One of the indispensable and perhaps the most controversial topic in this day and age is the environment, nature, and the climate setting. It is a subject with the broadest reach and the widest impact when it comes to decision-making. Nature is not only about the trees and the plants that people see in the wide outdoors. Nature also covers the wildlife and all living species existing as part of the environment’s landscape and as products of this earth. Who’s Knocking At My Door?: A Country Pond Tale by Terrie Stadler is an engaging children’s book that tells the story of the time when a softshell turtle ended up on the author’s front door. The author then proceeded to write a story about the incident, coming up with interesting scenarios that tend to stimulate a child’s interest in nature and wildlife and, more importantly, how to take care of such.
Why should people care about nature?
There are a lot of reasons why people should give a great deal about caring for nature. A glaring and probably top reason is the current extreme weather disturbances experienced worldwide. Nature attacks, as some would call them, are the unusual increasing frequency of tornado occurrences throughout the States and is something that nobody could turn a blind eye to. Disturbing weather events such as typhoons form and happen in seasons when it’s not the typhoon season.
The abnormal recurring weather phenomena such as the La Niña and El Niño also served as warning signs that something is terribly wrong with nature. Animal migration, plant and tree reproduction, and the entire ecosystem are part of the ripple effect if something happens with nature.
These are some of the few disturbing circumstances that put gravity on the thought of why people should (and must!) care for nature and the environment.
If people start caring…
The earth is one amazing place to live in, and the most breathtaking spectacle to behold is right out there, free for everyone to appreciate – nature itself. More than just its splendored beauty meant to be enjoyed, this earth’s grand jewel is also meant to supply the needs and resources to maintain and sustain human existence. The question is, what would be the consequences if people started to really, really care for nature and the environment?
Living in a safe and healthy environment
One of the ways to start caring for nature is to make sure that it does not get destroyed due to human abuse or negligence. This primarily means to help prevent the environment from getting polluted, especially pollution that comes from the garbage. Water pollution due to the presence of hazardous, non-biodegradable waste materials results in unclean and unsafe drinking, bathing, and cleaning waters. Land pollution creates infertile land, affecting agriculture and eventually impacting the food supply. Air pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels, industrial gas emissions, wildfires, and open area burning of garbage affects the respiratory system primarily, leading to lung cancer, asthma, and even developmental issues such as low birth weight, autism, retinopathy, etc.
Ensuring that the environment stays clean and pollutant-free reduces the risk of these pollution outcomes. If people start seeing to it that the land, water, and the air are free from garbage or any radical waste, then the guaranteed result is that people live overall healthier lives.
Balance in biodiversity and ecosystem
Biodiversity refers to the different available varieties of plants, animals, and other living organisms. The ecosystem is where the animals, plants, and other living organisms live and work together for their survival. The balance between biodiversity and ecosystem is very much crucial when it comes to sustaining nature and the way of life. This commonly refers to the balance in the food chain to ensure the survivability of all living organisms. For instance, the number of prey and predators should be balanced. If there are more predators than prey or even vice versa, the food supply is ultimately affected. Predators starve from lack of available food if there is a lower number of prey. If there are more prey than predators, the number of predators increases until it reaches a point where there are more predators than prey.
Same with humans and their food consumption coming from animals and plants. If nature is disturbed and disrupted because of pollution, then food resources for humans either become more expensive or become lesser and lesser. For one, ensuring that the consumption of resources is not abusive and excessive is a way to preserve nature and balance in the ecological system.
Everyone shares and has a say in this world that we live in. More importantly, everyone has a significant role in ensuring the earth’s and its inhabitant’s survival. It is an indispensable responsibility that everyone shares. After all, there is only one nature, one environment, and one shot at life.
Alex Writes 