how it was distributed. Relationships with other organisms that were once connected through eating have been fractured, and The guilt of taking the life of another creature has been diluted. Only the taste, price, and food safety are emphasized by the advertisements.

When we look at meat in the supermarket, our thoughts are guided not to think about what is unfavorable for business. The cultural and social links formed through food have been destroyed, resulting in a lifestyle disconnected from nature.

2) The dynamics of the press

The second reason is that the natural scenes depicted on TV and in the news are so dynamic. Harsh competition in the press is beginning to desensitize the audience by making the production more excessive and dynamic. News is digested like fast food, and it become more important to be topical and exciting rather than to be correct. This distorts our view of nature and causes us to lose our diverse ways of feeling and interacting with it.

3) "Natural deficiency disease" 

The third reason is that economic growth has been prioritized in Japan, and the development of nature in cities has been neglected. Cities are lined with condominiums and not a few houses without gardens. Surrounded by buildings, there are only a few trees on the streets and a gravel-covered park. There is no lush nature in the vicinity, and on weekends, many people flock to the suburbs for recreational activities. Yet, it is far from the peace and tranquility that nature provides. Cutting through the crowd, you will only experience the extraordinary for a brief moment.

Not being able to experience nature when children's senses are developing has a great impact on their brain development. Just as it is extremely difficult to acquire absolute pitch in adulthood, it is extremely difficult to break free of a once entrenched bias. Lack of experience causes us to lose our sensory understanding of nature.

I speculate that (1) to (3) are the causes of the discomfort for nature conservation. The perception of nature is not a theory, but a sensory one. Ultimately, the question is whether we see nature as a "friend" or a "thing".

There may be no absolute answer as to which perception is right. Because for those who recognize as such, that recognition is a unique worldview. However, the latter way of life feels too solitary.

If you don't know anything, the world would be terribly boring and everything would look monotone. But when you learn the names of the grasses and flowers by the side of the road, when you can distinguish the sounds of insects and birds, the world begins to color softly. You begin to realize that the world of a single frame is full of innumerable meanings.

Nature fosters independence, concentration, and self-esteem in children. The richer the nature, the greater the gain. With more and more children living in cities, I can't help but worry about that the negative effect of "natural deficiency disease".

If left without any treatment, our relationship with nature may fade with passing generation. With the climate crisis in the spotlight, it may be inevitable that Japan is being left behind in the world. It would take a long time to try to fix it.