The big gap between people and nature

In the last few conservation meetings I attended, the apathy of the general public for nature was a hot topic. This distance between people and nature contributes strongly to the lack of empathy towards nature loss and degradation. Thinking carefully, we only care about things we value; and we only value things we know. There is very little space to get to know nature in our modern lives. For most people, the only opportunities to be close to nature are occasional visits to parks, natural reserves or to the beach. However, most people fail to realize our interdependence with natural resources – specially urban residents. This ignorance is responsible for the big gap between people and nature, for the denial of our dependence on natural resources and ecosystem services.

As someone coming from the Amazon, it is hard for me to imagine that some people never had the opportunity of a close contact to nature. I remember my childhood climbing in trees and running barefoot; eating fruits directly from the trees and swimming in rivers. There were so many stories about animals we would always find in backyards and gardens! Once, we came back home and there was a big green iguana in the garden. We struggled, but finally caught it and released it in the forest. Everyday, little blue birds came to feed from the fruit on the kitchen table and in the end of the afternoon we could see macaws flying across the sky to reach a cozy spot in a big tree nearby. 

Humming bird in the front garden

Macaws finding shelter in a tree at about 40 m height

I wonder how many children born in cities nowadays can still have these experiences. It is rare to see kids playing on the ground without worrying about getting dirty or making their parents terrified. These kids will turn into adults who will feel apathetic about nature and the environment. Unfortunately, this is true of the majority of the population, even those living in Manaus – located in the middle of the Amazon forest!

View of Manaus, Brazil  photo credit: www.samicultura.com.br

The lack of value attributed to the environment arises not only from a scarcity of contact with nature, but also from ignorance of the source of raw materials, supply chains and of market forces. Tropical forests are the ecosystems most threatened by our greedy demand for goods and raw materials. To put this situation in perspective, forests produce more than 90% of the world’s terrestrial biomass, of which tropical forests make up two thirds (Pan et al. 2013). The main commodities driving deforestation in tropical forests are beef, palm oil, soybean, timber and pulp (Forest Trends 2014). Demand for these items is ubiquitous, especially by the food, construction and paper industry. A considerable portion of the items we get from the shelves of supermarkets is either directly made from one of these items, or has consumed one these items as part of its production. However, as consumers, we are often unaware of the environmental cost of our choices. Thinking carefully about the products we consume is a simple and highly effective way to temper the destruction of tropical forests.

Many people say they care about environmental issues, but they do not understand the problem requires much more than just recycling. Often, we shift the responsibility to governments. Of course, governments have a part to play in the sense that regulations help to ensure people follow the rules. Nevertheless, the need for government action does not absolve the individual from responsibility. It can be hard to admit that we are all part of the same problem and that we should take some action, but there is no other choice. Real change will only happen when we, collectively, understand that we rely entirely on the remaining natural resources, and that we have to make the best use of these from now on.

The good news is that governments are starting to understand that materials sources and consumption as well as our well-being are related to the status of natural resources and that one of the best choices (we still have) is to keep our forests safe. A few weeks ago, in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change -- COP 21 Paris -- more than 195 countries finally signed the climate change agreement for reducing CO₂ emissions to avoid further increases in temperature and other climatic problems. Actions will involve reducing pollution and deforestation and improving the use of natural resources. However, there is still a long road ahead of us. It is now time for us all, as individuals, to take responsibility and work towards a better future. I believe that a profound change in attitude is possible, although it will not be easy. In addition to the governments’ top down measures, we need to build our changes locally as the only way to get significant results. It is in our hands, so let's think positive and do our best!

REFERENCES

Forest Trends. “Consumer Goods and Deforestation: An Analysis of the Extent and Nature of Illegality in Forest Conversation for Agriculture and Timber Plantations.” September 2014.

Pan, Y., Birdsey, R. A., Phillips, O. L., & Jackson, R. B. (2013). The structure, distribution, and biomass of the world's forests. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 44, 593-622.