March 1, 2024
By Protecting the Planet, We’re Protecting People, Too
Boundaries for preserving fresh water, biodiversity and other planetary resources tighten when they must also protect people
By Joyeeta Gupta & Angela Morelli and Tom Gabriel Johansen/InfoDesignLab
A woman in Kenya tries to collect some of her belongings after torrential rain led to heavy flooding.
Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images
T here are limits to our natural resources. At some point they run out, or we ruin them. When either happens, both the physical system and the human system on Earth are hurt. In 2019 the Earth Commission—an international team of scientists that I co-lead—collaborated with the Future Earth scientist network and the Global Commons Alliance to convene a large group of researchers to establish boundaries for resources that could keep the planet and its people safe.
We began with five domains that cover the major components of Earth's interconnected systems: climate, biosphere, water cycle, aerosols and nutrient cycles (nitrogen and phosphorus). In each case, rather than setting a single threshold, we set two: a limit that was “safe” for Earth overall and a “safe and just” limit that would do “no significant harm” to people worldwide. In all cases, the safe and just limit is equivalent to or stricter than the safe limit. Our group is now working on limits for two other domains: oceans and chemical pollution such as microplastics.
The hard part, of course, is determining what is “just” and putting a number on that evaluation. Consider climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that the world must prevent global warming from surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels; beyond that, it is highly likely that we will reach tipping points for significant worsening of damaging climate effects. So 1.5 degrees C is a boundary intended to keep Earth and people relatively safe. Yet even though we have raised global temperature by only 1.2 degrees C thus far, tens of millions of people are already exposed to hot, humid conditions extreme enough to kill them and certainly oppressive enough to prevent them from working to meet their basic needs. Furthermore, millions of people living along the seashore and on islands are being forced to move because coastlines are disintegrating as sea level rises and because coastal storms are getting increasingly severe. That is certainly unjust. In our group's assessment, a temperature increase of 1.0 degree C is the safe and just limit for climate change—it adheres to a fundamental principle of justice, namely, not causing harm to people.
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In some cases, we considered local effects when setting the safe and just limit because global patterns can mask serious problems at the local level. Air pollution, for example, can hurt people in a specific region before it harms people worldwide. Aerosols, or fine particulates, less than 2.5 microns in diameter released into the air by a range of industrial processes are beginning to alter monsoon rain patterns on which millions of people depend for growing food. Those patterns are global. Aerosols can also harm human lungs, and although levels are not yet high enough to do so worldwide, local air pollution can be deadly. Such pollution is disproportionately high in poorer regions. Every year seven million people die from air pollution. We set a safe limit for aerosols of 0.25 to 0.50 aerosol optical depth, or AOD, an estimate of the amount of aerosols present in the atmosphere. We also set a safe and just limit of 0.17 AOD, which takes into consideration the problem of local air pollution. This matches World Health Organization standards stating that fine particulate pollution should not exceed 15 micrograms per cubic meter, which translates to an AOD of 0.17.*
Defining what constitutes significant harm is difficult. Existing environmental problems already harm millions to billions of people. To set our boundaries, we considered tipping points in Earth's systems, relations between humans and other living things (which we call interspecies justice), harm to current and future generations (intergenerational justice), and effects on countries and communities—what might be called intragenerational justice. This kind of thinking led us to set the safe boundary for climate of 1.5 degrees C and the safe and just boundary of 1.0 degree C.
Credit: Angela Morelli and Tom Gabriel Johansen/InfoDesignLab
Our safe and just boundaries for the biosphere are that ecosystems in 50 to 60 percent of the planet's land area should be kept intact, and 20 to 25 percent of managed land in each square kilometer of cities and rural areas should be reserved for nature. Intact ecosystems provide shade (relief from increasing heat) and help local food production; bees and earthworms can travel only short distances, and they are vital to the plants, trees and food we grow. Natural land within cities protects mental health: studies show that our sense of well-being improves when we have trees and plants around us. Ideally, every city, school, hospital and home will reserve a certain percentage of land for nature so that all people—even those living in high-rise buildings or slums—have access to it.
People's development and pollution of landscapes in the past reduced the space available for nature today. If we continue these trends, we will put future generations at risk. It is time for us to manage land for the benefit of nature as well as humans—and we can learn a lot from how Indigenous peoples and local communities have successfully maintained biodiversity on their lands. Targets need to be implemented justly; some countries, especially poorer ones, have large tracts of pristine nature left, but it is unfair to put the burden of protecting such natural resources on them. Richer nations may have to do more.
Similar considerations apply to safe and just water use. For groundwater, we should not extract more than is recharged naturally. This makes sense from an intergenerational justice perspective: if we keep depleting groundwater, there will be less water for the future. Draining groundwater can also cause land to subside and allow salt water to intrude farther inland, ruining agricultural land for farmers today and for food production in the future.
Our latest work indicates that in 2023 the world had already surpassed the safe and just limit for seven of the eight boundaries. Only the aerosols limit has not been breached globally, although local aerosol boundaries have been crossed in many parts of the world. We have also found that in more than 50 percent of all places on Earth, at least two of the safe and just boundaries have been crossed; South Asia, for example, has high air pollution as well as excessive water extraction.
With so many boundaries already crossed, it might be tempting to conclude that there are too many people on Earth, but our results show that the environmental pressure of meeting the needs of the world's poorest people is roughly equal to the environmental pressure created by the richest 4 percent. The problem is excess consumption of resources by the wealthy. To meet the minimum needs of the poorest, we will have to transform the way in which nations and markets allocate and price resources. And that means transforming how we care for our Earth.
The dominant way of handling environmental problems has been to identify their direct causes—for example, if too much fertilizer is put on agricultural land, we might impose standards about how much can be distributed per square kilometer. But this kind of regulation does not address the true root cause, which is the global agricultural system driven by our global economic system. Our idea of safe and just boundaries calls for tackling the underlying causes of environmental degradation and poverty. The better we care for our Earth, the better we care for one another.
Credit: Angela Morelli and Tom Gabriel Johansen/InfoDesignLab; Source: “Safe and Just Earth System Boundaries,” by Johan Rockström et al., in Nature , Vol. 619; May 2023 ( reference )
* Editor’s Note (4/26/24): This sentence was edited after posting to correct the description of the World Health Organization’s standards for fine particulate pollution.
Joyeeta Gupta is a professor of environment and development in the Global South at the University of Amsterdam and a professor at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. She is one of three co-chairs of the Earth Commission. In 2023 she won the Spinoza Prize, the highest scientific research award bestowed by the Netherlands.
Angela Morelli and Tom Gabriel Johansen are information designers and co-founders of InfoDesignLab. They co-design with scientists and decision-makers to turn complex data into unique visualizations, meaningful narratives, compelling messages and decision-making tools.
Essay On Conservation Of Natural Resources
Table of Contents
Short Essay On Conservation Of Natural Resources
Conservation of natural resources refers to the responsible use and management of the earth’s resources to ensure their availability for future generations. Natural resources include water, land, forests, minerals, and wildlife, among others.
The depletion of natural resources is a major concern in today’s world as a result of increasing population growth and industrialization. The overuse and misuse of natural resources leads to their degradation and depletion, resulting in environmental problems such as deforestation, soil erosion, and pollution.
To conserve natural resources, it is important to adopt sustainable practices and policies. This involves reducing waste and maximizing the efficient use of resources, such as recycling, reducing the use of single-use plastics, and conserving energy. In addition, protected areas, such as national parks and wildlife reserves, can be established to conserve critical ecosystems and species.
Governments also play a crucial role in conserving natural resources by implementing policies and regulations that promote sustainable resource use. For example, they can establish penalties for illegal logging and fishing, and provide incentives for companies to adopt eco-friendly practices.
Individuals can also contribute to the conservation of natural resources by making simple lifestyle changes, such as reducing their carbon footprint, using public transportation, and eating a plant-based diet.
In conclusion, the conservation of natural resources is essential for the long-term health and well-being of the planet and its inhabitants. By adopting sustainable practices and policies, we can ensure that these resources are available for future generations to enjoy.
Long Essay On Conservation Of Natural Resources
Natural resources are essential to our world’s ecosystems, but they are often taken for granted. In this blog article, we’ll explore the importance of natural resource conservation and how it can help us protect our environment for future generations. We’ll also discuss some of the ways that individuals, businesses, and governments can work together to conserve natural resources and preserve our planet’s health.
Introduction to Natural Resources
Natural resources are vital to our everyday lives. We rely on them for everything from the food we eat and the water we drink, to the air we breathe and the energy we use. But these resources are finite, which means they’re not endless and they’re not replaceable.
That’s why it’s so important that we conserve natural resources, so that we can protect them for future generations. Conservation means using these resources wisely, so that we don’t deplete them or damage them beyond repair.
There are many ways to conserve natural resources. One is to use renewable resources instead of non-renewable ones. Renewable resources are those that can be replenished, such as solar and wind power. Non-renewable resources are those that cannot be replaced once they’re gone, such as fossil fuels.
Another way to conserve natural resources is to reuse or recycle them whenever possible. This reduces waste and helps to prolong the life of these valuable resources.
We all need to do our part to conserve natural resources. By making small changes in our daily lives, we can make a big difference in the world around us.
Types of Natural Resources
There are many different types of natural resources that we need to be aware of in order to conserve them. Here are some of the most important types of natural resources:
Water: Water is one of the most essential natural resources for all life on earth. We need water for drinking, cooking, bathing, irrigating crops, and generating electricity. Unfortunately, water is also one of the natural resources that is under the most stress from human activity. Pollution, climate change, and over-use are all putting pressure on our water supplies. It’s important to conserving water by using it wisely and not wasting it.
Forests: Forests provide us with many vital services including clean air and water, wood for construction and paper products, and habitat for wildlife. They also help to regulate the climate by storing carbon dioxide. Deforestation is a major problem around the world as trees are cleared for agriculture, development, and other uses. This can lead to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. It’s important to try to protect forests through conservation efforts like reforestation and sustainable forestry practices.
Wildlife: Wildlife includes all plant and animal species that exist in their natural environment. Many wildlife species are in decline due to habitat loss, hunting, pollution, and other threats. This can lead to a loss of biodiversity and an imbalance in ecosystems. It’s important to conserving wildlife by protecting their habitats, reducing pollution,
Conservation of Natural Resources
The world is facing an unprecedented global crisis in terms of the depletion of natural resources. The problem is compounded by the fact that the world’s population is growing at an alarming rate, and the demand for natural resources is increasing.
There are a number of factors that contribute to the depletion of natural resources, including: over-exploitation, pollution, deforestation, and climate change.
Over-exploitation refers to the excessive use of natural resources beyond what is necessary or sustainable. This can happen when resources are extracted at a faster rate than they can be replenished. For example, overfishing can lead to the depletion of fish stocks, and over-grazing can lead to desertification.
Pollution is another major factor that contributes to the depletion of natural resources. Pollutants can contaminate water supplies, making them unsuitable for human consumption or agriculture. They can also pollute the air, making it difficult for people to breathe. Deforestation is another major problem that contributes to resource depletion. Trees play a vital role in ecosystems, providing habitats for animals and helping to regulate the climate. When forests are cleared for agriculture or other development projects, this can have a devastating impact on local ecosystems and wildlife.
Climate change is also having a significant impact on natural resources. As temperatures rise and weather patterns become more extreme, this can cause droughts, floods, and other disasters that destroy crops and disrupt food supplies. It can also lead to soil erosion, which can damage the long-term productivity of agricultural land.
The best way to conserve natural resources is to reduce our reliance on them. This means using resources more efficiently and looking for alternative sources of energy and materials. Governments also need to take action to protect natural habitats, reduce pollution, and promote sustainable development. For example, they can introduce incentives for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, or impose regulations that limit the amount of pollutants released into the atmosphere.
Benefits of Conservation
There are many benefits to conserving natural resources. For one, it can help to preserve the environment and the habitats of various plants and animals. Additionally, conservation can help to prevent soil erosion and water pollution. Finally, by conserving natural resources, we can help to ensure that future generations will have access to these resources.
Strategies for Conservation
There are many ways to conserve natural resources, but it is important to tailor these strategies to the specific resource being conserved. For example, water conservation strategies will be different from strategies for conserving forests. Here are some general tips:
-Use resources wisely: This means using them only when necessary and not wasting them.
-Reduce consumption: Try to use less of the resource overall. This could mean using less water at home or driving less.
-Increase efficiency: Use technology and other methods to make sure you are getting the most out of the resources you do use. For example, using more energy-efficient appliances or planting trees to provide shade and reduce cooling costs.
-Recycle and reuse: One way to reduce consumption is to recycle or reuse materials instead of discarding them.
In conclusion, natural resources are essential for the survival of all living beings on Earth. Therefore, it is important to conserve them so that they can be utilized in a sustainable manner and not depleted. The conservation of natural resources will help us maintain a healthy environment as well as provide us with various benefits such as economic growth and improved quality of life. This can only be achieved if we take proactive measures to protect these valuable resources now and in the future.
Manisha Dubey Jha is a skilled educational content writer with 5 years of experience. Specializing in essays and paragraphs, she’s dedicated to crafting engaging and informative content that enriches learning experiences.
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