WHAT IS INTERSPECIES NEIGHBORHOOD AWARENESS? - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The awareness of neighborhood between species is the common scenario where man develops along with other living beings and lives without making the world his own.

To develop this concept it is necessary to bear in mind that the relationships between one biological species and another go beyond those in which there is a predator and a prey. Being notable in nature many others, which can be cooperative relationships, competition or parasitism.

There are many examples that can be found in reference to this type of relationship and many behaviors that man can adopt from them in his own relationship with the environment that surrounds him.

Below, some of the issues that cause the most controversy regarding this awareness of conflict between humans and those around them are detailed.

Two opposing views

The conquest of nature is an objective that originated in the Renaissance, a time in which philosophical currents emerged that established a vision of the environment as a great deposit of resources, owned by man, and that it was necessary to exploit.

Colonialism also emerged from these principles, defined basically as a man's desire to conquer man, the search for dominion over other lands in order to exploit them. As a consequence, this practice brought serious environmental problems, which are still evident in the world today.

The nature that surrounds man is not composed of objects that he can dispose of at will, based on the fact that it is not ethically correct, since there are resources that man can destroy but not recreate.

In this way, awareness of the neighborhood of species must lead man to behave respectfully of the environment that surrounds him, based on sciences such as environmental ethics, ecology, sociology and biology, law, among others.

The environment, shared scenario

An environment can be seen from various points of view, particular to each organism. Basically, each living being lives in its own environment, different from that of its neighbors.

Being part of this global environment, the human being is called to understand that each portion of that environment is, in turn, a carrier of other organisms. (For example: a forest, a certain species of plants), which must be valued either for the function they play within the ecosystem or for their appearance.

Also necessary is the awareness that it is a shared environment rather than a property, even if it is in legal terms. After all, animals and plants have no sense of perception nor can they establish “legal” boundaries.

And with regard to property, it is evident how sometimes the search for a better quality of life within one's environment (a family residence, a backyard, etc.) can contribute to the destruction of the global environment.

For this reason, it is necessary for man to understand what his true and just rights over his property are, respecting the environment that surrounds him and becoming aware of the consequences that his actions may have on it.

The environmental crisis, a problem between neighbors

Currently, the environment is a victim of the excessive and uncontrolled development of certain technologies, industries and exploitation of natural resources.

One of the areas that are in serious danger is biodiversity, since the number of species in danger of extinction is a growing factor.

On the other hand, deforestation, one of the causes of environmental deterioration, is another serious problem that threatens the global ecosystem, as is the case of the Amazon or the forests of Borneo, among many others, of which it is said that they could disappear completely. in the next few years if no action is taken.

However, this is not a human versus nature problem: many human communities and cultures are also being threatened by these actions.

Precisely in the Amazon, the Awá tribe is, in the opinion of many, the most threatened in the world since its habitat has been almost completely destroyed to be replaced by a vast number of cattle farms.

Ethics and ecology, two sciences to save the world

Ethics studies human relationships and the correct way to interact with each other and requires training that begins in the family and in the local community, that is, in the first environment in which the human being develops.

On the other hand, ecology studies the relationships between organisms and their environments. If both concepts are combined, what is called “Environmental Ethics” emerges, an area that contains key elements to stop the destruction and threat that the industrialized world maintains on the ecosystem.

The awareness of the neighborhood between species, a concept based on these two sciences, should lead the human being to establish limits regarding the growth and development of all those activities that could endanger nature.

A sustainable society, that is, a society capable of satisfying its needs without diminishing the opportunities of future generations, must also be part of this philosophy.

In this way, the planning and design of any project, in any area, must be done with respect and awareness of the environment, in order to conserve the resources and elements of nature, which contain within themselves other environments and species..

It is also important for man to understand that quality of life can be achieved without the need to go over the existing limits between one species and another, but that harmony and coexistence are always possible.

References

1. Attfield, R. (1999). Ethics of the Global Environment. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press.
2. Hunter, P. (2007). National Center for Biotechnology Information: The human impact on biological diversity. How species adapt to urban challenges sheds light on evolution and provides clues about conservation. Recovered from: ncbi.nlm.nig.gov.
3. Merrriam-Webster Dictionary. Ecology. Recovered from: merriam-webster.com.
4. Misra, R. (1995).Environmental Ethics: A Dialogue Of Cultures. New Dehli, Concept Publishing Co
5. Muvrin, D. (2009). Taylor and Francis online: Bioethical Foundation of Sustainable Development. Principles and perspectives. Recovered from: tandfonline.com.
6. Scwartz, J. (2015). World Wild Life: 11 of the World's Most Threatened Forests. Recovered from: worldwildlife.org.