Our Biosensitive Futures Program

This page explains:

The origins of the Biosensitive Futures Program
Part 1 of the Program: Facts and Principles
Part 2 of the Program: The Roundtable

On another page:

The Biosensitive Futures themes and topics

The origins of the Biosensitive Futures Program

The program is based on NSF's appreciation that the future well-being of humankind will require major changes in our social system and lifestyles. This is because human society today is not ecologically sustainable - and if a society is not ecologically sustainable it cannot, in the long term, be sustainable inn any other way. There are also other unsatisfactory features of current society calling for social change, including major disparities in health and conditions of life across different soci-economic groups.

NSF therefore embraces the notion of a future biosensitive society, which is a society that is sensitive to - and that satisfies - the health needs of the ecosystems of the natural environment and of all sections of the human population.

However, we believe that there will be no significant move towards a biosensitive society until there comes about a new understanding, right across the community, of the processes of life, the human place in nature and the main ecological and health issues of the present day. NSF aims to promote such understanding and to foster informed discussion and debate across the community about the social changes that will be necessary to achieve a biosenitive society and how these changes might be brought about.

The program is made up of two parts: Part 1 comprises the Facts and Principles, and part 2 is the Roundtable.

Part 1. Facts and Principles

This part of the program consists of a network of interconnected papers on the processes of life, the human place in nature and the key ecological and health issues facing human society today (see the table).

These are succinct authoritative summaries of the state of knowledge about important ecological and health themes. They are written in a style readily understandable by non-scientists.

Some of the papers provide an overview of the human situation in the biosphere, important ecological and health issues facing our society today and the essential biophysical characteristics of a biosensitive society of the future.

Others discuss specific themes, including ecological and health issues and relevant biological principles.

Visit the Facts and Principles page here:

Part 2. The Roundtable

This part of the program invites you and others who are in agreement with the Facts and Principles to communicate their ideas on the social changes that will be necessary to achieve a biosensitive society.

Some of these contributions will focus on societal issues such as the economic system and the roles of different sections of the community in bringing about a transition to a biosensitive society.

Others will concentrate on practicalities, that is, on practical measures that can be taken by individuals and by society as a whiole aimed at achieving ecological sustainability - such as ways of reducing greenhouse emissions in homes, achieving and maintaining good physical and mental health, or reducing the ecological impact of transportation.

Contributions to this part of the project should be short and pithy - probably not more than 1,000 words

Some topics are suggested for this part of the project in the table of themes and topics.

The outcome of this exchange will be available on the Biosensitive Futures website and will be publicised as widely as possible in the media.

Visit the Roundtable here.

Updated 2 June 2008.   For more information about Biosensitive Futures, e-mail our office