28. Noah’s Arks for the 21st Century | Sergey Volis

Science and Actions for Species Protection – Noah’s Arks for the 21st Century 13-14 May 2019 The Papal encyclical Laudato Si’ represents a strong critique of modern consumerism and its catastrophic effects on biodiversity. It warns us about the planet’s endangered ecology and points to the need for science and politics to engage with religious and moral authorities to review the current situation and propose joint strategies aimed at changing the trajectory of humankind. In principle, all major world religions are committed to respecting and preserving nature and can agree on joint actions for this objective. The subtitle “Noah’s Arks for the 21st Century” refers to the Bible’s story of the destructive flood and Noah rescuing humankind and species with his ark following God’s order (Genesis 6-9). The story seems based on older Mesopotamian references, i.e. the Epic of Gilgamesh and other sources that appear in the 20th-16th century BCE. Today, our common fascination with nature leads us to preserve species