Your "ecological footprint" estimates your impact on the earth and the amount of biologically productive land needed to support your current lifestyle. If everyone in the world lived at the same standard as those in the United States, we’d need four more planets to sustain us all.
Environmental science is the systematic study of both the natural world and the social, cultural, and technological worlds created by humans.
Nature protection has deep roots reaching back into ancient history. We can divide recent conservation history into at least four distinct stages: pragmatic (or utilitarian) resource conservation, moral or aesthetic nature preservation, modern environmentalism with its concern for chemical pollution, and global environmentalism.
We live on a marvelous, bountiful planet that, as far as we know, is unique in the universe. We should ask ourselves: what ought we do or what can we do to protect the habitat that produced and supports us?
Many environmental dilemmas now face us. Water shortages, food production, energy supplies, the effects of burning fossil fuels, global climate change, and biodiversity losses all are serious concerns.
There are reasons, however, for hope. Population growth is slowing, many terrible diseases have been conquered, progress is being made in a transition to renewable energy, and some countries are reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.
At least 1.4 billion people live in extreme poverty on less than $1 (U.S.) per day. All too often the poor are both the victims and agents of environmental degradation, forced to meet short-term survival at the cost of long-term sustainability.
The affluent lifestyle of the richest people in the world consumes an inordinate share of the world's natural resources and produces a high proportion of pollution and wastes.
Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We must live within the means of nature if we hope to survive for the long term.
Indigenous or native peoples are generally among the poorest and most oppressed of any group. Nevertheless, they often possess valuable ecological knowledge and remain the guardians of nature when allowed to do so. Recognizing their rights can be a good way to protect natural resources and environmental quality.
