The Earth Charter

Respect and Care for the Community of Life

I believe this is a very important principle because every person should value not only each other, but also other life forms. If we built a community that was full of love and extremely peaceful, then we would have no true problems. This is something that all humans need to think about and adopt from the Earth Charter. I have a chance to try to secure Earth’s beauty and preserve it for future generations. I want my children and grandchildren to grow up with a sense of place that involves the natural world.

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/gardencoach/giving-soil-the-respect-it-deserves

 

Ecological Integrity

One point that stuck out to me was managing our resources. This is extremely important and we should try to abide by this principle of using what earth gives us, but only to a certain extent that doesn’t hurt the ecosystems. We have been trying to reduce, reuse, and recycle for a while but that has not been fully adopted by every American. If we can show that this method helps safeguard Earth, then maybe people will partake in that process. Also, advancing the study of ecological sustainability will help relay information that can be beneficial to us.

 

http://www.decohubs.com/reuse-recycle/10952

 

Social and Economic Justice

Guaranteeing that everyone has food, water, and shelter is essential. Making sure individuals are educated, secure, and not ignored is something that I believe in. The other thing that makes this principle crucial is gender equality and no discrimination. These two issues are what we have been facing for a long time and they should be put to an end. We should honor and support all people of different race, sex, or religion. We are all in this together, and if we can become a unit then we may be able to help our suffering Earth.

http://www.icytales.com/want-equality/

Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace

All individuals should be able to participate in meaningful decisions, and every community needs to strengthen their environmental care. Of this principle, I think that treating all living beings with respect is what is lacking in today’s world. We should protect each other, wild animals, and domestic animals from any cruelty they may receive. We should also take a page out of Gandhi’s book and promote nonviolence, only peace. Using peace as our stepping stone, we may eliminate all danger to humans and Earth.

http://www.peaceoverviolence.org/

Plan B 4.0 (Chaper 3- Climate Change)

What is truly causing Earth’s temperature to rise?

The biggest problem is that humans are allowing more greenhouse gases to be emitted. These gases include: Nitrogen Oxide, Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor, and Methane. Carbon Dioxide is one of the dangerous gases that was depicted in the video clip from class with Leonardo DiCaprio. This gas comes from burning fossil fuels like oil and coal in particular. They say it is hard to predict what might happen to each region of the Earth if it gets warmer. The glaciers might melt, more evaporation may take place, and sea level may rise. Now that we know that humans are a part of the problem, we need to fix that. There are things that we can do besides educate and raise awareness. We must act and start changing our ways before Earth becomes unpredictable.

https://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/unit/text.php?unit=2&secNum=4

What will happen if the ice melts around the world?

When temperatures rise, glaciers melt faster than they can produce new snow. Over the last fifty years, glaciers have been melting at a faster rate than ever before. If this continues, then the ice may completely disappear. This can be harming to many species of animals who call the glaciers their home. This will also make sea level rise, which can be extremely dangerous to people living near these areas. Greenhouse gas emissions are the ones causing this problem. The effects of glaciers melting will harm many individuals and animals. It can also ruin many people’s sense of place. The glaciers are a beautiful part of our world and we need to do whatever we can to save them.  

http://pcmreviews.com/news/2012/02/to-the-arctic-3d-in-imax-theaters-april-20/

What will happen to crops if temperatures rise?

The extreme changes are causing crop loss. Weather events that are abnormal in some areas are bringing in insects and diseases that are unfamiliar to that region. Certain crops will no longer be able to grow with rising temperatures. This causes farmers to have to change the way they irrigate them or they have to find a new area to grow that specific crop. If you think about it, crops that are unable to grow will cause farmers’ wealth to decline. If they have no money, they cannot buy food or even grow any for that matter. The consumer will also suffer because they will not be able to buy crops from the farmers. Greenhouse gases that are causing this temperature change will damage many crops in different regions, and individuals will suffer.

 

http://www.pxleyes.com/photography-contest/21032/artistic-crops-2.html