By Suvendrini Kakuchi TOKYO, Jun 10, 2012 (IPS) – Leading
Japanese ecologists are pushing for the concept of environmental
“ethics” to influence the upcoming Earth Summit in Rio de
Janeiro, an approach they contend will foster accountability
towards sustainable development. “(Environmental) ethics is
based on the concept of making people accountable for the
preservation of natural resources and biodiversity. By
highlighting this aspect, we aim to combat the priority on
economic growth that has hijacked previous Earth Summits,” said
Ryoichi Yamamoto, development expert and professor emeritus at
Tokyo University. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first
United Nations summit on sustainable development, this year’s
conference, dubbed Rio+20, will negotiate on a transition to a
green economy in an effort to preserve the planet’s air, land,
water and biodiversity. But activists worry this crucial debate
on the planet’s future will once again – as has been the case
since sustainable development was launched as