On April 29, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation （CBCGDF）organized a seminar on "Asian elephants and anti-wildlife abuse". Many experts and scholars in the field of wildlife protection and environmental justice were invited to participate in the discussion. Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, secretary-general of CBCGDF, delivered a speech. The contents of the speech are shared as follows:

Today, with the opening of the era of ecological civilization, ethics, as an important part of civilization, is also undergoing rapid changes. As for biodiversity work, which is of great importance to us in scientific and technological work, new ethics has increasingly become the focus of our attention.

We stick to several ways of working:

The first is to carry out extensive and in-depth discussion, so that scientists in relevant fields, including citizen scientists, can actively participate in the discussion. At the same time, it is the basis of our serious understanding of ecological ethics and our effective study of biological civilization. Recently, we have also received a large number of scientists, volunteers and the public's attention to the Asian elephant incident, which is not only a scientific ethics issue, but also an ethical issue of biodiversity discipline.

We know that in the era of industrial civilization, animals are widely used as tools and entertainment objects. Many countries have animal performances, even wildlife performances, as well as agricultural, animal husbandry, livestock and poultry performances and pet performances. These phenomena have been very active in the ethical framework of industrial civilization. However, in the era of ecological civilization, we should know that the requirement of ecological civilization is to adhere to the harmonious coexistence between man and nature and respect for living organisms. We should build a community with a shared future for mankind, and we should also build a community of life on earth. Then, under the macro guidance of the thought of ecological civilization, it is very clear that we will discuss the issue of Asian elephants again, because Asian elephants are endangered species, which we must protect and an important part of the earth's life community. The strategies and methods for their protection should be in accordance with the law and regulations, and should also adapt to the new ethics.

What is the new ethics? We believe that endangered wild species, including the Asian elephant, should not be used. Whether it is eating, medicine or performance, it should be stopped. We cannot meet our entertainment needs or appetite at the expense of green water and green mountains, and at the expense of the earth's life community.

Then, under the big logic, there are still many problems involved. For example, the attitude towards pets, including ethical issues for the livestock and poultry industry, including marine animals, including the establishment of zoos and aquariums. We do not agree to the establishment of a new aquarium, because it is a great threat to marine life. There are not only theories, but also many facts. We believe that with everyone's attention, the problem of Asian elephants is expected to be solved. We believe that through the wide participation of the public and the wide dissemination of the idea of ecological civilization, more and more people begin to accept and learn, practice and hope to participate in the process of ecological civilization construction. We hope that individual industries can also make changes. By carefully studying the idea of ecological civilization, we can understand that today's climate change crisis, biodiversity crisis and public health crisis, including the earth's sixth biological extinction, are the consequences of the disorderly development of industrial civilization. Of course, industrial civilization has also brought us many great contributions. Without industrial civilization, our earth cannot feed 7.7 billion people. However, we must open a new civilization today. We should attach great importance to the work of scientific ethics. We should build a new biological and scientific ethics framework by learning the thought of ecological civilization, so as to guide our work. Thank you.

Original Chinese Article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/v4G3ehf-Hmn-ZxGgxiajeA

Translator: Wendy

Editor: Maggie

Contact: V10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

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