Friday, June 12, 2009

Nature Conservation


Nature conservation issues, the welfare of the natural world and the wildlife, plants, and animals that we share this planet with are connected to our everyday lives in many different ways. Yet modern society is set up in such a way that we are often not aware of this reality.


For the most part in the Western world, our technologically advanced lifestyles alienate and disconnect us from our natural environment. We often do not know where the food we eat comes from or how it is grown. We are not aware of how the earth’s weather patterns, forests, and oceans have an impact on things we take for granted, such as the water we drink, and the air we breathe. We are so plugged into the latest technologies that we have forgotten that we are a part of the earth and its living ecosystem, not outside of it or separate from it.
The truth is that the state of our planet has an impact on human survival, global and local economies, community life, and human health and well-being. Yet many of our natural resources are at risk more than ever before.
Most of us are already aware that pandas and tigers and polar bears are threatened. We know that forests and natural habitat areas are vanishing due to human encroachment, development, and urban sprawl. We know about the threat of global warming. Yet, amazingly, the situation is a lot deeper and more serious than most of us probably realize. The good news is that with awareness and nature conservation efforts, we can reverse the situation if we get involved.

This section gives an overview of nature conservation issues and the status of the planet in the main areas which are threatened: wildlife, forests, oceans, and wetlands. You will also find a list of different conservation organizations to support in each category and ways in which we can all help...and be a part of the solution.