The Earth Charter

After reading the Earth Charter, I felt that this should have been our first blog entry. It encompasses everything we have talked about in colloquium. The Earth Charter provides different values and principles for a more sustainable future. It is a way that everyone can join together and become sustainable together.  What I liked about it, was that it was very straight forward, and to the point. Below are some parts of the Earth Charter that stood out to me.

“We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations”

http://www.save-our-planet.net/


 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the heart of what the Earth Charter is essentially about. It is the call for action, and I could not agree with it more. In order for us to build a more sustainable future, we need to work together. We need to understand all the aspects of what building a sustainable future really means, and tackle it. Not just tackle one problem, but all of them. It is our job to do everything we can to protect each other and our future generations.

Principle #1: “Respect Earth and life in all its diversity. A.) Recognize that all beings are interdependent and every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings”



http://www.meetup.com/FAUNNJ/events/105831722/

  

 

This was a great point. We all have to take in consideration that us humans are not the only living beings on this planet. This reminds me of Shiva stated in What is Biodiversity and Why Is It So Important.  She stated “Humankind is one among millions of other species. It does not have a right to push other species to extinction, or to manipulate them for greed, profit, and power without concern for their wellbeing” (Shiva, 40). Unfortunately, we sometimes do act like we are the only beings that live on the planet, and make decisions that only benefit us. If we just took time and weighed out options and take in consideration the other beings that live with us, we would not be facing the challenges that we have now.


 

Principle #14: “Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life”

 

This is a very good and crucial point. Education is the key to building a sustainable future. Growing up, I can remember in elementary school, we always practice recycling and celebrated Earth Day. But what I noticed is that they never really explained why we were doing it, and the importance. So I think that if sustainability was instilled at a young age and explained thoroughly, more people would understand the environmental challenges we are facing today. Not only should environmental education be carried out in school, it should also be taught at home. Children are more influenced by what happens in their homes. Parents can have a positive impact on their children if they practice sustainability at home. I do however believe that environmental education should be carried out through all years in school, and even at the university level. FGCU is already a step ahead with this class.  

http://www.bdchronicle.com/outlook/opiniondetail/47

Healing Earth's Scars: It's Never Too Late & Why Save Endangered Species - Jane Goodall et al.

" What is the point of saving endangered life-forms, people ask, if there is no where for them to live except in zoos?" (Goodall et al., p.161)

 

 

Unfortunately, this is the mindset of a lot of people today. This just goes to show how ignorant and selfish human kind can be. We do not really appreciate what we have, nor do we understand the importance of these species in our environment. Consequently, more and more species are going extinct because of our inability to comprehend their importance in the environment, and our overall selfishness.  If people were more informed and open minded, then more species will able to survive. However, it’s going to take a lot of effort. Like Goodall, Hudson, and Maynard stated, there is hope for our future, we just need dedicated individuals to aid in restoring what has been lost, and protecting what is endangered now. It is feasible, when I visited the Naples Zoo a few weekends ago, I learned about how the Black Bear was endangered  with only  approximately 200 bears in Florida some time ago. The bears they had at the zoo where rescued by FWC from someone who kept them as pets in their backyard. The zoo keeper spoke about how rules and regulations got stricter in order to save the black bear, and thus the black bear population increased and they were saved. She explained the importance of the black bear in our environment, and how they are an "umbrella" species. Meaning, that protecting this species, indirectly protects other species who depend on them. So, to answer the question that Goodall et al. posed, saving endangered life forms helps save others.

Black Bear
http://florida.sierraclub.org/Miami/esa2.asp


"And there is hope for wildlife, too. It was decided from the start that there should be clear distinction between land designated for human use, and land that would be most valuable set aside to ensure, for example, protection of the watershed, soil stability, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity" (Goodall et al., p.169)

I think that this is a great concept, and it should be implemented in more places. We would be helping the animals, harness biodiversity, and help the overall environment. Not only will it help the environment, it will benefit us as well. In the end, both parties will be happy. This concept sets a clear balance between human use and wildlife. Keeping a balance between the two will aid in preventing any further damage or loss to our environment.



http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photos-balance-scale-nature-human-constructio-vector-construction-image32845943

 Without plants, animals (including ourselves) cannot survive. Herbivores eat plants directly; canrivores eat creatures that have fed on plants–or, to be picky, they may eat animals that fed on animals that fed on plants ( Goodall et al., p.174)

https://www.fertnz.co.nz/build-a-healthy-food-pyramid/

This quote pretty much speaks for itself. It depicts how we all depend on one another as a means to survive.  I think that a lot of people fail to realize it, and just take what we have for granted.  It's the "circle" of life, and every bit of it is important. What if one day plants were gone? What will we do? Ultimately, we will not be able to survive.  We need to protect the resources we have available, our life depends on it.