The first video asks the question, "Is the Earth Full?" The answer is, yes, and more than full. The TED speaker says that we, as humans, are intelligent and creative and that we will find a way to continue on, but he says that we likely need a large crisis to get us on the path. He predicts that crisis to come in the next 40 years or so, within all of our lifetimes. I believe that we can try to prepare ourselves for such a crisis, but what worries me most is watching the Earth that I love being degraded.
You all know about the loss of birds in the last four to five decades. You know that many populations have seen losses up to 70%, 80%, 90%, or even 98%. You know the story of the
Red Knots . These beautiful shorebirds travel from the high Arctic to the southern tip of South America. Their critical stop-over point is in the Delaware Bay where they gorge on Horseshoe Crab eggs and then continue their journey. You know that people decided it would be o.k. to harvest horseshoe crabs for themselves and that when that wasn't regulated the horseshoe crabs became scarce enough that the Red Knot population was decreased by more than 90%. Now, if you visit the Delaware Bay at just the right time, you might see a very large flock of Red Knots. People see this and don't even realize that anything is wrong. This is because they don't have a historical perspective on the species.
People look around and see thousands of pigeons, starlings and house sparrows in the cities and figure that if these birds can survive in the cities, other birds must be doing fine in their country life. This is not so. Bird populations have stress from habitat loss (some birds need large areas of particular types of forest), window crashes, too much nighttime light, feral cats, and pollution. Birds cannot change their migration patterns. They also cannot teach their young about the dangers they will encounter as they migrate.
The second two videos I posted above talk about this same phenomenon happening in the oceans. Fish populations have been reduced and fish size has been reduced. The fish have so much stress to reproduce that they become sexually mature at smaller sizes. Trawling on the ocean floor destroys vast areas with species that have not been named and may never be named. Studies show that when the stress is taken off, these populations are indeed resilient and can spring back. However, there is so much pressure from humans, populations are rarely given the protection they need.
Something that we have recently learned through studies in Yellowstone National Park is that some species are KEY species and it's not always apparent what those species are. The wolf population was very low. The beaver populations were low. Other species were struggling. Interestingly, as the wolf populations recovered due to protection from the gov't, the rest of the food web also began to recover. It's not clear just why this happens, but what is clear is that every species is important.
Evolution is a masterful creator, but it's not fast enough to keep up with the rapid changes that have happened in the last two centuries.
Globally, we have to worry about our melting icecaps and glaciers. Deforestation. Pollution. Loss of key species. Using up our resources (let's face it, once the oil, coal and natural gas are used up, they are gone). The list goes on and on...
Is all hope lost? I don't think so. I believe we should have hope. Nathan and I watched some good documentaries called e-squared. These can be found on the
e-squared website . These films do indeed provide hope because there are humans who are working to find innovative solutions to the problems humans have created.
In addition to that, we must remember the slogan, "Think Globally, Act Locally." What can YOU do to make the changes necessary:
1. BE in nature. Go outside as much as you can. Absorb the goodness you find. Ask questions. Observe. Never sit indoors just because the temperature is more constant there. Love it. Share your enthusiasm however you see fit! Remember the book we listened to together, "The Last Child in the Woods," and the slogan that was born from that book, "No Child Left Indoors."
2. View yourself as another species. Not more or less important than any other. Humans have large brains and have been able to harness the world in many ways. But, ask yourself if it should be so. Are we really the most important species? How might you act differently if you answered that question, "no."
3. Recycle anything that CAN be recycled. Even if you want to be lazy and just toss it in the garbage, MAKE yourself recycle.
4. Volunteer at a nature center. Clear out invasive species. Offer to lead bird walks. Help clear trails. The goal of most nature centers is to connect people with nature. When people become connected, they generally soften and become more aware of problems people have created in the environment. Some of these people will become active in caring for the environment in new ways.
5. Stay involved with Audubon. The speakers often share pertinent information about the environment, including changes that are occurring for the better or for the worse. Audubon also hosts field trips, highway clean-ups, and provides a social network of like-minded people.
6. Turn off the lights. Unplug electronics you are not using.
7. Practice, "Leave No Trace." You can go the extra mile on this and take a trash bag with you when you hike the trails for picking up trash.
8. And this belongs higher on the list: CONSERVE WATER!! Turn off the faucet while you brush. Take a short shower. Use water sparingly while rinsing dishes, use a cup instead of drinking out of the faucet.
9. Use less. Before you make a purchase, think long and hard. Do you really need it? Consider putting it on a list for a month before you make the purchase. This will give you time to make a good decision. Donate items you no longer need to a friend who can use it or to a good cause. Everything we have comes from the resources of the earth.
10. Consider donating to a non-profit whose goal is to conserve wildlife, water or other resources. Research before you give your money to make sure your money will be used in a way you agree with. (I will talk more about how you donate money in another letter.)
As you practice these things and remain open to learning new ideas, YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
I've been needing this message myself with all of the bad news I've been hearing. I'm going to try really hard not to let these things get me down! :) Next project, composting worms!
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