Ecology and Environmentalism
Page 14 of 14
Eight years after Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring eloquently and courageously awakened the world to the devastating ecological consequences of pesticide residue in the environment, Earth Day 1970 galvanized many people into recognizing that Earth’s environment is in serious trouble. A vigorous commitment was forged to restore and protect the fragile life support systems that sustain our existence. This commitment to preserve and protect the environment (the Biosphere) is referred to as environmentalism.
Often times, the general public equates environmentalism as a description of ecology. However, the two terms are not synonymous. In order to understand the ecological consequences of adverse human-induced actions on the environment, it is important to comprehend basic ecology concepts that explain how the Biosphere works.
Often times, the general public equates environmentalism as a description of ecology. However, the two terms are not synonymous. In order to understand the ecological consequences of adverse human-induced actions on the environment, it is important to comprehend basic ecology concepts that explain how the Biosphere works.
Here is a simple analogy. A patient visits a doctor and indicates that he is feeling very sick. In order for the doctor to be able to diagnose what is wrong, the doctor has to understand how the human body works - in terms of the body’s anatomy (structure) and physiology (function). Such knowledge provides a reference to determine if something is not working correctly. Environmental problems represent the disease state of nature. Similarly, in order to understand (and then properly deal with) the effect that environmental problems (e.g., water, air or soil pollution, acid rain, global climate change) have on the makeup and functioning of the Biosphere’s ecosystems, we have to understand how these ecosystems are made up and how they work. This is what the science of ecology enables us to do.
Earth Day celebration (1990) at the Nation's Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.)
One important lesson we learn from the science of ecology is that in ecosystems, species are interconnected and interdependent on one another. Species are not isolated islands unto themselves. The example of the opossum shrimp entering Flathead Lake illustrates this point.
Paul and Anne Paul Ehrlich, (Extinction - The Causes and Consequences of the Disappearance of Species) use an excellent analogy to explain the consequence of losing species in nature. The rivets holding the wings to the body of an airplane represent the different species in the Biosphere. As rivets are removed (species become extinct), then the wings weaken and ultimately the plane falls from the sky (the Biosphere stops functioning properly). Scientists now know that extinctions of species are occurring at an extraordinarily rapid rate due to human activities. For example, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) assessed the survival status of 52,017 species and found that 17,936 were threatened with extinction. Here are some examples:
Paul and Anne Paul Ehrlich, (Extinction - The Causes and Consequences of the Disappearance of Species) use an excellent analogy to explain the consequence of losing species in nature. The rivets holding the wings to the body of an airplane represent the different species in the Biosphere. As rivets are removed (species become extinct), then the wings weaken and ultimately the plane falls from the sky (the Biosphere stops functioning properly). Scientists now know that extinctions of species are occurring at an extraordinarily rapid rate due to human activities. For example, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) assessed the survival status of 52,017 species and found that 17,936 were threatened with extinction. Here are some examples:
21% of the mammals
70% of the flowering plants
12% of the birds
27% of ocean corals
30% of the amphibians
21% of the reptiles
Credits: Earth Day (Stephen St. John) / Gorillas (Chrisbarton99) / Tropical Rain Forest (Dhoxax) / Coral Ecosystem (John Anderson) / Piping Plover (Petersonpark|Dreamstime) / Golden Frogs (Michael Lynch) / Sea Turtle (Mauricio Handler)