Earth Charter

The Earth charter’s main goal is to have everyone contribute to the earth and make sure the earth will be a great home for people of today and tomorrow. The earth charter states, “To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace.” The earth charter looks at the concern with keeping the earth a beautiful place that is somewhere that we can live off the land and have a sustainable lifestyle. There were many factors that could contribute to how our environment is in the future, how sustainable it is, and how well humans can use its resources. Earth charter stated that, “The global environment with its finite resources is a common concern of all peoples.” This brings up the concern that there are non-renewable resources that we are depleting rapidly and if there will be a solution when we finally run out of these resources. I think this is a hard topic and something that will have to be looked at when the problem actually occurs. I think until we run out of a resource and are forced to find a new way we may have some alternate solutions that few will use but will not take off until they need to. The earth charter seems like a good idea on paper but I’m not sure if it could actually be acted out and work as we would like it to. Although if there was a way to ensure all of the ideas of the earth charter are occurring that I think it is a start to helping, protecting, and preserving our environment for people today and tomorrow. Finally, the earth charter stated that, “To realize these aspirations, we must decide to live with a sense of universal responsibility, identifying ourselves with the whole Earth community as well as our local communities.” I like these words to end it with, and feel it sums up their ideas and the human responsibility that should be happening to ensure conservation of the earth.

http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/invent/images/uploads/echarter_english.pdf

Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall talks about the hope she has for the world. She feels that we need to change how we are doing things in order to save the world around us but has much optimism when it comes to protecting all life and restoring habitats for them to live in. She states, “Throughout the pages of this book, we have shared stories of species that, although rescued from the brink of extinction, are still endangered by lack of suitable habitat in the wild.” (Goodall 161). She also fears for the different landscapes around the world because they are rapidly disappearing and need to be maintained in order to survive. Jane spoke of many places that were in despair but found their way out and sees this as hope for the world. Jane told about her journeys to Gombe where she first went for the chimps and ended up working there for the chimps, the habitat, and the people. She saw much despair in a place this this and felt it necessary to help. She brought in education, resources, and more to get the land back to where it needed to be and the people back to a place where they could support themselves. Jane spoke of the importance of women and how, “All around the world, it has been shown that as women’s education improves, family size tends to drop.” (Goodall 171). Overpopulation is an extreme problem in most places in despair once they are able to give the women something to do and an education the population starts to decrease and the community becomes more sustainable. Goodall showed a sense of pride and determination when it comes to the worlds and it was renewing. I think that it is important to look at our communities and see what we can do for them like many people around the world fighting to help plants, animals, and humans alike. There are many things that need to be done to keep this world going and protect not only plants and animals but our selves. “…these keepers of the Planet. To save planet earth, each of us who cares must become involved in protecting and restoring the wild places and the animals and plants that live there” (Goodall 184).

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/10/jane-goodall/quammen-text

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

“The most alarming of all man’s assault upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers, and sea with dangerous and even lethal materials.” (Carson 153). Carson writes about how we as humans bring chemicals and products into our environment without thinking about the consequences that these chemicals could on day have not only on the environment and animals but also on humans. Essentially we are trying to control populations that have become rampant because of our own doing and we now want to get rid of them. In trying to get rid of these species or bugs or whatever they may be we do not take into consideration in which the means we take to get rid of them. There are things we could do to first keep these species to a minimum and also things we can do to try and control them without unleashing reckless chemicals that we know little about. In order to try and control these populations to begin with Carson suggests that we go back to the way we used to farm, with multiple crops to a farm. She pointed out that when we have a farm with one crop, bugs or animals that feast on the crop can thrive and multiply much more rapidly. “Man can hardly recognize the devils of his own creation” (Carson 154). Once chemicals are used it is hard to switch back to finding natural ways to solve our problems. Furthermore, not only do chemicals help to get rid of the intended target, but they could also have harmful effects on humans that are not yet known. “Thus the chemical war is never won, and all life is caught in its violent crossfire.” (Carson 155). The environment can work out its problems naturally but humans don’t like to wait for problems to be solved in their own time; we like to get things done on our schedule and effect all the things around us in doing so. Essentially, we decide to plant or work differently causing an adverse effect and then we try to fix the problem that we have caused by something that could in turn keep causing problems. It is like a vicious cycle that is waiting to explode.

http://www.chromatographytoday.com/news/gc-mdgc-gc-ms/32/shimadzu/new_gcms_method_package_for_residual_pesticides_in_foods_released_/18496/ 

What is Biodiversity and Why is it so Important\ by Vandana Shiva

Biodiversity is “a diversity of life- the rich diversity of life forms on our beautiful planet.” (Shiva 38). Biodiversity is how the world is made up, all the different things around us and how they interact and make the world a whole. There are many factors that affect biodiversity and how diverse the world around us stays or diminishes. Shiva wrote about the destruction of biodiversity and how crucial it is to try and preserve it better. There are many things that we as humans changes to become more efficient or to make more money off of it. This is a major contribution to the diminishment of biodiversity. “Biodiversity and cultural diversity hold key to those sustainable alternatives.” (Shiva 39). There are sustainable living techniques that could help preserve and protect the world’s diversity as we know it. Each culture and each unique piece that contributes to the world and its diversity are a part of the circle of life. “…that the Earth is a living system, self-regulating, and self-organizing. Just as our bodies maintain their temperature, the earth’s equilibrium is maintained through ecological processes in which biodiversity plays a central role.” (Shiva 41). Each and every part of each ecosystem have a role in keeping that ecosystem alive. The world is moving more and more towards producing food and goods the most efficient way whether that means the healthiest and best way it not always the case. This means people whose livelihood depends on these markets will be left behind, these people will not have a way to make a living anymore, and they will not be able to survive. The world has lost touch with biodiversity and with what should be done with the earth and people and how they should interact daily. Powerful people want to make the most money they can in the shortest amount of time and do not consider the consequences. This seems to be the downfall of humans, instead of taking and working with what the earth gives us, we have to push it and take advantage of it and push it to the brink of extinction. Shiva has brought out ideas and thoughts on how the world works with the biodiversity around it and how we should change our interactions with it.

http://back2greenjordan.blogspot.com/2011/01/biodiversity-in-middle-east-two-study.html 

A Tale of Two Farms by Jared Diamond

http://sustainableenergysystemz.com/sustainable-living-101/2349/

Diamond compares two dairy farms to the world. There are many societies succeeding every day and there are some that have come and gone. Much like the two dairy farms; one of which is thriving and the other that collapsed. The two farms had many similar factors but those factors just weren’t enough for one of them. Diamond discusses how the environment and ecology have a lot to do with the contributing factors that have to do with the success or failure of a society. For example, “both farms were located in gorgeous natural settings that attracted tourists from afar.” (Diamond 15). On the other hand, “both lay in districts economically marginal for dairying.” (Diamond 16). There were pros and cons to the two farms which can compare to how there are pros and cons in each and every society. No matter, if a society is a third world country or if you are in the United States, each society will have things working for its benefit and things working against the society. Diamond wanted to show us that we should look at history and try and avoid the same mistakes that we have already fell from. “The past offers us a rich database from which we can learn, in order that we may keep on succeeding.” (Diamond 17). We can look at the societies that we would have considered to have fallen and take a look at their pros and cons; once this takes place we should try and run our society so that the cons do not bring us down like the fallen societies. Not only do humans have an effect on societies and the world around us, but the environment also plays a role in how we manage as a society. Diamond talked about ecocide and how he believed that some of the fallen societies’ downfalls were that they didn’t take care of their environment and the land was no longer a place that could sustain living. “Many people fear that ecocide has now come to overshadow nuclear war and emerging as a threat to global civilization.” (Diamond 22). Ecocide is when a society fails because of its overuse or misuse of the land and the environment around us. Basically, it will benefit everyone to look out for our land and environment, because there is potential for land becoming unsustainable if we do not take care of it.

http://mymorzine.com/sustainable-living-in-morzine/?doing_wp_cron=1401734490.9240210056304931640625
 

Plan B

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pavo_cristatus_in_Barbados_Wildlife_Reserve_22.jpg

Plan B chapter 8 is about restoring the earth. The chapter talks about the world and what we as people need to do in order to save and restore our planet. Some of the things that need to be done are:  protecting and restoring forests, planting trees to sequester carbon, conserving and rebuilding soils, regenerating fisheries, and protecting plant and animal diversity. There are many things that are crucial in completing these goals as communities, states, countries, and as a whole world together. First of all, we need to hold each other accountable for what we do to our earth daily and how we plan on taking care of it daily as well. Trees, soil, fish, animals, and more are essential to our quality of life. Without these things we would not be surviving and moving on with our daily lives. There is projects that have been implemented to help restore our world already and need to be kept up with. There are still things that need to be done and put in place to further our betterment of every community. We as people need to realize our impact on the community and take our place and part in the ways that we can help change the environment for us and for the future generations. Forests are important to the environment and to us, they are an important aspect to our ability to breathe. We need to help keep forests alive and well and stop deforestation. Rapid soil erosion threatens to turn many places into deserts, but with efforts to maintain and build up soil this can be stopped. Fisheries are how we raise and get our fish; these need to be regenerated for the benefit of everyone. Plant and animal diversity are not only important but also fascinating. The more diverse and different we can keep the plant and animal communities the better. Every plant and animal has a place in the food chain and no matter how small their part seems without them the whole chain can be disrupted. All in all, we need to focus on what we can do not only on a small daily scale, but also on a large ‘changing the world’ scale.

http://rwandasafariholiday.com/package/photography-wildlife-gorilla-tour-rwanda-9-days/