| Messages in respect of the
Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems A major issue for all is that of conservation of resources, raw
materials, energy. It requires the giving up of careless and wasteful behavior
in a throw-away society. It is a question of individual and collective
attitudes and not a consequence of science and technology. Science provides the
knowledge and technology the means of action. The decision about how to make
use of them is ours, as individuals. …. The question is, what change and at
what rate?: an answer is to call for a responsible management of the biosphere.
…. Technology transfer should thus be effected in advanced levels; it implies
to introduce photovoltaic or nuclear electricity generators, not coal-fueled
power stations, high performance materials not steel mills, etc. Such high tech
transfer related to energy, materials and health implies that we do the
research that these countries cannot do at present (for instance on tropical
diseases) but also that we set the course that will allow them in the future to
make advances in technologies, and this requires education and the transfer of
knowledge. Beyond the general progress of knowledge and the technological
development, the most important impact science can and must have on society is
the spirit that it implies, the scientific, rational approaches towards the
world, life and society. Education, science and technology may collide with
tradition and disturb beliefs or social structure. We must be prepared for that
and take it into account so as to overcome it. A very real issue concerns the
situation of the scientist with respect to ETHICS AND SOCIETY. It is my strong
opinion that the scientist has first of all a general responsibility to the
truth, and only then is there responsibility to the society and to the world at
the particular time in history. Ethics is a function of time, location and
knowledge. Pursuit of knowledge and truth supersedes present considerations of
what nature, life or the world are or should be, for our own vision can only be
a narrow one. Ethical evaluation and rules of justice have changed and will
change over time and will have to adapt. Law is made for man, not man for law.
If it does not fit any more, change it…. Some think that it is being arrogant
to try to modify nature; arrogance is to claim that we are perfect as we are!
With all the caution that must be exercised and despite the risks that will be
encountered, carefully pondering each step, mankind must and will continue
along its path, for we have no right to switch off the lights of the future….We
have to walk the path FROM THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE TO THE CONTROL OF
DESTINY.” Jean-Marie Lehn
Nobel Laureate-Chemistry (1987)
Collège de France, Paris and Université Louis Pasteur,
Strasbourg, France “EOLSS
is concerned with the Life Support Systems: Water, Energy, Environment, Food
and Agriculture. Each of these systems is a very complex one. …. we have to
think of all these “systems” as closely related “subsystems” of the Planet
Earth System. The situation is extremely different in most of life support
systems modeling…. the results are
not needed with the same degree of precision …. but they should be robust (and
valid) for very different time horizons. There is not one model, but a
hierarchy of models. Examples of these situations will be given throughout the
Encyclopedia. .… More delicate are the global problems, involving several
goals, with possible conflicts of interest. ….Rational decisions will be more
and more possible to envision if one will be able to couple the physical
modeling to economic and financial models and to human factors …. These delicate and fundamental
questions will deserve a lot of attention in the
Encyclopedia.” J. L. Lions
President, French Academy of Sciences
Japan Prize Recipient in Applied
Mathematics Galileo Galilei Chair
at the Ecole Normale Supperieure de Pisa “The demographic revolution as a fundamental
change in the paradigm of our development will be accompanied by basic changes
in the age profile, a change that never before happened in the history of
humankind. The impact of this rapid transformation is critical for the
understanding of many of the problems now facing the world. The population of
our planet and its development over the ages sets the scene for considering all
global problems and it is reasonable to begin their discussion with population
growth. …. Thus we are dealing with an interdisciplinary problem in an attempt
to describe the total human experience, right from its very beginning. But
without this perspective of time it is not possible to objectively assess what
is happening today and provide an objective view of the present state of
development, the challenge now facing humanity. …. Of other global problems
energy will be considered most.
Energy in all its forms is the main factor determining the production of
food, support of industry and transportation, the general well-being of humans
and the security of societies.” S. P.
Kapitza UNESCO Kalinga
Laureate Institute of Physical
Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences “Scientific curiosity and technological endeavors are deeply
rooted aspects of human nature. They are responsible for the development of
human society and welfare. But they are also responsible for much of the
environmental problems we are facing today. Solutions for these shortcomings
are inconceivable without full scientific and technological support. EOLSS has
the goal to provide a firm knowledge base for future activities to prolong the
lifetime of the human race in a hospitable
environment.” Richard R. Ernst
Nobel Laureate- Chemistry (1991)
Eidgenossische
Technische Hochschule, Zurich, Switzerland “The focus on Science for all the reasons listed in your
effective ‘mission statement’ for the EOLSS is not only appropriate, but it is
imaginative and, to my knowledge, unique. Much of what we can write about
science, about energy, about our far-ranging knowledge base, can indeed be
found in major encyclopedias, but as I understand your vision, never as a
central theme; the theme of humanity, embedded in nature and constrained to
find ways of maintaining a relationship with nature based upon understanding
and respect. I believe it will be important to explore the far reaches of this
knowledge base, even those areas which may never be applicable to issues of
life-support systems, environment, economics, development, but are essential to
the culture which drew humankind into the effort to understand the universe
from the infinitely distant cosmos to the infinitesimally small micro-world. Of
course, in our history such efforts proved to be crucial to any capability we
now have towards sustainable development of life support systems. This
mysterious and always surprising relevance of the most abstract knowledge must
be a strong theme, too.” Leon M.
Lederman Nobel Laureate-Physics
(1988) Fermi National Accelerator
Laboratory, Batavia, IL, USA “Contemporary development pathways have opened up unusual
opportunities for a better and longer life. However, they are also associated
with serious social, environmental and economic problems such as increasing
damage to our life support systems of land, water, forest, biodiversity and the
atmosphere, increasing the rich-poor divide with 84% of the global annual
income going to one billion of the world’s population, expanding joblessness
and increasing poverty and economic inequality of the female. All these
problems indicate that we must adopt a change of course in developmental
strategies. Such a paradigm shift should help us to maintain continuity in
areas where there are positive advantages, and change in areas where harmful
effects are seen. For achieving such a process of continuity coupled with
change in human and economic development, it is essential that we impart a
pro-nature, pro-poor, pro-female and pro-employment orientation to science and
technology development and dissemination. The International Commission on Peace
and Food in its Report titled “Uncommon Opportunities: An Agenda for Peace and
Equitable Development” (published by Zed Press, London, 1994) has brought out
new and unique opportunities now available for working for a better common
present and future for mankind. Ecotechnology involving appropriate blends of
traditional technologies and the ecological prudence of the past with frontier
technologies such as biotechnology, information technology, space technology,
new materials, renewable energy technology and management technology, can help
us to promote global sustainable development involving harmony between
humankind and nature on the one hand and tolerance and love of diversity and
pluralism in human societies on the other. We need shifts in technology and
public policy which can lead to both unsustainable life styles and unacceptable
poverty becoming problems of the past. This is a challenging task to which the
Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems should address
itself.” M. S. Swaminathan
Ramon Magsasay Laureate and World Food Prize
winner M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Madras, India
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