You may feel that this depletion has nothing to do with you, or you may not really believe there will be any consequences for the depletion of natural resources, or you may truly believe that we will always have a never ending supply of natural resources at our disposal.
BEEP!! Sorry. Wrong answer. Please try again.
Right answer:
Every time you buy something made from nonrenewable resources (i.e. paper, a car, a house, a TV) you have contributed to the problem. And it's a HUGE problem! Many believe we are close to a tipping point.
The time to change is now.
We need sustainable action!
This means not just taking, buying whatever you want.
This behavior change will mean that there will be resources to spare. It means using what you have on hand, borrowing and buying used items. It means using less water and for Americans and other rich countries, it means eating less, using less and buying less. It means being mindful of your actions and thoughts and whether or not they lead to a better future or a ruined one.
It means purchasing only what you need and from sustainable sources (recycled, renewable, reusable sources). This can be a FUN challenge!
A declining, failing, stressed civilization is NEVER fun.
What will happen if we don't change our mind-set to sustainability?
WORSE THAN YOU THINK....
our forests are shrinking, our deserts are growing, our water tables are falling, our fisheries are collapsing, cheap oil is declining and species are disappearing.
Unless we change our ways we are heading into environmentally induced economic decline and collapse.
Right now the world economy and population are growing. Demand is high and we want what we want NOW.
But the earth beats to a different drummer. It is full of systems that recycle themselves in their own time. They do not speed up or increase because people demand it. If we take too much, too fast- it will be gone.
Global demands on natural systems exceed their sustainable yield capacity.
If we deplete and destroy our forests, wetlands, coral reefs and grasslands through overconsumption we lose their services; such as water purification, pollination, carbon sequestration, flood control, and soil conservation. This leads to a decline in food production and an increase in air pollution (climate change emissions).
Fish is the sole provider of protein for many people- yet many fisheries are headed for collapse. Fish need time to reproduce. They will not speed up due to excessive demand. Depletion of resources will lead to a flow of environmental refugees. We need to support programs that educate girls in developing countries about birth control and supporting government regulations on fishing, logging and water usage.
Rich countries are setting a bad example for countries such as China and India that are developing fast. If they consume like we have been doing, and it is heading that way- there goes our forests!
Many civilizations have collapsed because they failed to pay attention to environmental warnings until they realized too late that they could no longer feed themselves. We depend on our resources. We can use them sustainably if we choose to.
It is up to us!!
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