Conserving ‘conservation’

Press, 8 May 1982, Page 16

Conserving ‘conservation’

Helping Hands: A Guide to Conservation. By Elizabeth Gundrey. Union Paperbacks/ Observer, 1981. 198 pp. $8.95. (Reviewed by Gordon Williams) There really ought to be a society for the conservation of the use of the word conservation. Like some other-things, it seems to be in.danger of coming to mean all things to all men. Perhaps it is a result of my upbringing, but it is hard to .take seriously the proposition that it should include the saving of the regional character of beers, the preservation of rural life. pubs, pharmacies, rural transport, and concern about traffic hazards and healing without drugs. Perhaps it is not out of place to draw attention to the similar misuse of the word environment. For example, in Britain, the Ministry of the Env: onment seems to be responsible for such things as main roads, traffic, and public buildings, as well as the well-being of those places where animals and plants live and try to. survive. When something is spread so widely, is it surprising that remedial effort is usually, so thin as to be ineffective in many instances?

Because this book is slanted towards Britain and what is happening there, one might well ask if it has any relevance to New Zealand. Yes, it has - it deals with some of the problems caused by pollution and, among lots of other things, offers advice on how to ensure the continued

existence of such biological features of the landscape as ancient hedges and woodland, (we don’t have any of the former in thiscountry, and certainly seem to be doing at good job of getting rid of the latter), and encouraging farmers who may be interested in conserving' those wilder, parts of the environment they may own or; lease. So, in things like this, we and the author of “Helping Hands” (a twee title if ever there was one) do inhabit common ground and share similar concerns. Perhaps the book's greatest value to us is that it may prompt some local informed enthusiast to follow its lead and produce a handbook of organisations concerned with conservation of natural . resources in New Zealand — giving their names, addresses and aims.- j On reflection, it is more than a little, odd that the first chapter which asks “Why conservation?” does not appear to make any attempt to answer the question; this is indeed one which could do with a* lot of answering. Perhaps the author took fright and decided to treat the question as rhetorical. Certainly it is not easy to answer briefly and convincingly; and there may even be some who would say “if you really have to ask the question you won’t be convinced by the answer.” Nor is there any definition of conservation itself - not even the simple, “Wise use to ensure perpetual diversity and supply.’,. But when the author condemns the word to cover so wide a field of concern, definition becomes something to be avoided. • ■