Humans need both housing and wild places | Letters

A new citizen science project helps us reach ethical decisions around planning and nature, writes Dr Edmond Awad, while Sue Hopkinson wants to redefine nimbyism. Plus a letter from Steve Lupton on the north’s natural treasuresYour article highlighting that more than 5,000 English nature sites may be at risk from planning reforms brings into focus the ethical and emotional challenges involved in decisions about land use (Revealed: 5,000 English nature sites at risk under Labour’s planning proposals, 3 June). Our new citizen science project, Last Haven, hosted at the University of Oxford, explores precisely these tensions. What happens when the last known habitat for an endangered species stands in the way of vital human development? We present participants with simplified, hypothetical scenarios, such as a hospital being dismantled to make space for a rare plant sanctuary, or an agricultural initiative threatening the last refuge of a wild species, to examine how people reason through competing priorities.Our work suggests the value of nature as an important factor in human flourishing and mental health. Yet access to housing and infrastructure is also vital for wellbeing and security. These thought-provoking cases help uncover the values and beliefs that guide people when faced with choices between ecological preservation and human needs. Continue reading...

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