Habitat
Did you Know...
If every household in the U.S. replaced just one box of virgin fiber facial tissues (175 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 163,000 trees. (NRDC)
Without a home, life is tough. This is true not only for humans, but for every other living thing on Earth, as well. Unfortunately, many human activities, from home building to agriculture, have disruptive and often devastating effects on the habitats that organisms call home. The global impact of 6.6 billion humans using the land for the myriad resources that it provides, from timber to food to oil, is taking a significant toll on Earth’s ecosystems.
In fact, throughout the world, very little true wilderness remains. A study released in the July 2007 issue of Science found that as of 1995, less than 17% of the Earth’s land area was untouched by human activity – cities, livestock, roads, etc., permeate the rest. Even blue, eco-friendly California has paved over 95% of its historical wetlands. In Los Angeles, it’s 98%.
These numbers are alarming, and not just because we worry about the survival of charismatic animals like seals, wolves and panda bears. They are downright scary when you consider the vast array of services that ecosystems provide for people: flood control, climate regulation, and pollination, to name just a few. It may be hard to see the connection between a distant rain forest and the health and well being of humans around the world, but it’s there and it must not be ignored.To learn more about habitat alteration and what you can do reduce your impact on ecosystems around the world, sign up for a TeachingGreen:Habitat workshop today.
