PRESERVING OUR PLANET
by Nancy Pearlman

The framers of our Constitution did not delineate an important right -- the right to a quality environment -- probably because they did not deem it a necessity at the time. Today, the quest for a quality environment is more than a right; it is a crucial obligation.

While the "brush fires" that have been extinguished are major victories by themselves, overall progress toward environmental improvements has been limited since I organized Southern Califomia's first Earth Day in 1970. Until this "Decade of the Environment," it was considered radical to call yourself an environmentalist. But some of us were proud to be dedicated to conservation and to be called an activist. We made small gains such as getting several new wilderness areas saved, reducing some pollution emissions, and starting recycling operations. But, perhaps most importantly, we laid the groundwork for creating a new environmental consciousness.

Our next goal is to make commonplace a lifestyle based on ecological principles and to create a united effort among every nation and group of people (regardless of our differences) to rethink our entire political, economic, and sociological structures so as to develop a united earth based on bioregionalism, ecological principles, and consideration for all life on "Mother Earth."

At present, it appears that we are handling our environment by waiting for the negative effects of pollution to confront us before taking precautionary actions, watching destruction of natural habitats before creating preserves for wildlife, and allowing development of natural resources without instilling conservation behavior first. It is time to take the offensive and expect governmental and business entities not only to meet present environmental standards but to go beyond them.

As one people, we have to look at the world's ecological problems as our own. Let us consider the root problem: overpopulation. Eighty-three million people are being added to the planet every year. That figure equals 7,225,000 births every month; 1,667,000 every week; 238,000 every day; 9,900 every hour, 165 every minute; and 2.7 every second. With human population of over five billion (expected to reach 6.2 billion in just 12 years unless emergency action is taken now), the tendency is to look at the breakdown between the developed and developing countries. But, in reality, we are actually one "ecological country." We have to realize that the excessive consumption of resources by those in the developed world (who comprise 20 percent of the world's population but consume over 80 percent of the world's resources) is as problematic as the increasing cycle of poverty, habitat loss (such as cutting tropical rainforests and causing desertification in Africa), and political instability in the poorer countries.

As long as humans continue to exceed the carrying capacity of the land, it will be impossible to care for all people with sufficient clean water and air, adequate housing, enough food, complete medical care, and other necessities and amenities. Population stabilization would not only provide for improved human conditions but would enable us to reduce pollution, save wildlife, and create a balanced ecosystem.

Remember that we are not the owners of the natural resources and treasures of this earth but are its stewards, entrusted with its temporary use. We can learn from the Iroquois who approached every major action by contemplating the impact on the Seventh Generation. Switching to long-term thinking while engaging in short-term planning and action would result in improved stewardship.

Misconceptions abound! And they continue to restrain essential programs we need now. It may be argued that there is presently enough food produced every year to provide the world's population with an adequate diet, but this is unlikely if there are more mouths being born to feed. In order to feed the ever increasing numbers of people, many changes are necessary. To name a few: trade reforms must be implemented (to provide for more subsistence crops rather than exotic export foods); viable agricultural policies adopted (elimination of chemical agriculture and a switch to biodynamic and organic farming); sustainable economic development must become the norm (with women having equal political, economic, and social power); improved distribution networks instituted (with a switch to fuel-efficient mass transit); and family planning encouraged (so every child is a wanted child).

We need to become aware of the beauty and wonder of the natural world, a world being changed by human technology-and greed, without becoming overwhelmed by the seemingly endless environmental problems such as pollution, excessive resource consumption, energy overuse, daily extinctions of other species, destruction of the ozone layer, global warming, and overpopulation, to name but a few. There are no simple answers to these seemingly overwhelming problems but there are some broad imperatives which should guide global decision making in the decades to come.

* Acknowledge that human health depends directly on the health of our global environment. The world is a rich cornucopia of medical, industrial, and agricultural benefits. Just imagine if all the world's plants and animals were analyzed for their medical value instead of the 5 percent that have been studied. The drug to stop cancer or AIDS probably still exists in nature, waiting to be discovered, if we do not destroy its source. At the current rate of extinction, the earth is presently losing 5 species per day, and within 10 years that figure is projected to be 5 species per hour. By 2000, at the current rate, 20 percent of all species will be lost forever.

* Public and private institutions must address the bigger picture through interdisciplinary studies and international cooperative measures. Such institutions should follow the same practices on a large scale that individuals should be using at home. Among the thousands of "ecological behaviors" you can adopt are: using recycled paper, changing to energy-saving light bulbs, watering your lawns less often and switching to native plants, getting your dog and cat spayed or neutered, carrying a tote bag, avoiding toxic cleansers, walking, bicycling or car pooling whenever possible, recycling your solid waste, engaging in family planning, eating lower on the food chain, avoiding use of disposable items, volunteering for park or beach cleanup days, leading a local ecology club, etc.

* A redefinition of "national security" is in order. Peace is not just the absence of war but the guarantee of an environmentally-sound planet.

The problems are complex, yet the solutions can be tackled by all of us, whether a lay person or a scientist, whether a homemaker, a business person, or a politician. It is not necessary to know everything possible about our environmental crisis before we take action, because if we don't err on the side of preserving our earth now, it may be too late. To some, the earth is "Gaia," a living organism, to others it is like a living spaceship. Regardless of how you view this planet, it is our one and only home a place that must be self sustaining. Would you allow your house to be bulldozed and destroyed? Then why allow the earth to be violated?

Nancy Pearlman is a UN Environment Programme Global 500 Laureate and Executive Producer for Educational Communications. She hosts the EMMY-nominated TV series Econews and the award-winning Environmental Directions radio series -- the longest running series of its kind. She founded the Ecology Center of Southern California. She also teaches college, climbs mountains, and cares for her two cats.

Copyright © 1996. The Light Party.