Business Week: What if the Forests Were Silent?

The August 30, 1999 issue of Business Week's cover was titled "21 Ideas for the 21st Century". The eighth "Idea" is titled "What if the forests were silent?". In it, John Carey says "Conservationists believed they had succeeded in safeguarding the forests. But although trees and land have been secured, the animals are disappearing. More that a quarter of all extinction's, where blame can be attributed, have been caused by human hunters". He discusses causes and provides an example of the condition where loss of animals means that plants are not propagated, leading to a downward cycle of loss.

These are frightening words which the environmentally aware know are true. The fact that they are appearing in one of the most important business magazines in the world says a lot about the editors of the magazine and about the graveness of the situation. Business is one of the most pragmatic forces in our culture. Business survival demands attention to the present with an eye to a few years out - unless you are an Internet company where a year is a long time. Business decisions that consider the future of life on the planet are generally not rewarded. This is why there are laws passed by governments.

And, businesses reflect the people they serve - customers, suppliers, investors, and employees. It always comes down to people. Carey says that "The underlying causes include the growing numbers and Westernization of forest-dwelling tribes". In other words, the "noble savage", when given the opportunity to use modern technology to improve his life will take advantage of it with the same environmental shortsightedness as the most capitalistic business. Carey is not the first to point this out, just the most recent that I have read.

This brings me to the what I think is the most frightening thing about the Business Week article. Its appearance in BW means that things have gotten very bad, and there is reason to be afraid.

Most environmental articles try to end with some positive statement of hope so people don't go away depressed. I say, have the courage to face the truth.