THE ECOLOGICAL PROBLEM
Scientists speculate upon the consequences of man's interference with the natural world in which he lives. And they sound the alarm at our irresponsible destruction. But men rarely listen to these warnings - or, if they listen, they even more rarely act.
Every day we witness the unthinking actions men take which interfere, sometimes which disastrous consequences, with the natural actions of the environment. We use various pesticides on our farms which sometimes leave dead birds along with bigger tomatoes. We toss the refuse from our industries into our lakes with solutions which spoil our drinking water and despoil our swimming water. We sail along our highways dropping cans and bottles on their surfaces and spreading polluted air all about. We commit gradual suicide with our cigarettes.
Yet we want a clean environment, a balanced ecology, a stable population. The dimensions of the problem can be simply stated: it is a simple matter of life - or death. We live in one eco-system, on one planet; each of our actions affects that life system.
It is, of course, impossible for us to view our every action in terms of its relevance to the environment, but it is possible to understand the importance of our actions in relation to our environment. The importance of our learning cannot be overstated; if we do not learn, we have little hope.
Adapted from ‘www.ecoknowledge.com’
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