So much that once seemed inexhaustible has already been worn away by our needs, our numbers, and, too often, our shortsighted greed. We've reached the place now where our hunger for more of everything has pushed the world's natural resources to the breaking point.
All but 10 percent of the large fish in the seas have been plundered; fully a quarter of the planet's fertile soils have been degraded by overuse and misuse; and the atmosphere has filled with greenhouse gases even faster than expected just a few short years ago. As human population has quadrupled during the past century, the world economy has increased 14-fold, industrial output 40-fold, and the area of irrigated land five-fold.
The past few decades have seen some of the most astounding increases in industry, trade, and overall wealth in history. The benefits of economic growth and global commerce have been enormous—more than 300 million Chinese have been lifted out of poverty. But the costs have been dramatic, too, in part because economic shock waves travel with such speed through our interconnected systems of finance, production, and exchange.
Our industrial, globalized world has been built out of a vast array of minerals, metals, and ores, and powered by vast reserves of fossil fuels. Once these are gone, we'll have to do without, find replacements, or scramble ever harder after less accessible or lower quality deposits. Take petroleum, as just one example. Initially valued for the remarkable ease with which it could be drawn from the punctured earth, most ready supplies of the fuel have already been tapped. That has pushed prices up, as well as driving production farther offshore and into more remote regions.
So many of these problems are connected, of course—the environment, population, food, access to fresh water, and the raw materials of commerce—and not just in the obvious ways. Certainly, fossil fuels and burning forests have driven climate change, and increased industrialization has spurred global warming as well as local and global pollution.
But increased wealth has also spurred people's appetites, boosting the demand for luxury foods such as seafood and beef, and leading to oceans emptied of fish and rain forests cleared not only for cattle but also for soybeans and oil palms planted to make biodiesel to replace climate-changing fossil fuels. And of course it was petroleum, in the form of diesel-powered fishing vessels, that extended the reach of our nets and lines to every corner of the oceans.
With even modest economic growth, we'll not only have more people but also more people wanting more and better food, more travel and tourism, more basic goods and luxuries and just plain stuff. And that means more mines and oil wells, more livestock raised and fertilizer- and water-hungry grains grown to feed them, and more cars and factories and airplanes to fill the air with heat-trapping gasses. It means mountains of waste of every description.
The decades ahead will present many challenges to humanity. We'll need to find new sources of energy to power our lives without choking our air. We'll need to learn to recycle and reuse on a scale not yet imagined, and to balance the convenience of consumption with the wisdom of conservation. Perhaps most importantly, we'll need to develop ways of doing much, much more with our planet's limited supply of fresh water. We'll need to do all of this with a changing climate and a growing population—and with the one very limited planet we've had all along.
© 1996-2009 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.
This Thursday night, Denver Botanic Gardens is hosting an independent film screening of the movie The Real Dirt on Farmer John. Acompanying this event will be a “Local Food Open House” featuring local farmers, farmer’s markets, co-ops, bakers, community gardening organizations and more. (if you’re coming, please pre-register! We’re expecting a full house).
A couple of our participants represent farms that raise grass-fed beef. What does this have to do with plants and botanic gardens? Grazing has co-evolved along with grasslands to produce an ecosystem that is totally dependent on the specific relationship between grazing animals and plants for its vitality, health and diversity. Farms, with their substantial acreages, can also play an important role in sequestering atmospheric carbon and thus mitigating the effects of global warming. The following essay by Sara Puharich of The Farm at Sunrise Ranch explains this in greater detail.
Grasslands and Carbon Sequestering: Feel Good About Eating Grass-fed Meat
Global climate change entered the mainstream media in 2006 and 2007. Less well publicized is the role agricultural practices play in releasing CO2 and the potential present in agriculture to sequester CO2 from the atmosphere.
Current agricultural methods cannot sequester carbon. In fact, today’s common practices of chemical use and exposing bear ground are contributing to the increase of atmospheric CO2.
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Savanna Trail Ride
I just had a need for speed, when I took the trail this morning. I decided to take my camera; the wind was pushing me more then ever. It must be coming from the southeast. So usually I keep a good average of about 15-18 miles per minute, but not today. The wind was powerful and whistling as I pushed to get ahead. I like to keep a high gear for strength I got more than I wished for…
I bike this trail almost daily and Middlefork Savanna was alive today. My only wish was that I had been camera ready when a huge buck was right in front of me; he had to be at least 16 pointer, beautiful basket rack. I tried my best to keep quiet. I got off my bike to get my camera. He turned his beautiful head looked at me and strolled with a nice hop away into the woods. I will look for him again. I also found my favorite fishing friend. He is a stealthy Blue Heron. Now he was way too busy to care that I took so many of his pictures. He looked right at me and decided to continue his feast, he must have been hungrier than afraid of me. I was thankful for his kindness to let me enjoy him.
I also got a nice family of ducks enjoying a tree in the water, they were all grooming themselves. I love how these animals camouflage in their environment; I continue my ride happy that I have got so much material to work with today. It was a productive ride.
Savanna
I must say that for me there is no better place to write then in nature, to hear the wind and the leaves dancing, small insect happily wondering their territory. So a fallen great is a perfect place to sit and rest. Solitude is always available among the trees they seem to offer their support. I settle my heart comfortably; with eyes closed I thank the sun for his warmth.
The forest begins to sing to me a symphony well known to the natives. I filter out the manmade machine fanning in the distance, to enjoy today’s masterpiece. Inviting fresh air into my lungs I am content for my time with nature, my hair moving with the wind. The melody of the forest is near and I am here to listen to their songs… The cicada suddenly begins a perfect crescendo and all is lost to their lyrics the wind like a perfect metronome keeping time. A Blue Jay calls in like a tambourine striking a perfect note.
The sound of an airplane takes me away from my song to distant travels to warm far away places. Little insects seem to have found me and are enjoying my presence. So long as it is not a spider which usually not their fault they were created so crawly. I cannot even imagine one on me.
The smell of green is always the best antidote for peace and serenity, especially when there is so much abundant warm fresh air. Savanna was a perfect retreat for today.
Maria Hansen
Sept 4, 2009
Thin Description
There is an excitement in the air everyone is picking up the pace to get to their next class. It is a school day. I actually found parking today. The sun is warm and I noticed my psychology professor getting comfortable on the grass across from Carnegie Hall, she smiles and welcomes me with a warm handshake. All her students are ready to sit down around her to listen and share there stories. I know that it is her love of nature that takes her outdoors, to change the setting and open refreshing conversations.
The trees still remain green and although fall is around the corner, today I will think only of summer. There is a Gingko tree that is right in front of Carnegie that although not the oldest one in the neighborhood I know has been here for some time. I make sure I pick up a leaf just to look at the unique pattern. I can’t imagine the fruit or seeds of this tree. I had never noticed before. Each leaf large or small fan shapes with its unique fingerprinting I stand for a while looking at a small branch. I keep one special leaf to carry to enjoy.
Thick Description
There is thrilling warmth in my lungs I take deep inhalations to a long powerful exhale this is a beautiful sunny day. Buzzing bees enjoying the last of summer, the sound of my flip flops over the concrete parking lot unto the uneven grass in front of Carnegie Hall bring me back… the same door that has been there forever so many have walked through that door. I pause in admiration looking at the building a picture in my mind. Some people gladly hold the door open for you others just pass by in a hurry.
The smell of fresh cut grass like an elixir you would drink. Don’t think; just take the heavy shot glass? Feathery tender green pine trees gone, fall to the deepest lush blue conifers. The remains of summer few, but today completely present taking in as much sun as possible to warm the paper. So the gingko leaf is strong and the lines are dense and could be used as a small fan. I will keep this leaf to remind me that summer is perennial and the Ginko tree will be green again next summer.
