3:30 PM - 3:53 PM
[U09-04] From Sustainability to Coexistence: Recent Activities in Biological Sciences
★Invited Papers
Keywords:Biodiversity, Natural History, Museum, IUBS
Human beings living on the earth as one species live as a member of the ecosystem, and if the ecosystem that is the basis of agriculture, forestry and fisheries is not healthy, the supply of daily food, which is essential for survival, will be cut off immediately. The current ecosystem functions, which took about 4 billion years after the birth of life, have a great influence on the circulation of water and atmosphere on the earth, and the changes are fed back to the ecosystem functions. It goes without saying that biodiversity underpins this connection, but social awareness of this most important factor is still low. Biodiversity and the earth's environment used by living organisms are the basis of the SDGs, and the entire scientific community, not just the field of biology, should be aware of this and actively contribute to it.
When the IYBSSD draft “Contribution of Basic Science to Sustainability” was brought to the Science Council of Japan, it still lacked sufficient references to biodiversity and ecosystems. In addition, while it claimed to contribute to the basic sciences in general, its development into the liberal arts sciences was insufficient. When the working committee within the Science Council was created, one of the first things to emphasize was that it should be a cross-section of the three departments of the Science Council representing "basic science." It was fortunate that this was realized and that cooperation progressed in various fields, but it is a pity that the IYBSSD logo was not spread all over the country. Such essential issues are so obvious that they may be easily overlooked unless you actively think about contributing. When the Science Council called for cooperation with IYBSSD, I could have expected that there would be field characteristics in the presence or absence and strength of the response. Aside from that, the fact that we have received cooperation from a wide range of fields may be proof that Japan's basic science still has a broad base and good sense, but it may also be a reflection of the existence of a sense of crisis about its future survival.
Within the Second Section of the Science Council, the field of biology is represented by two committees, Basic Biology and Integrative Biology, and involves many of the academic societies that are affiliates of the IYBSSD. It is also endorsed by the Union of Japanese Societies for Biological Science and the Union of Japanese Societies for Natural History. The activities of the Japan Geoscience Union, which encompasses the history of the Earth and life, are reflected in this symposium. Large and small academic societies and organizations have their own events and activities, but here I will introduce two of them.
One is the holding of the International Union for Biological Sciences IUBS General Assembly in Japan, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019. The IUBS subcommittee of the Science Council, which is the domestic counterpart of IUBS, took the lead in inviting the 34th General Assembly for the first time in Japan (see the conference logo). The theme was Unifying Biology for Changing Earth and Human Beings. IUBS is also a co-sponsor of IYBSSD, and held a joint symposium with IYBSSD, titled "Biological Science for Sustainable Living," at the conference.
Second, the plan to establish the National Okinawa Natural History Museum, which had been proposed by multiple subcommittees of the Science Council before the IYBSSD, is now underway with the approval of Okinawa Prefecture. Natural history science and the events it deals with are not only the gateways to scientific curiosity. It is an indispensable material for educating future generations living on earth with a positive awareness of nature and living things. This movement was taken over by the Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of the National Okinawa Natural History Museum (IYBSSD registered organization), which was derived from the members of the Science Council and is disseminating information.
It seems that barbaric activities far removed from IYBSSD continue to expand in the world. This seems to be the history of humankind, which has continued to exploit resources from the natural world and other groups for the sole purpose of selfish sustainability. However, looking at global environmental destruction and loss of biodiversity, the entire planet is approaching an ecological tipping point. Before advocating for each country's own economy and food security, we should steer in the direction of coexistence, and basic science should unanimously make such recommendations.
When the IYBSSD draft “Contribution of Basic Science to Sustainability” was brought to the Science Council of Japan, it still lacked sufficient references to biodiversity and ecosystems. In addition, while it claimed to contribute to the basic sciences in general, its development into the liberal arts sciences was insufficient. When the working committee within the Science Council was created, one of the first things to emphasize was that it should be a cross-section of the three departments of the Science Council representing "basic science." It was fortunate that this was realized and that cooperation progressed in various fields, but it is a pity that the IYBSSD logo was not spread all over the country. Such essential issues are so obvious that they may be easily overlooked unless you actively think about contributing. When the Science Council called for cooperation with IYBSSD, I could have expected that there would be field characteristics in the presence or absence and strength of the response. Aside from that, the fact that we have received cooperation from a wide range of fields may be proof that Japan's basic science still has a broad base and good sense, but it may also be a reflection of the existence of a sense of crisis about its future survival.
Within the Second Section of the Science Council, the field of biology is represented by two committees, Basic Biology and Integrative Biology, and involves many of the academic societies that are affiliates of the IYBSSD. It is also endorsed by the Union of Japanese Societies for Biological Science and the Union of Japanese Societies for Natural History. The activities of the Japan Geoscience Union, which encompasses the history of the Earth and life, are reflected in this symposium. Large and small academic societies and organizations have their own events and activities, but here I will introduce two of them.
One is the holding of the International Union for Biological Sciences IUBS General Assembly in Japan, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019. The IUBS subcommittee of the Science Council, which is the domestic counterpart of IUBS, took the lead in inviting the 34th General Assembly for the first time in Japan (see the conference logo). The theme was Unifying Biology for Changing Earth and Human Beings. IUBS is also a co-sponsor of IYBSSD, and held a joint symposium with IYBSSD, titled "Biological Science for Sustainable Living," at the conference.
Second, the plan to establish the National Okinawa Natural History Museum, which had been proposed by multiple subcommittees of the Science Council before the IYBSSD, is now underway with the approval of Okinawa Prefecture. Natural history science and the events it deals with are not only the gateways to scientific curiosity. It is an indispensable material for educating future generations living on earth with a positive awareness of nature and living things. This movement was taken over by the Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of the National Okinawa Natural History Museum (IYBSSD registered organization), which was derived from the members of the Science Council and is disseminating information.
It seems that barbaric activities far removed from IYBSSD continue to expand in the world. This seems to be the history of humankind, which has continued to exploit resources from the natural world and other groups for the sole purpose of selfish sustainability. However, looking at global environmental destruction and loss of biodiversity, the entire planet is approaching an ecological tipping point. Before advocating for each country's own economy and food security, we should steer in the direction of coexistence, and basic science should unanimously make such recommendations.