Geneses and Progress of the World Campaign and Council for The Biosphere

Starting with some clarifying definitions of the senses in which the key words in its title are used, this paper outlines the concept and actuality of The Biosphere, which is defined as ‘The integrated living and life-supporting system comprising the peripheral envelope of Planet Earth together with its surrounding atmosphere so far down, and up, as any form of life exists naturally.' Two ‘round- dozens' of the key facts about The Biosphere are then given—including Mankind's constitution of an integral part of it as well as utter dependence on it and yet increasing threat to it—with emphasis on the vital importance of understanding and fostering it as our own and Nature's sole life-support. To such understanding and concomitant fostering for survival, education is the key, and to such ends the World Campaign for The Biosphere was developed through various stages and finally declared on World Environment Day 1982 with the No. 1 aim of making the concept and reality of ‘Our Biosphere intimately and personally meaningful to people of all ages and cultures throughout the world.

Suggested Actions for the Forthcoming ‘World Decade of The Biosphere'

A new thrust will be needed if the environment of Man and Nature throughout the world is to be preserved for posterity in anything like its present form. The required change in attitude and concomitant action should concern all peoples, involve most resources, and underlie many future developments—which last could well be in line with environmental conservation. It is believed that much benefit could accrue in this worthy direction through global exhortation of The Biosphere as mankind's planetary life-support system, which needs widespread understanding to allay increasing threats due basically to burgeoning human populations and the demands which they make on the limited resources of our planet. The Biosphere may be defined as the Earth's peripheral envelope, together with the oceans and the atmosphere as far up as living things exist in it naturally, and thus ranges from the deepest layers of soils and ocean floors upwards to the highest levels of the stratosphere in which any form of life persists. This includes Man, with his unique intelligence and cognate capabilities that have enabled him to evolve latterly as the world's undisputed pandominant, change the surface of the Earth very considerably, and even alter the composition and content of The Biosphere quite appreciabl