Conservative Agenda Research Articles

Vulnerability of multi-designated landscape and its connectivity toward conservation: A case study in Kampar Kerumutan, Riau, Indonesia

Indonesia is declared by the United Nations as a country that meets its conservation targets. However, Indonesia has not maximized the potential conservation of its territory, and the ecosystem is still threatened by anthropogenic activity, particularly due to small and large scales cultivation. Besides, the Government of Indonesia (GoI) built taskforces at the national level to avoid greenhouse gas emissions through FOLU Net Sink 2030 that could tackle climate and biodiversity crises. Therefore, identifying OECMs and creating a sustainable management framework by elaborating on the carbon pool and its dynamics across the Indonesian landscape is crucial to meet the targets of the global conservation agenda. Kampar Kerumutan Landscape (KKL) is one of the critical landscapes in Indonesia with high potential conservation for biodiversity and high intervention from various concessions. Our result showed that most KKLs were categorized as potential restoration areas. Industrial forest plantations (IFP) had the highest threat for conservation. To connect the potential highly conserved areas within KKL for species mobility, restoration projects (particularly in IFP, Protected Areas, and Non-managed areas) should be conducted to achieve human and nature balance in the KKL.

Historic buildings to Positive Energy Buildings: a trilemma between energy efficiency, lifecycle carbon and architecture conservation.

Heritage buildings define the distinctive character of many urban areas by creating continuity with the past and serving as a visual cultural reference. To ensure their continued use, these buildings must be adapted for better performance that demands energy retrofitting strategies while satisfying indoor environmental quality. Energy retrofit reduces CO2eq emissions in the operation phase but typically entails embodied carbon and is not always applicable to historic buildings that require architectural and cultural conservation. This study phrases it as a trilemma and aims to identify an optimal balance between increased energy efficiency and decreased lifecycle carbon when architecture conservation is acknowledged. The research is applied to a traditional fisherman’s cottage in the village on Howth Head, Ireland with an aim to make it a Positive Energy Building (PEB). First, the construction method and heritage value are investigated followed by an experimental U-value calculation to identify the intervention needs. Then, a range of retrofit strategies to increase the energy efficiency of the building, but sensitive to the architectural conservation agenda, are proposed. Furthermore, using the EnergyPlus simulation engine, the study analyses the implications of different building materials for thermal insulation, building façade and window retrofit, on the building’s operational energy performance. Finally, for each scenario, a lifecycle carbon analysis was applied to identify the optimal strategy when architecture conservation is considered. The best retrofit strategies for reducing operational carbon do not always decrease embodied carbon. Similarly, the optimal materials to be used to achieve the highest level of energy efficiency and reduced life cycle carbon to become a PEB do not adhere to architectural conservation objectives. Further analysis is undertaken to achieve a balanced strategy which can be adopted in similar conservation retrofit projects.

The Italian left at a critical juncture: disanchoring the past, embracing the present

ABSTRACT On September 25, 2022, the Italian left faced a significant electoral setback as the centre-right coalition, led by Giorgia Meloni, secured a remarkable electoral win. Historically, the left had been represented by major parties like the Italian Communist Party (P.C.I.) and the Italian Socialist Party (P.S.I.). Their demise in the 1990s, for various reasons, gave rise to new left-leaning ‘umbrella’ entities such as the Ulivo and the Democratic Party (P.D.). Despite some electoral successes by these newer groups, left-wing parties and coalitions have failed to dominate the Italian political scene in recent years. A decline in the definitive meaning of ‘left’ in Italian politics has led to a more fragmented left-wing. As traditional leftist ideologies have waned, some of the emerging left-leaning parties have faced criticism for prioritizing civil rights over socioeconomic issues. Articles in this special issue delve into different facets of the Italian left. Pasquino highlights the stagnation in the left’s political culture since the cold war’s conclusion, while Newell critiques the weakness of the P.D.’s party organization and ideology. Ventura analyses both the P.D.’s organizational challenges and its leadership decisions, whereas Musella emphasizes the P.D.’s shortcomings in updating communication strategies. Pasini, Fasano, and Cerruti dive into the evolving preferences of left-wing voters, while del Palacio touches upon the radical left’s challenges. Mulè and Toso offer insights into the left’s efforts in poverty alleviation. In summary, this special issue underlines the pressing need for the Italian left to refresh its ideologies and strategies to stay relevant and present a competitive alternative to conservative agendas in Italy’s shifting political scene.

Drivers of species knowledge across the tree of life

Knowledge of biodiversity is unevenly distributed across the Tree of Life. In the long run, such disparity in awareness unbalances our understanding of life on Earth, influencing policy decisions and the allocation of research and conservation funding. We investigated how humans accumulate knowledge of biodiversity by searching for consistent relationships between scientific (number of publications) and societal (number of views in Wikipedia) interest, and species-level morphological, ecological, and sociocultural factors. Across a random selection of 3019 species spanning 29 Phyla/Divisions, we show that sociocultural factors are the most important correlates of scientific and societal interest in biodiversity, including the fact that a species is useful or harmful to humans, has a common name, and is listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Furthermore, large-bodied, broadly distributed, and taxonomically unique species receive more scientific and societal attention, whereas colorfulness and phylogenetic proximity to humans correlate exclusively with societal attention. These results highlight a favoritism toward limited branches of the Tree of Life, and that scientific and societal priorities in biodiversity research broadly align. This suggests that we may be missing out on key species in our research and conservation agenda simply because they are not on our cultural radar.

Drivers of species knowledge across the tree of life.

Knowledge of biodiversity is unevenly distributed across the Tree of Life. In the long run, such disparity in awareness unbalances our understanding of life on Earth, influencing policy decisions and the allocation of research and conservation funding. We investigated how humans accumulate knowledge of biodiversity by searching for consistent relationships between scientific (number of publications) and societal (number of views in Wikipedia) interest, and species-level morphological, ecological, and sociocultural factors. Across a random selection of 3019 species spanning 29 Phyla/Divisions, we show that sociocultural factors are the most important correlates of scientific and societal interest in biodiversity, including the fact that a species is useful or harmful to humans, has a common name, and is listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Furthermore, large-bodied, broadly distributed, and taxonomically unique species receive more scientific and societal attention, whereas colorfulness and phylogenetic proximity to humans correlate exclusively with societal attention. These results highlight a favoritism toward limited branches of the Tree of Life, and that scientific and societal priorities in biodiversity research broadly align. This suggests that we may be missing out on key species in our research and conservation agenda simply because they are not on our cultural radar.

Conditions of Conflict: Exploring Pastoralist Resettlement in Relation to African Lion Conservation

The resettlement of pastoralists across Tanzania has been driven by socio-economic development goals and resource scarcity, as well as conservation agendas. Lion conflict with pastoralists has been reported in different parts of Tanzania, yet the impacts of pastoralist resettlement on lion conservation have not been well documented in Tanzania. We explore how resettlement experienced by pastoralists has affected pastoralist-lion relations and conservation efforts in the Ruaha landscape. We learned that despite efforts by the Ruaha Carnivore Project to provide pastoralist benefits, ongoing lion conflicts and lion killing was reported. We also learned that pastoralists experience conflict with crop farmers over resource access and use (i.e., pasture, water), biased treatment from government officials, and lack of meaningful participation in decision-making processes. We discuss how resettlement to a landscape known for lion conservation has affected conflict and conservation outcomes, and offer suggestions for future effective and equitable action.

Let’s face it, the racial politics are always there: A critical race approach to policy implementation in the wake of anti-CRT rhetoric

School communities across the United States are experiencing increasing calls to remove the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) from their curricula despite not actually doing so in practice. This anti-CRT push is part of a larger, conservative agenda to ban teaching “divisive” topics in public schools and exemplifies the underlying racial politics existent in educational policy implementation. In this article, we analyze the legal efforts to ban CRT and anti-racist teaching in one state through a framework that situates policy implementation within CRT, which seeks to advance how whiteness, interest convergence, racial realism, and the erasure of people of color are continual to policy implementation. Through a critical discourse analysis of anti-CRT rhetoric, we illustrate how predictable patterns such as white backlash, overt racism, racial violence, and racial trauma are brought to light in policy implementation. We then offer an example of CRT as critical race praxis (CRP) in another state that works to counter racism and create anti-racist change in policy design and implementation. CRP is perhaps one tool school leaders have at their disposal to subvert whiteness and white supremacy in policymaking, especially policy implementation.

Batwa Indigenous Peoples forced eviction for "Conservation": A qualitative examination on community impacts.

In 1991, the Ugandan government formally established National Parks within the ancestral homelands of the Batwa Peoples. No consultation was carried out with local Batwa communities, and they were consequently forcibly evicted from their Forest home. With this, we sought to better understand the impacts of forced Land eviction through the lens of solastalgia. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were carried out with adult Batwa Peoples of varying age and gender in Uganda from August to November 2022. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and thematic analysis was carried out on the interview transcripts to identify themes from the initial codes. Four overarching themes were identified, including: 1) Our love and connection with the Forest; 2) What was left in the Forest when we were evicted; 3) What eviction from the Forest did to us as Batwa Peoples; and 4) Batwa People's Landback and returning to the Forest ('Indigenous Lands back into Indigenous hands'). As movement towards the global "30 by 30" conservation agenda occurs, we urge researchers, policy makers, and leaders to listen to the voices of Indigenous Peoples like the Batwa with a key focus on Landback and movement towards a clearer understanding and appreciation of the impacts of Western conservation agendas on Indigenous Peoples globally.

Agro-extractivism and neoliberal conservation: campesino abandonment in the Boyacá páramos, Colombia

Colombia is in the midst of an important shift: trying to balance its society and economy in the wake of the 2016 peace-agreement, with protection and restoration of important ecological regions. The mountainous Andean páramos ecosystem and paramuno/paramero campesinos of Boyacá have found themselves at the centre of some of these challenges. The páramos and their people – predominantly socio-economically precarious campesino farmers – are facing conservation policies to delimit, protect and control their livelihoods. Using a combination of qualitative methods, including interviews and participant-observation, to foreground campesinos' experiences, this paper explores the socio-environmental tensions emerging amidst this context of conservation. This paper argues that the delimitation process is constitutive of neoliberal conservation, which prioritises land sparing, ecosystem service payments and other ‘green business’. Furthermore, the delimitation process does not address the structural factors driving environmental degradation in the páramos, which is linked to an agro-extractivist model. Over recent decades, campesinos have been driven into increasingly agro-extractivist farming which encourages specialisation, monocropping, intensification, and dependence on external inputs. Spatially this has pushed them up to expand the agricultural frontier, as well as pushed them down within and out of the páramos and farming livelihoods. Now additionally squeezed by conservation restrictions, the delimitation is exacerbating historic inequality and mistrust. As a mountainous, small-scale farming case-study, in a conflict setting, this is a novel and unique addition to agro-extractivism research. Analysing the delimitation process through neoliberal conservation and agro-extractivism provides a systemic approach, which highlights the inconsistencies and contradictions of the policies promoted in the páramos. The paper thus demonstrates how the neoliberal conservation agenda is not only compatible with but integral to the agro-extractivist landscape, as it compensates for environmental spill-overs without questioning the prevailing market model. Rather than seek more socio-ecologically just farming practices, it opens new frontiers for capital and compromises socio-environmental peace.

Valuing the Quaternary – Nature conservation and geoheritage

This paper introduces the Special Issue of the Proceedings of the Geologists' Association on ‘Valuing the Quaternary – Nature Conservation and Geoheritage’, arising from the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) Congress in Dublin, in July 2019. It presents an overview of the values of Quaternary geoheritage, which merit recognition as an integral part of nature conservation, to protect priority sites and features for scientific research and education, and to deliver wider ecological, cultural and aesthetic benefits. The paper highlights the benefits of incorporating knowledge and understanding of Quaternary geoheritage for nature conservation and society. Palaeoenvironmental, palaeoecological and palaeobiological archives are a key source of ecological and environmental data that allow learning from the past to help address contemporary conservation challenges such as biodiversity loss, anthropogenic pressures and climate change. Quaternary science plays a vital part in supporting the wider nature conservation agenda, including strengthening the role of protected and conserved areas in the sustainable management of natural capital and ecosystem services, climate change adaptation, marine conservation, nature restoration and recovery, connecting people and nature and informing nature-based solutions to threats faced by society. However, challenges remain to achieve protection of key geoheritage sites and landscapes globally, and to integrate better understanding of geodiversity in nature conservation research, policy development and practice to help address the twin crises facing nature conservation – biodiversity loss and climate change. Quaternary studies provide temporal and spatial perspectives to inform forward-looking nature conservation that is dynamic rather than static in outlook.

Shame as an Ethical Category for an Integrative Diaconia in Brazil

The growing political influence of evangélico Christians in traditionally Catholic Brazil has caught the attention of social and political scientists as well as theologians. Among others, the reasons for two-thirds of the mainly Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal electorate voting for Jair Messias Bolsonaro include a moral agenda concerning human sexuality and the “traditional family,” namely the rejection of abortion under any circumstance and same-sex marriage. This conservative agenda is shared in other countries and churches and shows as “traditionalist” (Benjamin Teitelbaum), especially in Brazil, the USA under Trump, and Russia. At the same time, other, more social aspects of Christian diaconia in caring for the integrity of the body are left aside, although they are foreseen in those churches’ declarations of faith and ethical catechisms. The 2019–2022 government’s blatant failure to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, the appalling rise of hunger, and the destruction of the Amazon rainforest should give rise to what I call an “evangélico sense of shame” as a consequence of the incompatibility of many of the faith convictions of that part of the electorate with Bolsonaro’s stances and actions, retrieving shame as an ethical category. To this end, I analyze biblical notions and theological reflections on shame, as well as publications of evangélico churches with a focus on the largest of its churches in Brazil, the Assemblies of God. Thus, I intend to reclaim an integral diaconia for evangélico churches.

One size does not fit all: The complex relationship between biodiversity and psychological well-being

Conserving urban biodiversity is often promoted as a ‘win-win’ nature-based solution that can help align public health and biodiversity conservation agendas. Yet, research on the relationship between biodiversity and psychological well-being reveals inconsistent and complex results. This body of research is also restricted to a few socio-cultural and environmental contexts and tends to ignore differences in individual characteristics, such as nature relatedness (i.e., emotional affinity to nature) and ecological knowledge, that can influence people’s experience of biodiversity. The aim of this interdisciplinary research is to explore the relationships between biodiversity and psychological well-being, and test the moderating effect of nature relatedness and ecological knowledge on these relationships. An ecological survey was conducted in 24 small urban gardens in Israel to measure the richness and abundance of birds, butterflies and plants, as well as land cover characteristics. In parallel, a social survey (close-ended questionnaires) was conducted in-situ to measure psychological well-being, nature relatedness, ecological knowledge, perceived species richness and socio-demographic variables. Psychological well-being measures were mostly associated with the cover of woody species, perceived species richness, and to a lesser extent, with actual species richness and abundance, for all taxa. Nature relatedness moderated these relationships. Respondents with high nature relatedness demonstrated positive well-being-richness relationships, while those with intermediate, or low nature relatedness showed no, or even negative relationships, respectively. Opposite relationships were recorded for bird abundance. Overall, individuals demonstrated poor ecological knowledge and this variable moderated only few relations between well-being measures, perceived butterfly richness and bird abundance. Our results demonstrate that one-size-does-not-fit-all when considering the relationship between psychological well-being and biodiversity, and that affinity to nature is a key moderator for this relationship. Designing urban green spaces that provide inclusive and meaningful nature experiences and foster emotional affinity to nature, is therefore key to aligning ecological and social objectives for sustainable urban planning.

Ecotourism, Environmental Impacts and Sustainability in the Himalayan Settlements: Study of Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Nepal

Nepal has advocated for ecotourism as a strategy to support community development vis-a-vis environmental protection in the Protected Area settlements. In this context, considering the case of settlements along the Everest trail in the Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, this paper aims to critically examine the environmental impacts of ecotourism, local community’s perceptions towards ecotourism development and its contribution towards achieving sustainability in the region. It has adopted case study as a research strategy and used qualitative approach for detailed investigation. It adopted multiple sources of data collection such as key informants interview, household’s survey, participant observation and archival research. This study concludes that current approach of tourism development and planning does not satisfy the objectives of ecotourism development. It has neither equitably benefitted local residents nor significantly reduced the use of forest resources, environmental degradation, and deterioration of cultural and built heritage. It will further continue inducing impacts on local environment, culture, and communities heading tourism and the destination towards unsustainability. A sustainable approach to ecotourism is needed that integrates local knowledge, skills and cultural values that support conservation agendas, and encourage inclusive participation of communities, stakeholders and promote sustainability.

Synergistic effects of habitat fragmentation and hunting on the extinction risk of neotropical primates

Habitat fragmentation and overexploitation of natural resources are the most prevalent and severe threats to biodiversity in tropical forests. Several studies have estimated the effect of these threats on species extinction risk, however the effect resulting from their interaction remains poorly understood. Here, we assess whether and how habitat area, fragmentation, and hunting can synergistically affect the extinction risk of neotropical primates (Platyrrhine). We use a Random Forest model to estimate the Red List extinction risk category of 147 primate species based on their biological traits and the environmental predictors they are exposed to. We find that environmental variables are better predictors of extinction risk than biological traits, and that hunting and fragmentation interact creating synergistic feedback that lead to higher extinction risk than when considered in isolation. We also show that the effect of environmental predictors is mediated by biological traits, with large species being sensitive to habitat area and fragmentation, and frugivorous species more threatened by hunting. Our results increase the understanding of potentially interactive effects between different threats, habitat area and species traits, supporting the idea that multiple threats can reinforce each other and should be thus addressed simultaneously in conservation agendas.

Integrative species delimitation helps to find the hidden diversity of the leaf-litter frog Ischnocnema manezinho (Garcia, 1996) (Anura, Brachycephalidae), endemic to the southern Atlantic Forest.

The delimitation of cryptic species is a challenge for biodiversity conservation. Anurans show high cryptic diversity levels, and molecular species delimitation methods could help identify putative new species. Additionally, species delimitation approaches can provide important results for cryptic species conservation, with integrative methods adding robustness to results. Ischnocnema manezinho was described from Santa Catarina Island (SCI), southern Brazil. More recently, some inventories indicated continental populations supposedly similar in morphology to it. If these records are confirmed as I. manezinho, it would likely change its endangered status on National Red List, removing the species from conservation agendas. We investigated the threatened frog Ischnocnema manezinho, to evaluate if the continental populations belong to this species or if they form an undescribed species complex. We used coalescent, distance, and allele-sharing-based species delimitation methods and integrative analyses of morphometric and bioacoustics traits to test evolutionary independence between I. manezinho from SCI, Arvoredo Island, and continental populations. Ischnocnema manezinho is restricted to Santa Catarina Island, while the five remaining lineages should be further investigated through a taxonomic review. Our results point to a small geographic range of Ischnocnema manezinho. Additionally, the species occurs in isolated fragments of forest in SCI surrounded by expanding urban areas, confirming its status as Endangered. Thus, the protection and monitoring of I. manezinho and the taxonomic description of the continental and Arvoredo Island candidate species should be priorities.

The environmental semantics of rural and urban architecture standards in British Mandate of Palestine, 1920–1940

This paper analyses the 1940 exhibition catalogue, Twenty Years of Building: Workers' Settlements, Housing and Public Institutions, published by the Federation of Jewish Workers in Palestine to celebrate its twentieth anniversary. A cross-regional analysis of this publication in the context of Mandatory Palestine and its commonalities with the environmental German notion of ‘rootedness’ [Bodenständigkeit] forms the basis of this paper. It challenges previous scholarship viewing Jewish architecture as progressive, climatically adaptive, and correlating with the 1930s separatist stance of Labour Zionism vis-à-vis the Levant. It argues instead that the Federation's architects reflected a conservative agenda concerning ‘functional’ design. The paper reconstructs how their agenda adapted various rhetoric, from rooted rural buildings, colonial ruralisation, to new urban co-op environments in the 1920s and 30s. The paper also explores the historicist and settler-colonial stance of this agenda as it negotiated progressive building standards relative to the brief tradition of cooperative settlement history and indigenous Palestinian habitats. The paper, thus, identifies the environmental semantics of the Federation’s functional buildings, its structuralist logic, and its role in the legitimation of Zionist settler colonial institutions. In assessing this aesthetic-economic discourse, the paper contributes a missing prelude to the vernacularisation of post-independence development architecture in Israel.

When do progressive evangelicals mobilize? Intra-denominational competing identities in Chile's constitutional process

AbstractOver the last decade, and throughout the Americas, evangelicals have strongly mobilized in defense of socially conservative agendas or against so-called “gender ideology,” sparking general and academic interest. Much less is known about progressive evangelicals. Using the unique juncture presented by the constitutional process in Chile, we study the politicization of a progressive evangelical identity and ask when these religious groups mobilize. We argue that intra-denominational competition for evangelical identity has played an important role in progressive evangelical mobilization, and more specifically the wish to differentiate themselves from conservative evangelicals, introduce a distance from the political right, and show the internal diversity of the community. This process occurs in response to an initial (conservative) politicization of religion. Drawing on campaign materials, surveys, and interviews, we provide evidence for this argument highlighting that policy preferences and theological interpretations are core differences among both groups, sparking countermobilization.

American Punk and the Rhetoric of “Political Correctness”

ABSTRACT In the Trump era, conservative and alt-right commentators have framed punk rock subculture as a right-wing phenomenon, emphasizing punk’s individualism and “politically incorrect” rebellion as its defining characteristics. Taking a cultural studies approach, this article examines the rhetoric of so-called “political correctness” in contemporary American discourses surrounding the intersection of punk and politics. Its primary argument is that asserting an anti-PC stance disguises an underlying conservative agenda or reinscribes dominant narratives and that punk’s lack of a stable or inherent meaning (the “floating” nature of its signification, as Dick Hebdige described it) leaves it open to such rhetorical uses.

An Overview of Ecological Indicators of Fish to Evaluate the Anthropogenic Pressures in Aquatic Ecosystems: From Traditional to Innovative DNA-Based Approaches

In order to halt the loss of global biodiversity and considering the United Nations Decade for Ocean Conservation Agenda, increasing efforts to improve biomonitoring programs and assessment of ecosystem health are needed. Aquatic environments are among the most complex to monitor, requiring an array of tools to assess their status and to define conservation targets. Although several parameters need to be considered for a comprehensive ecological status assessment, it is important to identify easy-to-apply high-resolution monitoring methods. Shifts in fish composition and abundance are often good indicators of ecosystem health status in relation to anthropogenic activities. However, traditional monitoring methods are strictly related to the habitat under study and cannot be applied universally. This review summarizes the importance of ecological indicators for aquatic environments subjected to anthropogenic stressors, with a particular focus on fish communities and transitional water ecosystems. We describe the main characteristics of both traditional and novel methods for fish monitoring, highlighting their advantages and shortcomings in an attempt to identify simple and reliable ways for a correct evaluation of the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems.

Agrotourism as peripheral and ultraperipheral community livelihoods diversification strategy: Insights from the Okavango Delta, Botswana

The potential of agrotourism for livelihoods diversification in remote (peripheral) and extremely remote (ultraperipheral) traditional, agrarian communities is indeed a testament of its uniqueness to enhance rural entrepreneurship development, employment creation and poverty alleviation. In an arid environment such as Botswana's where traditional agricultural concerns are generally impeded by inclement weather conditions exacerbated by climate variability and change scenarios, identifying opportunities in challenges associated with livelihood activities might provide a better pathway for improving rural socio-economic wellbeing and development. Semi-structured interviews and a literature review were used to document the current status and evolution of agrotourism in rural Botswana; and identify the associated constraints and opportunities, which the subsector might offer emerging entrepreneurs. Major findings reveal that agrotourism activities are relatively new and still fledgling in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. While 4.8 percent of the initiatives investigated accounts for agrotourism initiatives that are fully and currently operational in the area, another 4.8 percent constitutes the business initiatives, which are still not fully operational. Findings also revealed that most agrotourism businesses in the Okavango Delta were challenged by inadequate capital outlays constituting an impediment to running a successful business. While bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with registering agrotourism projects is a challenge for some entrepreneurs, a few others are bedeviled by lack of market for their products. The relatively fledgling status of agrotourism in the area might offer a good business opportunity for potential entrepreneurs and the government to fully exploit the socio-economic benefits of the subsector and push a more sustainable environmental conservation agenda, respectively.