318 Ethical Issues in Biodiversity Protection a quest for absolute purity Showing that a life devoted to conservation can be stimulating and enjoyable is itself an important conservation message Should a conservation biologist dive into political debates? Give up time in the lab to meet with a group of concerned citizens? Drive a car to work? Eat meat? Have more than one child? These difficult professional and personal questions must be faced by conservation biologists and other committed conservationists Responses may legitimately differ, but some are much better than others; indeed, some are inspiring (Wilson, 1994) Ultimately, the fate of world biodiversity depends on two kinds of efforts First, direct work such as habitat preservation, species reintroductions, ecosystem restoration, environmental litigation on behalf of other species, and the like Second, preserving wild nature depends on creating societies that limit human numbers, consumption and economic growth, in order to enable us to set aside room and resources for other species The creation of such societies is the greatest challenge facing biodiversity proponents today See also: Biodiversity as a Commodity Conservation Biology, Discipline of Conservation Efforts, Contemporary Environmental Ethics Human Impacts on Ecosystems: An Overview Property Rights and Biodiversity Sustainability and Biodiversity Wildlife Management References Alexander S (ed.) (2009) Voluntary Simplicity: The Poetic Alternative to Consumer Culture Whanganui, NZ: Stead & Daughters Carson R (1962) Silent Spring Boston: Houghton Mifflin Costanza R, Norton B, and Haskell B (eds.) (1992) Ecosystem Health: New Goals for Environmental Management Washington, DC: Island Press Daly H (1996) Beyond Growth: The Economics of Sustainable Development Boston: Beacon Press Daly H and Farley J (2011) Ecological Economics: Principles and Applications, 2nd edn Washington, DC: Island Press Foreman D (2004) Rewilding North America: A Vision for Conservation in the 21stCentury Washington, DC: Island Press Karr J and Dudley D (1981) Ecological perspective on water quality goals Environmental Management 5: 55–68 Lear L (1997) Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature New York: Henry Holt Munda G (1997) Environmental economics, ecological economics, and the concept of sustainable development Environmental Values 6: 213–233 Nelson M and Callicott JB (eds.) (2008) The Wilderness Debate Rages on: Continuing the Great New Wilderness Debate Athens: University of Georgia Press Pimentel D, Westra L, and Noss R (eds.) (2000) Ecological integrity: Integrating environment Conservation and Health Washington, DC: Island Press Primack R (2010) Essentials of Conservation Biology, 5th edn Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates Rolston H III (1994) Conserving Natural Value New York: Columbia University Press Schmidtz D and Willott E (2011) Environmental Ethics: What Really Matters, What Really Works, 2nd edn New York: Oxford University Press Speth G (2009) The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability New Haven: Yale University Press Westra L, Bosselmann K, and Westra R (eds.) (2008) Reconciling Human Existence and Ecological Integrity UK: Earthscan Westra L and Lemons J (eds.) (1995) Perspectives on Ecological Integrity Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers Wilson EO (1994) Naturalist Washington, DC: Island Press Wilson EO (2003) The Future of Life New York: Vintage Press