What positive steps are humans taking to respond to their growing ecological footprint?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Humans have responded to their growing ecological footprint by beginning to watch and track it; for example, the Living Planet Index of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature tracks changes in forest, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Lester R. Brown and his Earth Policy Institute present a plan each year for reducing the human footprint. These reports are accurate summaries of helpful trends; this section relies heavily on Brown’s 2009 report, Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization.

Restoring the environment begins with water and soil. “More crop per drop” is being achieved by using perforated rubber hoses for drip irrigation. Water is being recycled, while rainwater is being harvested in ponds and receptacles. Genetically modified crops that require less water can be developed. Desalination, a way of extracting freshwater from seawater, requires much energy; with wind or solar energy it might be possible on a large scale, but probably is economically feasible only near coasts and major energy sources. Soil is being conserved by drilling seeds into undisturbed soil, planting walls of trees, reducing herds of goats and sheep, and banning clear-cutting of forests.

The restoration of oceans and forests is underway using several approaches. Restoring oceans involves reducing CO2 emissions; establishing marine reserves; eliminating fishery subsidies; reducing fertilizer, sewerage, and toxic chemical runoff; and banning the plastic bags that collect in ocean areas the size of Texas. Restoring forests requires limiting deforestation and planting new forests. Inspired by the work of WangariMaathai (1940–2011), who founded the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) sponsored the Billion Tree Campaign. By July 2009 it had 4.1 billion new trees in the ground, with 2.1 billion more pledged. Among the leaders of this initiative were Ethiopia, Turkey, Mexico, Kenya, Cuba, and Indonesia. At present, only about half the annual loss of forests is regained by reforestation. Also, planting trees sequesters carbon only as long as they live; when they die, their decay converts their carbon into CO2, unless they are buried and fossilized or used in building, which delays the onset of decay.

Reducing the rate of species extinctions requires humans to share resources with other animals and plants. Preserves have been created; some 3 percent of Earth’s land surface is now in parks and nature preserves. More corridors and preserves are needed—probably about 8 to 10 percent of the land surface, but they will be effective only with population and climate stabilization.

In the first decade of the twenty-first century, food production began to decline in some countries because of water shortages and soil erosion. Possible promising trends include genetic modifications to develop pesticide-producing and disease-resistant plants. Other unrealized production potential lies in double cropping, food subsidy policies, and local gardens. Yet no food output is possible without inputs; plants simply reorganize the chemicals available.