“Ecosytem Services”
By Sojourner on 05-19-2008
This week’s world news include wildfires ranging in two Florida counties, Myanmar being ravaged by cyclone, as well as the breaking news of earthquake in China. One cannot help but to realize the smallness and transience of human life in the face of natural disasters. On the same note, we also realize our dependence and reliance on nature. As we contemplate upon natural disasters and global climate change, I want to pose the following question: how could we harness the resources produced by nature that we often take for granted? Recently a CNN Money reporter pose the following thought-provoking question: “how do we repay nature so we can continue to enjoy benefits [provided and produced by nature]?” (see the article “Starbucks sows carbon farmers” by Marc Gunther on CNNMoney.com, March 21, 2008).
Have you ever thought about repaying nature? In his article, Gunther cited examples of a number of Fortune 500 companies ranging from Coca-Cola to the Marriott, Starbucks, Yahoo, Google, and News Corp. who are seeking ways to protect natural resources. For instance, Coca-Cola implemented programs in the highlands of Guatemala to provide incentives for farmers to switch to ecologically-sound farming methods to preserve watersheds that sustain the MesoAmerican reef. Marriott is setting out to preserve forests in the Amazon to slow global warming. Starbucks has started to promote environmental and social practices among coffee farmers through collaborating with Conservation International in developing CAFÉ standards for Starbucks’ growers.
How can you be part of the efforts in preserving and repaying the “ecosystem” or be part of the efforts in alleviating the damage and grief caused by natural disasters? A number of international relief agencies such as Oxfam are involved in the relief efforts in Myanmar. You may consider supporting their efforts.
My circle of friends are actively working to reduce our carbon footprints. Many of us have installed solar PV cells on our roofs, we ride our bikes to work, plant trees, etc. While I feel this is important - if millions of us make an effort the effects are measurable - the sheer magnitude of the growth of China and India leaves me less than sanguine about the environmental future of our planet. It is unreasonable for those of us in the developed world to expect that the people of these countries would not want to join in the consumerism and personal mobility we have enjoyed for the past century... but the cost to humanity at large is staggering.