VIII ecology from one earth to one world

We are all citizens of one earth, dependent on common resources and on one another. In particular, the pollution of the atmosphere and the oceans, our most precious shared resources, has made people begin to see the world as one. There is no longer any place to send wastes away, into the oceans, the atmosphere, or to other countries. We will eventually get it back again. And we can no longer isolate ourselves from the problems of people in distant parts of the world, for their actions affect our shared resources and therefore our own future.

Pollution does not respect political boundaries, and we must now recognize that even, small local events can have global consequences. A tree felled in one part of the earth, an automobile started, a refrigerator thrown on the garbage pile, a ship’s tanks dumped into the bay, human error at a nuclear reactor: all of these events are no longer each country’s and each person’s ‘own business’ but have become everybody’s business. Out of a common concern for our shared resources on the earth emerge a common responsibility and a new commitment to co-operate internationally as a global community. This is the meaning of the saying “from one earth to one world”.

Ecology is defined as the study of interactions in nature at all levels, from an individual plant or animal up to the ecosystem. Ecology gives an understanding of nature’s structure and function, changes over time, and reaction and recovery from various kinds of disturbances. In Europe, more attention has been given to identification and description of organisms and ecosystems (natural history) than to ecological dynamics (production and decomposition; food chains and energy flow; nutrient cycling; population growth and regulation; soil ecology; succession; evolution; and so on). Natural history is an important element of ecology, but it is not sufficient to give an understanding, even in general terms, of the impact of humans on nature and what comprises good ecological management. Knowledge of the ecological interactions and dynamics mentioned above is needed.

Ecology is not synonymous with environmental science, environmental management or environmental education. Ecology is usually treated as a ‘pure’ natural science discipline and does not include questions of economics, politics, behaviour, ethics, or culture (even though these are the forces steering most ecosystems). Ecology could therefore be taught as a part of a biology or natural sciences curriculum.

Protection of species and ecosystems

Every year several hundred to several thousand plant and animal species become extinct, most of these in connection with tropical deforestation. Loss of forest cover is itself a major ecological problem because forests play a crucial role in regulating water cycles, local climate, and the balance of CO₂ in the atmosphere. The genetic resources lost by extinction have both an economic value for medicine and agriculture and an ecological value because they increase diversity in ecosystems and are the basis for future evolution. We face difficult ethical questions about other species’ right to exist and the subjugation of nature as a basic tenet of industrial society.

Europe also has its share of endangered species and ecosystems, such as the wolf, certain birds of prey, virgin coniferous forest and various species of fish and marine mammals. Conservation of nature often conflicts with agriculture and forestry interests, making this a good topic for discussions and debates. The conflicts of interest in tropical deforestation could, for example, be compared with the situation in the reader’s own country.

The ocean ecosystem is a vital resource for most European countries, but its ecological balance is threatened by the petroleum industry; fish farming; fisheries; pollution by industry, agricultural runoff and sewage; and depletion of the ozone layer. Marine pollution sometimes becomes dramatic, as it did in the spring of 1988 when the marine alga Chrysochromelina polylepis caused widespread fish death in the waters around Scandinavia. Research later showed that the alga becomes poisonous at particular concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, the result of agricultural and other pollution from Skagerak, the Baltic Sea, and the northern Scandinavian coast.

Energy supply

The issue of energy has two main aspects: type of energy used and amount of energy used. Sustainable approaches to energy supply are based on nonnuclear, renewable energy sources and more effective use of energy, through either improved technology or reduced energy consumption.

The environmental consequences of today’s energy policies are potentially catastrophic. The global warming caused by burning fossil fuels will disrupt thousands of kilometres of heavily populated and productive tropical coastline, as well as causing major changes in agroecological zones in both temperate and tropical areas. Ecologists are concerned that natural ecosystems will not be able to adapt rapidly enough to these changes through migration of plant and animal species, since the climate has not changed this rapidly previously. The ability of human societies to adapt to these changes is an open question.

The burning of fossil fuels also causes acid rain, contributing to the death of large areas of forest in Europe. Toxic heavy metals originating from fossil fuels or released under acid soil conditions (primarily cadmium, zinc and lead) are also found in disturbingly high concentrations in soils and vegetation in many places in Europe. The risks associated with nuclear energy are also great, as illustrated by the Chernobyl accident. It would be ironic if, in our efforts to reduce acid rain and the greenhouse effect, we shifted to nuclear power, which may pose an even greater environmental threat.

The answer lies partly in development of renewable energy sources such as biomass, methane, sun, wind, waterfall and wave power. The other part of the solution lies in using less energy and getting more out of each unit of energy (increased energy efficiency). In order to stabilize the CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere, CO production must be reduced by 60-70 per cent in the developed countries. Through improved energy efficiency, choice of energy source and new technology some of this reduction can be achieved. The rest will have to be achieved by cutting down on unnecessary consumption and a reduction in standard of living measured in terms of material consumption. However, quality of life need not necessarily be reduced – in fact; it may increase because of better physical and mental health.