Mississippi 2020 Network, Inc.
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Mississippi 2020 Network, Inc.
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Bring Out the Earth Guardian in Each of Us Sustainability is defined as living today without compromising the ability of future generations to live. The need for sustainability is based on the ever increasing warnings from notable scientists regarding the state of the earth’s ecosystems and the current human disregard for acknowledging the limits of these ecosystems. In 1992, 1600 of the world’s leading scientist formalized a warning to the world’s leaders in the form of a signed appeal. That same year it was stated that: “if the present growth trends in world population, industrialization, pollution, food production, and resource depletion continue unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached sometime in the next 100 years. The most probable result will be a sudden and uncontrollable decline in both population and industrial capacity". (From Beyond the Limits, by Meadows, Meadows and Randers) That warning came over ten years ago, and still for the most part our actions as humans have r emained unchanged. Similar warnings continue today, such as Bill Moyers “Earth on the Edge” produced in 2001. There is no easy solution, but all of the scientists have the same recommendations, modify human lifestyles to be in harmony with the earth’s carrying capacity. What Does it Mean to be an Earth Guardian?
An Earth Guardian is an individual who lives his or her life with concern for the environment.
While everyone need not be working in the environmental field directly, an Earth Guardian is someone who
considers the consequences of his or her actions on the environment around them.
An Earth Guardian is someone who considers:
In order to do this, one need to understand both how the Earth supports human life, and how human activities can impact the Earth. This section concentrates on these two concepts, hoping that students will begin to see themselves as a part of the Earth’s web of life. How The Earth Sustains Life Few people ever think about the free life-supporting gifts which we constantly receive from the Earth. Our marvelous and mysterious planet is truly the physical source of all life, ours and all the others in the community of creatures. Even so, the Earth’s gifts are totally dependent on the energy delivered by the Sun. Natural ecosystems, or basic solar-powered systems, afford us services that are constantly being taken for granted. These “free” life support services are seen as:
Scientists believe that there was no life, as we know it, when the our solar system exploded into being and the Earth was a bubbling cauldron of rock. They believe that everything that exists today, plants and animals and insects, all have their physical origins from the mysterious chemical interactions of the different elements. Whether we believe in the billion year development of millions of life forms through evolution or some instant creation process, it is clear that everything that exists on Earth is related, kin, and connected, and that what it means to be a human being is to rediscover our unity with all the natural world. Media should be alerted when the project has something to show. In April, coinciding with Earth Day if possible, a celebration should be planned of the students’ dreams and successes transforming the campus into a village of the future. Celebrating your accomplishments will help to energize the program and the surrounding community. Earth Guardian Considerations In considering how the way that we live might impact the Earth’s processes, the following basic categories are explored.
Earth Guardian Actions While we would not expect everyone to employ all of these actions immediately, we would hope that students will come to understand how particular activities affect the Earth so that they can prioritize their lifestyle changes or develop a lifestyle which shows concerns for those aspects they view as important. Here are some simple tips:
There are two interesting web sites which help to show the impact of the little things that we do everyday. These sites look at basic activities, how we use cars, what we eat, how we live to give an idea of how we each affect the Earth. They also give examples of how a small change could measurably improve conditions on the Earth. They can be fun, interesting and inspiring.
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