When talking about the environment, we normally only talk about all the problems we’re causing. But we often don’t stop and think about why we’re trying to save the environment in the first place - what makes it so important anyway? This new series will explore just that.
First of all, we live on planet Earth. The Earth provides us with our food, water, air and everything in between. And the same goes for every single species on this planet - we all rely on the Earth to survive. In harming the environment, we are threatening our very existence. But it’s not just the actual planet that we need to be mindful of: we also need to think about all the plants and animals that call this planet home. Now, caring about a random tree in the park or a tiny little bee flying around in your garden might sound a little weird, but the connections go much deeper than what you might think.
Everything in nature is connected. Over billions of years of evolution, nature has developed in such a way that all species can coexist in a delicate balance. What we humans have done, especially in recent decades, is change this balance… and not in a good way. The very foundations upon which our society is built means that just in keeping our society functioning, the environment is inevitably harmed in the process. This includes our energy production, which mainly relies on fossil fuels, or even the materials that we use in our infrastructure and daily life, which involves the overuse of certain natural resources like water and sand.
And the things that we do can also come back to us in unexpected ways. Take for example, you carelessly dispose of a plastic bag by throwing it into the ocean. It might be mistaken for food by a fish and eaten. That fish is then eaten by a bigger fish, and then that fish is eaten by an even bigger fish. That fish is then caught in a fishing net and eventually ends up on your plate in your favourite seafood restaurant. In a way, you’ve ended up eating that plastic bag that you threw away. Indirectly, of course, but over time this can accumulate and result in some negative side effects. By harming the environment, we really just end up harming ourselves one way or another in the long run.
Now you might be saying “But I’d never throw a plastic bag into the ocean,” - of course you wouldn’t do it intentionally, but sometimes, things can happen indirectly. You might throw your bag into the bin, but you don’t know for sure what happens to it afterwards. Sadly, it’s quite likely that that bag will end up in a dump site, and eventually in the ocean.
And yet, despite all the damage that we’ve caused, nature is still holding on and doing its best to maintain its balance. But the negative effects of our actions are becoming more and more obvious every day, and the Earth cannot withstand this kind of strain forever. The Earth is the only known planet in the Universe that supports life, and for our sake we need to take good care of it. After all, the Earth can go on without humans, but we can’t go on without the Earth. Learn more about all the amazing wonders of our natural environment with this new series: Our Amazing Planet.
Credits:
Image - NASA Climate Change
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