Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is made up of six essays written about the six books. The essays are the result of a series of conferences organised in Lisbon by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation with the support of the American Embassy in Portugal. Its raison d'etre was the need to revisit the ideas that have shaped the environmental movement, seeking inspiration to deal with what looks like a very challenging future. The significance of such timeless concepts is now more apparent than ever; and these evergreen books are full of ideas that retain their spark even in difficult times. This is what makes them classics. The beautiful collection of essays by Aldo Leopold seeks to provide with reason and motive to care for nature, both in its own right and as an essential element of humanness.