There is no question that an unhealthy, unstable environment decreases efficiency and our ability to create stable, healthy societies and communities. Yet, human history is filled with examples where we do just the opposite. For a variety of reasons, we have accepted the destruction of healthy, vital habitats for ourselves and the natural systems that we rely upon. This has to change. Increasing climate change— indeed, climate crisis—is requiring us to take a systems perspective in order to create healthy,
more vital natural capital for which to support human life and activities. Some of these concerns include:
• Habitat destruction and collapse
• Topsoil depletion (which retards our ability to grow food)
• Habitat alteration
• Reduced biodiversity
• Climate change (also known as global warming, global weirding, and climate crisis)
• Ozone depletion
• Fresh water supplies
• Air pollution
• Toxic pollutions (including carcinogens, acid rain, and the by-products of industrial and agricultural chemicals)
• Over-concentration of substances (too much of even good materials, in too high a
concentration, or in the wrong places, are just as toxic as harmful materials)
• Resource depletion (such as oil or water)
• Destruction of eco-services (such as the environment’s ability to clean air and water, and shade us from harmful ultraviolet rays)
For all of these issues that affect the environment, they all directly affect human health as much as they affect the health of plant, animal, and other life in nature.
The stress our activities have placed on the environment by our population has endangered not only specific species, but whole systems. Food, water, and energy are intimately interconnected, although our policies treat them as separate and unrelated. If you’re interested in the more details on this topic, a great place to start is the U. N. Millennium Assessment at www. millenniumassessment. org.
