2011 Volume 10 Issue 4 Pages 473-479
The idea of ecosystem services has been highlighted in order to identify a variety of benefits that human beings obtain from other life forms and to raise people's interest in conserving biodiversity. This idea helps us recognize the connection between our lives and environments and more actively participate in ecological activities. While this sort of instrumental approach to the conservation of biodiversity is particularly important for the growth of public participation, it also limits our understanding of its purposes. This paper, on the basis of field research conducted in Sado, Niigata, illustrates complex value issues involved in conserving biodiversity and discusses the importance of our kansei to uncover various values of the surroundings. As an approach for enhancing such kansei, the authors argue that multi-generational dialogue contributes to sharing different views of the participants and thereby cultivating a comprehensive perspective in environmental decision-processes.
