Depletion and Destruction of Natural Resources (V)
And we must not forget those critical resources, but often overlooked as resources because apparently “do not cost money” – which represent sinks (atmosphere, oceans, the land itself) that are diluted and sometimes neutralize pollutants result of human activity. And it is that we are also wasting resources, soils, oceans, air, saturated with pollutants.
Of particular concern is the fact that the oceans (which contain about 50 times more dissolved CO2 atmosphere) and as the Arctic permafrost soils are evolving, when temperature rises, sinks into sources of CO2 and methane, threatening a fatal increase the greenhouse effect (Pearce, 2007).
Once again we see the linkage of issues, without, unfortunately, we can think about finding a solution, in isolation, none of them. But solutions to the planetary emergency exist and have been identified by the same experts who have pointed out the problems (WCED, 1988; Mayor Zaragoza, 2000, Brown, 2004): This is starting together, technological measures ( Technologies for Sustainability), changing behaviors and lifestyles (Education for Sustainability) and policies (universal ruler).
Not all are simple measures, of course, but it is urgent to begin to implement, as claimed by Brown (2004), with “a mobilization and in times of war” and pay due attention to the “Guidelines for applying the precautionary principle to biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.
All we can and should implement the “3R” (reduce, reuse and recycle) and contribute to the necessary decision-making. Estimates as provided by the calculation of the ecological rucksack of each product (indicating the amount of materials that are added during the life cycle of the product) can help the decision-making.
For example, a wooden tray Weight 1.5 Kg ecological rucksack has a little over 2 kg, whereas if it is a copper plate to provide the same services, your backpack can exceed half a ton. Equally important is the calculation of those essential resources such as water, used in the preparation of a product, but do not appear in the final product, so are called “virtual” (“virtual water”, etc. .)
In short, the danger of resource depletion and human transformation of ecosystems, due to our lifestyles, it is really very high and requires urgent action to save.
Source: www.oei.es/decada/accion.php?accion=23
image source: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci42_caweig/TDwV6UQYcDI/AAAAAAAAAAc/hyZblaA7Gcc/s1600/solution.jpg
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