University of California, Natural Reserve System

University of California's Natural Reserve System

Serious preoccupation with environmental problems is a relatively recent phenomenon in contemporary society. While there have always been certain expressions of concern for issues relating to environment, only in the last few decades, as a result of extraordinary rapid scientific progress, as well as technological and social changes, have new problems emerged and others, which existed before, taken on entirely new dimensions. It is now recognized that many human activities, collectively, have detrimental and possibly irreversible consequences. Equally new is the realization that some problems, which arise in a variety of specific forms according to the context of individual countries where they may occur, may be affecting humanity as a whole. ”

—Final Report, Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education Organized by UNESCO in cooperation with UNEP Tbilisi (USSR), 14-26 October 1977