As noted in my first post, there are a lot of reasons to conserve land. It boosts our economy, improves the general health of the public, and provides recreation opportunities. But there are plenty of arguments against conservation as well, the most common including the endless need for natural resources and living space for the world’s increasing population. While the government makes most of the big decisions on what land is conserved and what is not, there are things we as citizens can do to encourage the government to keep considering the benefits of conservation and pass laws protecting land throughout the country.
First, and most importantly, we need to reduce our waste. The fact of the matter is, we are running out of room to dump all of our trash, and the only way to make more room is to develop more land. If we don’t figure out a way to eliminate waste, the world will end up completely covered in trash, like in the movie “Wall-E.” We don’t want to have to leave the planet and live in a spaceship for the rest of our species’ existence, now do we?
Next, as cliché as it sounds, we need to recycle. If we can reuse most or all of what we produce, our dependence on the environment for resources will decrease and less of our resources will have to be destroyed. Paper products especially need to be recycled, as we use so much of them and so many trees are cut down to support our consumption of it. And trees don’t exactly grow back in a day. Soon there will be none left. And then we wont be able to breathe and we’ll all die. So yeah, let’s recycle.
One of the biggest issues today, as I’ve already mentioned, is our thirst for oil putting our conserved land in jeopardy. Alaska is not the only place in the country where drilling is taking place; land throughout the country is developed to retrieve this valuable resource from the depths of the earth and bring it to the pumps to fill our tanks. Obviously, the less gas we use the less drilling has to take place. But this is something that needs to change in a dramatic way, as we are running out of oil fast. The only real way to solve this problem is to stop using gas altogether. Easier said than done, I know, but just work on it.
Another, perhaps easier way we can help the conservation effort is through controlling the population. Now I’m not suggesting we all stop having kids, or the government initiates a mass annihilation, but slowing the population increase could dramatically help save our currently hopeless future. The more people we have on the planet, the more room we need to support them and the more products we consume. This increases waste and decreases our natural resources. Two disadvantages that can be avoided if we just keep an eye on the population.
Finally, as Americans, it is our duty to be active citizens and stand up for what we believe in. This means being careful with whom we elect into office, sharing our opinions with our representatives, and petitioning the government when its behavior is not satisfactory. If we want stricter laws protecting our land, we need to insist the government fulfills our wishes. Theoretically, the government has no power without the will of the people. So let’s stop complaining about what it is and isn’t doing and start taking action.
Every little contribution helps. Start by recycling your plastics and papers. Bike, walk, or carpool to work. Bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store. Then, start thinking about taking some bigger steps toward ensuring our future is sustainable and encouraging others to do the same. Eventually we will get the message across to everyone, and if we refuse to be silent, the government will listen. But it all starts with us. So get going. The earth will greatly appreciate it, and so will the future.
Thanks for reading!
