How it all began
There’s really not a good excuse for ignoring what’s happening on this planet, unless of course you fell asleep in the 50s and you just woke up. The truth is, I’m not different from anyone else. I’ve also thought that environmentalism was a flag waved by sandle-wearing hippies who were totally disconnected from the realities of the real world, i.e. eat, sleep, work, pay bills, etc. I've watched TV, I've read the newspapers, I heard the radio news. But truth be told, there are as many unreasonable environmentalists as in any social group.

The issue of biodiversity
I guess I just watched waaay too many Animal Planet and PBS shows on elephants and many other endangered species that are suffering as a result of human sprawling. There are 50,000 species that disappear every year from the face of the Earth* (Rainforest Action Network), which is 1,000 times higher than normal. This dissimation of biodiversity is directly related to what is happening in the environment.

The value of biodiversity
There are ethical, scientific, ecological and economic values in biodiversity. The ethical significance lies within us, in our understanding that other creatures, like us, have the right to exist. The scientific significance is what biodiversity contributes to the knowledge of evolution. The ecological significance is directly related to the very survival of mankind, because ecosystems are interwoven by many species which have developed through thousands of years. The economic significance is found in the food, pharmaceutical and industrial production, and tourism. (Wikipedia)

Where are you going with all this?
Biodiversity has been under attack in many fronts. Aside from direct conflict with humans, other species are sufferring tremendously from the ecological changes in the environment, namely global warming and pollution. I did get depressed about all this, but then I came to the realization that there are many things I can do to “step lightly” on the planet: for example, using less resources, creating less pollution, conserving and reusing what I can, which was a very empowering thought.

Global warming and pollutants
There has been compelling scientific evidence regarding the relationship between human activity and the environment, creating what’s called “global warming”. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), national and international scientific organizations have strong published data that "greenhouse gases are responsible for surface air and subsurface ocean temperatures to rise". In fact, in June 2001, the National Research Council issued its report commissioned by the White House that stated just that*.

Despite conflicting reports that this is just a media hype or a “belief”, there is no doubt in the scientific community that the Earth is heating up. Even if we disregard that the snow caps are melting, that the oceans are rising, that the weather systems are more erratic, we can’t deny the effects that these much warmer temperatures are having on populations and economies here and around the world.

So, while the Earth is a little warmer, we are also dumping toxic chemicals and trash that are not biodegradable and harming ecosystems: people and other species.

© 2006 Designarchy