The Intergenerational Value of Natural Heritage

Even though the concept of natural heritage is well received, its meaning is usually restricted to extraordinary natural sites. This contribution argues that a broader understanding is necessary in order to fully acknowledge the intergenerational value of natural heritage. By drawing on recent insights in plant ethics, three facets of the normative meaning of the concept of natural heritage can be highlighted: It expresses the value of natural sites as part of human civilization, it lays emphasis on the uniqueness of distinct parts of nature, and it expresses the willingness of present generations to present nature as a gift to future generations in order not to restrict their ways to shape nature. In particular, the value of natural heritage is constituted by a communal experience of nature and the willingness to share that experience with upcoming generations.

https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190881931.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190881931-e-25