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Suggestions that Australia can advance the conservation of native fauna by encouraging people to keep native animals as pets and have pastoralists replace sheep and cattle with kangaroos are not revolutionary. As with the preoccupation of environmentalists with endangered species, national parks and wilderness, these are limited options which will achieve little in the way of conserving Australia's flora and fauna. It is far more important to end land clearing and habitat fragmentation in terrestrial environments and to cease building dams, diverting rivers and trawling for fish in aquatic environments. Even these suggestions are far from revolutionary. A real revolution in nature conservation requires a change in national priorities from ones of increasing economic growth, resource consumption and population growth to becoming an ecologically sustainable society. Achieving ecological sustainability means that Australia needs to adopt population policies which will ultimately reduce the size of the population by half. Population reduction needs to be accompanied by reductions in energy and resource consumption. Landcare needs to return a minimum of 30% of existing cleared land to native vegetation with an additional 20 to 40% placed under deeprooted perennials with a primary objective of providing other species with the resources they require to achieve their evolutionary potential. Only by a revolution of this magnitude can Australians meet their responsibilities to the other species with which we share the continent and begin to meet the requirements of ecological sustainability. Only by caring for other organisms can Australians say they are worthy of sharing Australia with other species. Eating jump steak and keeping native animals as pets are steps in that direction, but only small ones.

Chisholm, A. and Moran, A. 1993 The Price of Preservation. Tasman Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
Bradstock, R., Auld, T., Keith, D., Kingsford, R., Lunney, D. and Siversten, D. (eds) 1995 Conserving Biodiversity: Threats and Solutions. Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.
Burbidge, A. A. and McKenzie, N. L. 1989. Patterns in the modern decline of Western Australia's vertebrate fauna: causes and conservation implications. Biological Conservation 50: 134-98.
Cocks, D. 1992 Use With Care: Managing Australia's Natural Resources in the 21st Century. University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, Australia.
Cocks, D. 1996 People Policy: Australia's Population Choices. University New South Wales Press, Sydney
Daily, G. C. 1997 Nature's Services. Island Press, Washington, D. C., USA.
Dorfman, E. and Taylor, C. 1998. Teaching communication in undergraduate biology. Pp. 61-4 in Ecology for Everyone: Communicating Ecology to Scientists, the Public and the Politicians. ed by R. Wills and R. Hobbs, Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.
Ehrlich, P. R. 1993. Communication: how can ecologists get their message out? Pp. 295-301. in Nature Conservation 3: The Reconstruction of Fragmented Ecosystems. ed by D. A. Saunders, R. J. Hobbs and P. R. Ehrlich. Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.
Fisher, J. and Campbell, B. 1998. Ecologists: important links to successful science communication in schools. Pp. 103-9 in Ecology for Everyone: Communicating Ecology to Scientists, the Public and the Politicians. ed by R. Wills and R. Hobbs, Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.
Flannery, T. 1994 The Future Eaters. Reed Books, Chatswood, Australia.
Frawley, K. 1988. The history of conservation and the national park concept in Australia: a state of knowledge review. pp 395-418. in Australia's Ever Changing Forests. ed by K. J. Frawley and N. M. Semple, Australian Defence Force Academy, Campbell, ACT, Australia.
Goulder, L. H. and Kennedy, D. 1997. Valuing ecosystem services: philosophical bases and empirical methods. Pp. 23-48 in Nature's Services. ed by G. C. Daily, Island Press, Washington, D. C., USA.
Grigg, G., Hale, P. and Lunney, D. (eds) 1995 Conservation Through Sustainable Use of Wildlife. Centre for Conservation Biology, University of Queensland, St Lucia.
Hale, P. and Lamb, D. (eds) 1997 Conservation Outside Nature Reserves. Centre for Conservation Biology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.
Hutchings, P. 2000. The challenge to conserve and manage Australia's marine biodiversity. Pacific Conservation Biology 5: 242-9.
Kirkpatrick, K. 1994 A Continent Transformed. Oxford University Press, Oxford, England.
Loomes, R. and O'Neill, K. 2000 Nature's Services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems edited by G. C. Daily (Island Press, Washington, D. C.). Pacific Conservation Biology 6: 274.
O'Connor, M. 1998 This Tired Brown Land. Duffy & Snellgrove, Sydney, Australia.
Ponder, W. and Lunney, D. (eds). 1999 The Other 99 Percent: The Conservation and Biodiversity of Invertebrates. Transactions of the Royal Zoological Society of NSW, Mosman, Australia.
Pressey, R. L. 1994 Ad hoc reservations: forward or backward steps in developing representative reserve systems? Conservation Biology 8: 662-8.
Recher, H. F. 1972. The vertebrate fauna of Sydney. Proceedings Ecological Society Australia 7: 79-87.
Recher, H. F. 1992. Simple journalists or simple scientists?: Are environmental issues too complex for the media? Australian Zoologist 28: 19-23.
Recher, H. F. 1998. Parks for biodiversity: an old and tarnished vision. Pp. 128-139 in National Parks: New Visions for a New Century, Proceedings of the Paddy Pallin Conference, ed by P. Prineas, Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Recher, H. F. 1998. Public and political: the challenge for ecologists. Pp. 9-15 in Ecology for Everyone: Communicating Ecology to Scientists, the Public and the Politicians. ed by R. Wills and R. Hobbs, Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.
Recher, H. F. 1999. The state of Australia's avifauna: a personal opinion and prediction for the new millennium. Australian Zoologist 31: 11 - 27.
Recher, H. F. (ms). Ecology, social harmony and biodiversity conservation: perspectives from Western Australia on the Regional Forest Agreement Process.
Recher, H. F. and Ehrlich, P. R. 1999. The essence of science: the social responsibility of communicating. Pacific Conservation Biology 5: 161-2.
Recher, H. F. and Lim, L. 1990. A review of the status of Australia's terrestrial vertebrate fauna. Proceedings Ecological Society Australia 16: 287-301.
Saunders, D. A., Hopkins, A. J. M. and How, R. A. (eds) 1990 Australian ecosystems: 200 Years of Utilization, Degradation and Reconstruction. Ecological Society of Australia, Canberra, Australia.
State of the Environment Advisory Council (SEAC). 1996 Australia State of the Environment 1996. CSIRO, Collingwood, Australia.
Van Oosterzee, P. 2000. Ecotourism and biodiversity conservation - two way track. Pacific Conservation Biology 6: 89-93.
Viggers, K. and Lindenmayer, D. 2002. Problems with keeping native animal pets. in A Zoological Revolution, edited by D. Lunney and C. Dickman, Royal Zoological Society of NSW, Mosman, Australia.
White, M. E. 1994 After the Greening, the Browning of Australia. Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, Australia.
Wills, R. and Hobbs, R. 1998 Ecology for Everyone: Communicating Ecology to Scientists, the Public and the Politicians. Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.
Yencken, D. and Wilkinson, D. 2000 Resetting the Compass. CSIRO, Collingwood, Australia.
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References

Chisholm, A. and Moran, A. 1993 The Price of Preservation. Tasman Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
Bradstock, R., Auld, T., Keith, D., Kingsford, R., Lunney, D. and Siversten, D. (eds) 1995 Conserving Biodiversity: Threats and Solutions. Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.
Burbidge, A. A. and McKenzie, N. L. 1989. Patterns in the modern decline of Western Australia's vertebrate fauna: causes and conservation implications. Biological Conservation 50: 134-98.
Cocks, D. 1992 Use With Care: Managing Australia's Natural Resources in the 21st Century. University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, Australia.
Cocks, D. 1996 People Policy: Australia's Population Choices. University New South Wales Press, Sydney
Daily, G. C. 1997 Nature's Services. Island Press, Washington, D. C., USA.
Dorfman, E. and Taylor, C. 1998. Teaching communication in undergraduate biology. Pp. 61-4 in Ecology for Everyone: Communicating Ecology to Scientists, the Public and the Politicians. ed by R. Wills and R. Hobbs, Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.
Ehrlich, P. R. 1993. Communication: how can ecologists get their message out? Pp. 295-301. in Nature Conservation 3: The Reconstruction of Fragmented Ecosystems. ed by D. A. Saunders, R. J. Hobbs and P. R. Ehrlich. Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.
Fisher, J. and Campbell, B. 1998. Ecologists: important links to successful science communication in schools. Pp. 103-9 in Ecology for Everyone: Communicating Ecology to Scientists, the Public and the Politicians. ed by R. Wills and R. Hobbs, Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.
Flannery, T. 1994 The Future Eaters. Reed Books, Chatswood, Australia.
Frawley, K. 1988. The history of conservation and the national park concept in Australia: a state of knowledge review. pp 395-418. in Australia's Ever Changing Forests. ed by K. J. Frawley and N. M. Semple, Australian Defence Force Academy, Campbell, ACT, Australia.
Goulder, L. H. and Kennedy, D. 1997. Valuing ecosystem services: philosophical bases and empirical methods. Pp. 23-48 in Nature's Services. ed by G. C. Daily, Island Press, Washington, D. C., USA.
Grigg, G., Hale, P. and Lunney, D. (eds) 1995 Conservation Through Sustainable Use of Wildlife. Centre for Conservation Biology, University of Queensland, St Lucia.
Hale, P. and Lamb, D. (eds) 1997 Conservation Outside Nature Reserves. Centre for Conservation Biology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.
Hutchings, P. 2000. The challenge to conserve and manage Australia's marine biodiversity. Pacific Conservation Biology 5: 242-9.
Kirkpatrick, K. 1994 A Continent Transformed. Oxford University Press, Oxford, England.
Loomes, R. and O'Neill, K. 2000 Nature's Services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems edited by G. C. Daily (Island Press, Washington, D. C.). Pacific Conservation Biology 6: 274.
O'Connor, M. 1998 This Tired Brown Land. Duffy & Snellgrove, Sydney, Australia.
Ponder, W. and Lunney, D. (eds). 1999 The Other 99 Percent: The Conservation and Biodiversity of Invertebrates. Transactions of the Royal Zoological Society of NSW, Mosman, Australia.
Pressey, R. L. 1994 Ad hoc reservations: forward or backward steps in developing representative reserve systems? Conservation Biology 8: 662-8.
Recher, H. F. 1972. The vertebrate fauna of Sydney. Proceedings Ecological Society Australia 7: 79-87.
Recher, H. F. 1992. Simple journalists or simple scientists?: Are environmental issues too complex for the media? Australian Zoologist 28: 19-23.
Recher, H. F. 1998. Parks for biodiversity: an old and tarnished vision. Pp. 128-139 in National Parks: New Visions for a New Century, Proceedings of the Paddy Pallin Conference, ed by P. Prineas, Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Recher, H. F. 1998. Public and political: the challenge for ecologists. Pp. 9-15 in Ecology for Everyone: Communicating Ecology to Scientists, the Public and the Politicians. ed by R. Wills and R. Hobbs, Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.
Recher, H. F. 1999. The state of Australia's avifauna: a personal opinion and prediction for the new millennium. Australian Zoologist 31: 11 - 27.
Recher, H. F. (ms). Ecology, social harmony and biodiversity conservation: perspectives from Western Australia on the Regional Forest Agreement Process.
Recher, H. F. and Ehrlich, P. R. 1999. The essence of science: the social responsibility of communicating. Pacific Conservation Biology 5: 161-2.
Recher, H. F. and Lim, L. 1990. A review of the status of Australia's terrestrial vertebrate fauna. Proceedings Ecological Society Australia 16: 287-301.
Saunders, D. A., Hopkins, A. J. M. and How, R. A. (eds) 1990 Australian ecosystems: 200 Years of Utilization, Degradation and Reconstruction. Ecological Society of Australia, Canberra, Australia.
State of the Environment Advisory Council (SEAC). 1996 Australia State of the Environment 1996. CSIRO, Collingwood, Australia.
Van Oosterzee, P. 2000. Ecotourism and biodiversity conservation - two way track. Pacific Conservation Biology 6: 89-93.
Viggers, K. and Lindenmayer, D. 2002. Problems with keeping native animal pets. in A Zoological Revolution, edited by D. Lunney and C. Dickman, Royal Zoological Society of NSW, Mosman, Australia.
White, M. E. 1994 After the Greening, the Browning of Australia. Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, Australia.
Wills, R. and Hobbs, R. 1998 Ecology for Everyone: Communicating Ecology to Scientists, the Public and the Politicians. Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.
Yencken, D. and Wilkinson, D. 2000 Resetting the Compass. CSIRO, Collingwood, Australia.
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