ABSTRACT
Ecological studies have revealed that each of the diverse components of wilderness—of the diverse natural areas—makes a special contribution to the maintenance of life on Earth. Earthcare —such a lovely word, so symbolic of the quality of relationships that should link mankind to the Earth. It conveys better than an eloquent essay the spirit of this conference on the “global protection of natural areas.” Scientific studies have made it clear that destroying natural areas means more than impoverishing the emotional and spiritual heritage of human life. The ratio of the energy produced by natural areas to the energy consumed by mankind is further threatened by the fact that many pollutants of air and water damage natural systems and thereby decrease the amount of energy produced by photosynthesis. In theory, the expressions wilderness and natural areas should refer only to environments that have not been disturbed by human intervention.
