Category: Conservation of Forest

Many people are unaware of how the food they eat and their choices regarding food affect the environment. Everything, from the food people consume, the groceries they buy, and the restaurants they eat at places a massive strain on the environment that manifests in a multitude of detrimental consequences. This major ecological impact associated with accommodating for people’s food desires is attributable to the fact that producing any type of food requires some form of land, water, energy consumption, and specific procedures or practices to be used that harm the environment in most cases. All the environmental effects, however, are externalities, meaning they are consequences people do not compensate for, making it easy to be oblivious toward them. The huge demand for cheap food, lack of local buying, and extremely high meat consumption in the United States has led to catastrophic effects on the planet. People can make just a small adjustment toward a healthier lifestyle, like buying less junk food or shopping at local farmers’ markets, to help offset these effects and greatly benefit the environment.

Almost every single American is willing to buy junk food despite the health risks, but most do not realize how this actually creates a chain reaction ending with harm being inflicted on the environment. For the past thirty years, American agricultural policy has focused on producing large quantities of inexpensive calories because Americans strongly demand cheap food (Denton par. 2). The cheapest way to consume a high number of calories is by eating junk food, and the demand for junk food is incredibly high, primarily due to its convenience, affordability, and accessibility, which creates a huge incentive for companies to mass manufacture it (Lama par. 2-6). One of the cheapest sources of calories comes from corn, and corn is found in most junk foods in the form of a sweetener called high fructose corn syrup. In order to satisfy the demand for junk food, corn is consistently grown on farms across the country in order to make high fructose corn syrup. However, growing one crop consistently in what is known as a monoculture poses a huge threat to the environment. Monocultures deplete the soil and force farmers to use greater amounts of hazardous chemicals that disrupt ecosystems and put wildlife in danger (Denton par. 3). The two main types of chemicals used in agriculture are pesticides and fertilizers. Both these chemicals are terrible for the environment, yet their excessive use has allowed them to disrupt ecosystems and contaminate soil and bodies of water across the nation. In fact, it was revealed in a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the mid-90s that over 90 percent of water and fish samples collected from major river basins across the country contained one, or more often, several pesticides (Aktar, et al par. 20). One example of a consequence derived from the use of these chemicals is the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico where no fish or other animal can live due to the influx of chemicals from the Mississippi River, mainly fertilizers (Denton par. 4). Something so trivial like buying a candy bar can result in these horrific effects because hazardous agricultural methods are implemented to satisfy people’s desires.

If people were to reduce the amount of junk food they buy, less farming would be done to produce junk food, and harmful practices like the use of pesticides would not be used as commonly, thus protecting the environment. Occasionally switching that bag of chips for a bag of nuts is a small change that would go a long way. Furthermore, companies that produce junk foods tend to seek ways to maximize production and profit without much regard to their environmental impact. For example, McDonald’s insists on only using a type of potato susceptible to rotting and disease, so they utilize highly toxic pesticides to combat this issue at the expense of the surrounding air quality (Loki par. 2-3); decreasing the demand for products from companies that are not at all eco-friendly will give them less incentive to produce. Not to mention that buying less junk food would better the health of society. As stated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), leading a healthier lifestyle drastically reduces one’s risk for health complications and leads to increased overall happiness (par. 3). People could benefit their planet and themselves simultaneously, and there are few triumphs superior to that duo.

Another way people can better their health while helping the planet is through buying local produce. It is no secret that in today’s age, many countries participate in international trade, so much of the food we purchase and consume has to travel thousands of miles to reach us. Food is often brought to America by airfare, and planes heavily contribute to global warming through emitting enormous amounts of carbon dioxide. The Center for Biological Diversity observed that “the United States is [already] responsible for nearly half of worldwide CO2 emissions from aircraft,” so the reliance on food importing only worsens an already dire situation by increasing global warming (par. 2). As most already know, global warming is a worldwide crisis and is very complex. Some effects, as examined by NASA, include rising sea levels, increased occurrences of droughts and heatwaves, and the extinction of various species (par. 14-19).

An ordeal as massive as global warming itself can be fought with simply going to one’s local famer’s market to buy fruit and vegetables. This is because choosing to shop locally reduces one’s carbon footprint since no greenhouse gas-emitting transportation is needed. It also makes shipping and packaging facilities as well as refrigeration unnecessary, decreasing overall energy consumption while still getting food to people’s plates (Thompson par. 2). Aside from increasing climate change, shipping food makes it necessary for farmers and supermarkets to strategize ways they will preserve the food and maintain its nutritional value during the transit process. Farmers will often use pesticides to keep food in good shape and fertilizers to help compensate the natural loss of nutritional value in food. This runs the risk of chemical residue on food and, as previously mentioned, both these chemicals have horribly adverse repercussions on the environment. Fortunately, their effects can also be mitigated through buying local produce. “Many local producers pride themselves on keeping their product organic, hormone free and pesticide free. Not only is this beneficial to the consumer, it’s also beneficial to the environment” (Thompson par. 4). Local produce is an ideal option to live a healthier lifestyle while living on a healthier planet.

Opting toward healthier options such as fruit, vegetables, and nuts, and choosing to buy those foods from local markets would be a huge step toward sustainability. However, any diet-related progress for the Earth would be immensely difficult to reach without efforts to reduce an even more prevalent and severe aspect: meat consumption. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported that the United States has the highest per capita meat consumption in the entire world, with citizens eating an average of around 97 kg of meat each year (Smith par. 3). Due to this demand, the bulk of agriculture is focused on raising a tremendous amount of livestock, and much of our natural resources are dedicated to producing meat, creating a plethora of environmental effects. Firstly, animals require space to live and graze, and they need to be fed. Consequently, eight times as much land is used to grow crops to feed livestock rather than people (Jagendorf par. 3). With so many animals needing food, the use pesticides and fertilizers is, again, implemented in order to produce sufficient amounts of food. Moreover, according to the Natural Resource Conservation Service of the USDA, “nearly half of the lower 48 states is grazing land,” but when animals eat intensively in fields, or overgraze, this leads to a process known as desertification (par. 1). Ultimately, desertification leads to the deterioration of soil quality and decline in soil productivity until the land, no matter how fertile, can no longer support vegetation. As if this ridiculous amount of land did not place enough of a strain on the environment as it is, forests are constantly cleared to provide livestock with more range and pasture land to live and graze. In fact, 260 million acres that were once forests are now grazed by cattle in the US (Jagendorf par. 3); deforestation is one of the most frequent man-made afflictions to our planet with effects including increasing global warming, destroying habitats, and endangering species.

Aside from land use, meat production is destroying our planet in various other ways. Beginning with the water supply, meat production is a colossal burden on available water. Examples of the uses of water pertaining to livestock include feedlots, dairy operations, and cooling of facilities for the animals and products; estimates claim that 1,800 – 2,500 gallons of water go into producing each pound of beef (USGS par. 1; Jagendorf par. 4). With water being such a vital but limited resource, this fact is almost unfathomable, especially considering the number of people without access to sufficient water. Water used in meat production could be used to achieve so much more than a mere hamburger. To make matters even worse, not only is water being depleted, but animal waste frequently contaminates rivers, lakes, and groundwater via runoff. “According to the Government Accountability Office, an estimated 1.6 million tons of animal waste is created in the U.S. alone and this waste creates unsafe levels of antibiotics, phosphorus, nitrogen and other things in our soil and drinking water” (Jagendorf par. 5). Moving on to climate change, livestock is a major emitter of greenhouse gases, primarily methane and nitrous oxides. PETA has discovered that animal agriculture is attributable for more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire world’s transportation systems combined (par. 2). This makes most climate change mitigation strategies seem futile considering that global efforts to combat global warming focus solely on carbon emissions. Agriculture’s “potential to contribute to limiting global warming to less than 2°C by the end of the century is substantial by reducing direct emissions in crop and livestock production” (Blandford and Hassapoyannes 1). Continuing the current trends in meat consumption will undeniably be one of the worst things we can do to the planet as private citizens.

If society as a whole were to reduce meat consumption, the vicious cycle that is used to produce meat will come to a grinding halt. Cutting down on a meat-heavy meal even once every two weeks is enough to make an impact, which goes to show the magnitude of this great calamity. Just like there is a myriad of harmful consequences from producing meat, there is an abundance of benefits that derive from cutting back on meat consumption. For starters, reducing meat consumption simultaneously frees up land used for grazing that can be utilized for eco-friendly projects like restoration and wildlife habitats (Wuerthner 8). Another huge advantage is the shift in agriculture away from crop production used to feed livestock. With a large amount of farming becoming unnecessary, not only is the use of hazardous chemicals decreased, but America can focus on feeding the nation and contribute to the fight against world hunger. Moreover, society could greatly help water conservation efforts and work towards preventing water contamination, which is good for the planet as well as humanity. Lastly, America’s carbon footprint can be strongly reduced if there were not as many animals to release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. “If large numbers of people were to cut meat out of their diet one or a few days a week, the long-term impact could eventually lead to a cut in costs to combat climate change by nearly 50% over the next few decades” (Jagendorf par. 6). With so many benefits from a minimal change in one’s diet, people should not hesitate to help knowing how much of a difference they can make.

The ecological benefits of leading a healthier lifestyle sometimes seem too good to be true; many doubt that such a small change could really lead society toward sustainability. Some critics argue that these minimal changes require many people to participate in order to be effective, thus making them impractical. They wonder if enough people will be willing and able to make the shift in their lifestyle to actually benefit the environment. The question of willingness can easily be solved through awareness; if more people are educated about the adverse effects of their choices, more people would want to help. Therefore, it is crucial to advise people on the consequences of their diets and teach them ways to mitigate them.

Whether someone is able to help is a more challenging issue. It was estimated that one in nine Americans were food insecure in 2018, and this is mostly attributable to poverty (Hunger and Health par. 1). There are many people who do not have the financial stability necessary to make any alterations to the way they live, especially since healthier foods are commonly higher in price. Furthermore, the prevalence of food deserts in America, which are defined by the USDA as “parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods… due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers,” makes it extremely difficult for people to engage in activities like buying less junk food and purchasing from local producers (American Nutrition Association par. 1). Although a compelling argument, it only conveys how incredibly imperative it is that people who have the freedom and capability to make a change decide to help. Those who cannot afford to change their eating and shopping habits will not be penalized, but they also will not be used as an excuse; to compensate this demographic, it is crucial that societal efforts from the more privileged individuals are made.

The Earth and the plentiful species that inhabit it are under immense pressure, and humans are to blame for most of the harm done to our planet. Current agricultural practices devastate the environment, and their impact derives from the small, simple choices made by everyday citizens. Although issues like land use, climate change, and water contamination may seem out of one’s hands, the reality is quite the contrary. Just as the societal decisions regarding food have created this situation, it is societies’ new decisions that will work to solve it. Making healthier choices will be one of the biggest ways people can help their planet. Even buying one less soda per week or occasionally substituting a sausage breakfast for an oatmeal will alleviate ecological pressure. Some would say there is no reason for a person to refuse such a minor alteration. Any personal cost from an individual is insignificant when compared to the shared, invaluable benefit they will receive by improving the Earth’s state. While aiding the advancement of sustainability, people would also be greatly helping themselves. Eating healthier benefits the body, the mind, and the environment; it is a small price to pay for a priceless reward.

The meat industry has created major issues for the population of the United States and the world altogether. Vegetarians live a much longer, enjoyable life as their antioxidant filled diets keep them mentally and physically healthy. Those that choose to consume animals are automatically put at a much higher risk of death from poor diet related illnesses. The American debt and famine levels continue to raise as mass amounts of money and grain are used in livestock raising. Switching to a vegetarian diet could ultimately save lives. Meat consumption is not only destroying the bodies of omnivores, but also ruining the environment. All of the Earth is being affected by livestock raising through chemical pollution and mass land wasting. America occupies a large portion of the contribution to pollution as the standard diet consists mainly of meat. America must convert to a vegetarian based society in order to save the population and the land it occupies. Changing to a meatless diet will decrease the amount of citizens that suffer from health problems created by saturated foods.

Vegetarians live much healthier lives because they are at low risk of developing fatal illnesses from their diet choices. Many of the top death causes in America are related to the large consumption of meat in the average person’s food selections. The number one killer is cardiovascular disease, or heart disease, which researchers blame the standard American diet for causing. Today, one in four meat-eating males will develop heart disease with around 50% of them actually dying from it (Knaresboro). About one in sixteen of meat-eating women get heart disease with less than 47% passing away (Knaresboro). Even children as young as age three raised on the standard american diet show signs of developing heart disease early in life (Knaresboro). If these people choose to go vegetarian, their chance of death from cardiovascular disease drops to 15% (Knaresboro). The second leading cause of death in America is cancer. Many forms such as breast, colon, prostate, and skin cancers are linked to meat consumption (Dworkin 90). A meatless diet reduces the risk of developing cancer up to 30% (Dworkin 90). This is because a vegetarian’s immune system is more efficient in killing off tumor cells from the abundance of antioxidants they eat everyday. The seventh top killer amongst Americans is diabetes, which is also linked to saturated meats. Excluding all forms of meat will cut the chance of developing type two diabetes in half from 34% to 16% (Knaresboro). Meat makes the body’s blood sugar levels spike rapidly which lowers the production of insulin.Without meat, the body will get more vegetables that regulate insulin production lowering the risk of diabetes. Obesity in America has skyrocketed throughout the past decade, especially due to fatty meat intake. Switching to vegetarianism reduces and nearly prevents obesity amongst those on the diet (Dworkin). Their diet is high in vegetable proteins and low in calories making weight gain difficult for the body. Vegetarians live about seven years longer than omnivores because their health risks are so low (Dworkin). The switch to a meatless diet is necessary to save the lives of many Americans that suffer from unhealthy food related illnesses. Not only are vegetarians healthier than omnivores, but they are also found to be much happier and positive.

Eating meat and other animal byproducts is linked to poor mental health. Many signs of mental illnesses and eating disorders are reduced or even prevented by decreasing the intake of meat. This is due to the omega-3 fatty acids found in meats, specifically seafood, that travel through the bloodstream. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid found in meat. DHA has been proven to create negative thoughts, even without the stimulation of sadness from a triggering event (“Vegetarian Diet Lightens Mood” 4). Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is an omega-3 fatty acid found in plant oils. ALA decreases depression and anxiety levels in the human brain (“Vegetarian Diet Lightens Mood” 4). Vegetarians have higher levels of ALA and lower levels of DHA being consumed in their diet that makes them happier. Those that consume the standard American diet have an increase in DHA and a decrease in ALA that produces disconsolate moods. Changing to a vegetarian diet improves mental health and aid in the treating of those with mental illnesses and eating disorders. The availability of necessary resources for one is crucial in the stability of their mental health. With the rise of meat consumption, the population of the country is being harmed from wasted resources.

Many national issues of concern in America are partially to blame for the meat industry. Unfortunately, the country is having a downfall in the population number as many are passing and few are reproducing. Multiple of those deaths are the product of the standard American diet, which is solely based off saturated meats. If the citizens of the United States changed to a vegetarian diet that consumed a vast amount of fruits and vegetables, around 360,000 lives could be saved per year (Whyte). National debt is a rising apprehension that continues to worsen. America spends about $120 billion annually to treat health problems such as heart disease and obesity caused by the ingestion of saturated meat (Dworkin 92). More than $258 billion would be saved a year from meat related processing and health issues if the whole country went vegetarian (Dworkin 92). With 327 million people living in America, a whopping 37 million experience hunger at least once a year (Whyte). Today, 72% of all grain grown in the country is fed to the animals raised to be slaughtered (Rodgers). It takes 15 pounds of grain to get one pound of meat (Engelhart). If that grain was given directly to the people, there would be enough food to feed not just the people of the United States, but the whole world. To raise one single animal, it takes three times their body weight in vegetables, fruits, and grains (Rodgers). So, it would take 1200 pounds of feed to raise a 400 pound cow. Then, after cutting out the bones, fat, and organs there would only be about 160 pounds of edible beef left (Rodgers). These animals will only produce about 13% of the amount of food it took to raise them (Rodgers). This is wasting tons of food that could be eaten by the people of America. Another national concern of climate change and irreversible damage to the environment is greatly caused by livestock raised for slaughter.

America must change to a vegetarian nation in order to save the Earth from the horrors of the meat industry. All of the environment, from the waterways to the grassy land is behind affected one way or another in the livestock raising process. Currently, it takes about 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef when it takes just 25 gallons to produce one pound of wheat (Engelhart). That’s a ratio of 100 pounds of grain to one pound of meat. Not only is this wasteful, but it also contributes to water pollution. Around 60% of American waterways are polluted with nitrates, a chemical, from pesticides and manure used for the raising of livestock (Engelhart). The pollution of waterways is detrimental to the fish population. Eleven out of the fifteen major fishing grounds in America has been reduced by more than half of its fish from the chemicals in the water (Dworkin 92). Precious land is being wasted and demolished through deforestry to provide areas for businesses involved in the meat industry. Livestock raising, processing, and packaging companies take up about a quarter of the planet’s dry land (Engelhart). These businesses are contributing to a considerable percentage of the world’s air pollution. Each year, the factory farms of the nation create about two billion tons of manure that release methane and carbon dioxide gas (Dworkin 91). Trees and other plants are responsible for converting carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, back into oxygen. The deforestation occurring to free land for livestock raising is ruining the Earth’s air quality for good. Without the trees, carbon dioxide will continue to be released into the atmosphere with absolutely no means of stopping this atrocity. As more greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide are produced, climate change continues to worsen. About 26% of worldwide greenhouse gases are from livestock purposes with 18% from raising and 6% from deforestry (Engelhart). That’s far more than 14% emitted by all transportation combined (Engelhart). Climate change would be greatly reduced through the abolishing of livestock purposes. If the United States turns to vegetarianism, the country’s land destruction would be stopped as the environment continues to improve.

It is argued that it may be worse for the environment to be vegetarian than to be an omnivore. This is because there is a concern that much more land would have to be cleared in order to grow crops for all of the population than to just continue with livestock raising (Wallis). However, there would be no need to destroy more land than what has been cleared for livestock. In fact, the amount of land containing animals raised for slaughter could be reduced if America converted to vegetarianism (Whyte). The use of livestock for raising is not only harmful to the planet, it is also inefficient for food production and a waste of land. One acre of land could grow between 30,000 pounds to 50,000 pounds of vegetables (Whyte). In comparison, it takes one acre of land to raise only 250 pounds of meat (Whyte). The use of that wasted land for the growth of vegetables would be much more efficient. Food would be even more abundant and affordable for the citizens of America. Then, it is argued whether or not animals would be pushed out of their environments or even killed with the use of land for crops (Wallis). There would be no need to remove animals from their environments as no more land would be occupied. Since the amount of land used by farms would be reduced, animals could be given back land for their habitats. The amount of animals killed would be lowered as America removes the farms in which they are slaughtered on a daily basis. No animals would face death through deforestry because a portion of land will be freed and restored of all human destruction. Protecting animal populations and is important in the conservation of the planet. Therefore, converting to a vegetarian nation would be much more beneficial to the people and other creatures that dwell in their surroundings .

America must change to vegetarianism to promote high quality health for the citizens and the environment they live in. A meatless diet reduces the risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Avoiding these illnesses makes vegetarians live up to seven years longer than the average omnivore. Mental health is significantly improved when one chooses to cut out meat from the gaining of alpha-linolenic acid found in plant oils and the lowering docosahexaenoic acid levels from meats. The meat industry contributes to multiple national concerns. Switching to a meatless diet could save lives from those suffering of meat related diseases and reduce national debt from the elimination of treating these health concerns. Hunger would be prevented as crop growth produces more food efficiently. The Earth is slowly being destroyed from the raising of livestock. A quarter of its dry land is being occupied by factory farms that produce greenhouse gases. Over half of America’s waterways are filled with chemicals from livestock raising that have wiped out a majority of the fish population. Switching from animal farms to crop gardens would decrease the amount of land used in food production. It would save the lives of many animals forced to be slaughtered by abolishing factory farms and requiring no additional destruction of habitats. America’s conversion to a vegetarian nation must occur in order to prevent the continuous decline of the population’s health and restore the quality of the Earth’s natural resources.

Today in America there is a growing distain for the hunting community. Many people see the act of hunting as immoral, cruel, and bad for the environment and would rather spend their time in the great outdoors hiking, bird watching, or taking photography. Since the early 1990’s there has been a drastic drop in the number of hunters in America, according to a survey done by the US Fish and Wildlife Service there has been a decline from 14.1 million hunters in 1991 to 11.5 million hunters in 2016. Statistics show that hunting was most popular during the “baby boomer” era and as people from that era start to decline so did the number of hunters also start to decline, and soon the age-old sport of hunting could go extinct. Because of this decline in hunting there has been a change in the landscape of the nature and wildlife we see in America today.

Generally, when we go on a nature walk, we assume that the ground we are walking on has been funded by our tax money, and this is true if you happen to be walking in a national park. But if you are in a state park that is free for public use, most of the time it has been funded by hunters. When a hiker goes to a state park, the only money that they would need to spend is the gas money it took to drive there, other than that they could donate to their local wildlife reservation but are not forced too. Hunters on the other hand must pay for a hunting license as well as an excise tax on their guns and ammunition, fishing equipment, and lodging, generating nearly $70 billion anually, which is money that directly funds wildlife conservation efforts and other state wildlife agencies. The money generated from these hunters provide nearly 60 percent of funding to these wildlife agencies, which manages most of the wildlife found in America. With the decline in hunting many state departments have been underfunded and has left many staff jobs unfilled and has had to cut back on other services normally provided. Without a change in how wildlife agencies are being funded we can expect the growing list of endangered species to raise from nearly 1,600 species today to thousands more very soon. With the decline of hunting in recent years there has been talk of other ways the government can fund these state parks and wildlife agencies. So far congress has been looking at using the oil and gas revenues, while some states have added general sales taxes to help fund these parks. Others have suggested to charge people to visit state parks so if you are someone who enjoys a regular walk through nature and believe it should be free for anyone to use, you should thank a hunter next time you see one.

Another benefit for hunting is to control populations of invasive species. An invasive species is any living organisms that is not native to an ecosystem that can cause harm. When a new species is introduced into an ecosystem it may not have any natural predators to control its population. They will in turn start to breed more and naturally start using up resources that other organisms that are natural to the environment rely on. Invasive species causes a halt in the biodiversity in many environments which is essential for any ecosystem to flourish. Here in America the white-tailed deer is synonyms with the imagery of a forest, but those cute creatures may be a threat to the wildlife we have here. When an invasive plant comes into a new environment it takes resources such as sunlight, water, and nutrients away from other native plants. But the white-tailed deer have continuously chosen to eat the native plants dwindling their numbers and allows the invasive species to spread out of control. In recent years Dr. Janet Morrison of the Department of Biology at the College of New Jersey conducted a study of what the effects of the invasive species of Microstegium vimineum and white-tailed deer had on an environment. She accessed the herb layer in 223 different plots of land over 2.5 years and compared the effects of the plots that were fenced off from deer and plots that allowed deer to roam freely. She found that the areas that were fenced off from the deer had a higher percentage of biodiversity to those not fenced off which were almost completely taken over by the Microstegium vimineum plant. Here in Massachusetts deer hunting season starts on October 31st and end on December 31st. These times help to control the population of deer in certain areas and allow the time for the plants that are natural to the environment to repopulate and grow. Hunters understand the importance of biodiversity and there are many regulations set to ensure that no species will be hunted to extinction. Such regulations include specific times people can hunt, zones hunters are restricted to be in, and seasons regulating which animals can be hunted during different times of the year. These regulations are enforced with strict penalties to all who do not comply with the regulations which could go up to $10,000.

Throughout human evolution hunting has been a big part of why humans became the most dominant creatures on Earth. The first signs of hunting were from our predecessors the Homo Erectus approximately 1.8 million years ago. Humans and more specifically Americans love our meat, according to an article by The Seattle Times the average American consumer will eat 22 pounds of red meat and poultry a year. But if these consumers understood the impact that eating so much meat has on the environment and the ways these factory grown animals have been treated, they might think twice the next time they pick up package of beef at the super market. According to report published by The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock farming contributes approximately 18 percent of the global CO2 gas emissions and other greenhouse gasses. Not only do these livestock contribute to the overgrowing global warming crisis they also contribute to the overgrowing water crisis. In an article posted by the Los Angeles Times it is estimated that in order to produce a one pound of beef it requires 1,799 gallons of water. This is estimated by adding the amount of water it took for irrigation of the grains and grass for feed as well as the water for drinking and processing.

For the research essay assignment on Eastern traditions in the Modern World, I chose as my subject Hinduism and the role that their environmental ethics plays with regards to the environment, when worldwide concerted efforts will be required to protect the earth’s natural environment from destruction as a result of irresponsible human activity. I will attempt through my research to address the following questions: How has Hinduism responded to the world concerns with regards to the urgency to protect our planet by reversing the current trend? Has there been a varied response by different sectarian groups within Hinduism? Have religious officials and institutions justified their position using sacred texts? Did I find both conservative and liberal viewpoints on my chosen topic? My thesis statement is as follows: With over 80 percent of the world population identifying themselves as religious and the fact that over 1 billion followers adhere to Hinduism, my argument is that their basic beliefs combined with their morals, values and behaviours, it has the potential to be an effective platform to contribute positively towards the efforts of environmental conservation.

Currently, all over the world, there are many ways that land is being degraded by allowing the relentless deforestation of our forests, by pursuing a formidable industrialization and by the intensification of urbanization to name only a few. These activities have been proven to be extremely detrimental to the overall health of our environment. Thus, the urgent need to implement a robust habitat protection plan and work within the limits of nature to preserve and restore health to our planet. The current state of India’s environment is devastating. There are many causes that are directly linked to the poor environmental conditions of modern-day India. The Hindu’s religious beliefs could be an effective path to address the most important environmental issues faced by India. It is well documented that their dismal environmental situation is largely attributed to the ever-growing large population, a very high level of poverty, increasing degradation of air, water and land, as well as the widespread political corruption. Implementing environmental ethics could be possible if India, as a whole, would embrace their past and adhere to the basic Hindu teachings of respecting and protecting nature[endnoteRef:1]. [1: Dhwty. “The Past Teaching the Present: Ancient Sanskrit Texts Discuss the Importance of Environmental and Species Conservation.” Ancient Origins. Ancient Origins, September 15, 2015. https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/past-teaching-present-ancient-sanskrit-texts-discuss-importance-020527. ]

Hindu Philosophy on the environment

Hinduism as several sects but there are four main branches (Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism and Smartism) and the central difference is whom they believe is their primary deity. Hindus do not believe they reign supreme over other living forms on earth. Brahman is the ultimate goal and Absolute of Hinduism and “is of the nature of truth, knowledge and infinity”[endnoteRef:2]. Brahman is not “God” but the Universal Principle which is the ultimate Reality in the universe. While Prakrti (nature) is the “material” cause of the universe. However, this division is non-dualistic in nature as they are one and the same. One of the basics of Hinduism is the belief that all life is sacred. Unlike the followers of Judeo-Christians and Islamic beliefs, it is the duty of Hindus to nurture and protect what the Divine and/or Supreme Being has created rather than dominate it. Hindus will therefore practice tolerance, vegetarianism and ahimsa or non-violence. I must stress that of all the ethical rules for Hindus to observe, Ahimsa is the most fundamental because it represents the right attitude to have in order to lead a moral life. [2: Morales, Frank. “What Does Brahman Mean in the Hindu Religion?” Learn Religions. Learn Religions, March 11, 2018. https://www.learnreligions.com/brahman-of-the-vedas-1770045. ]

I would like to cite as example a decree attributed to the Hindu Vedic named Yajnavalkya, one of the earliest known Hindu philosophers who warned: “the wicked person who kills animals which are protected has to live in hell fire for the days equal to the number of hairs on the body of that animal”[endnoteRef:3]. Without a doubt, the most important aspect of this doctrine pertains to the belief that the Supreme Being incarnates into forms of various species. Hindus believe in “Samsara”, which is described as: “the indefinitely repeated cycles of birth, misery and death caused by karma” as defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It encompasses the reincarnation into forms other than human. Hindus believe that the process of samsara will go on until such a time one is released from it and liberated from karma to finally attain moksha, which refers to various forms of emancipation such as enlightenment, liberation and Nirvana. It is important to note that the Hindu religious goal of moksha is not salvation, and does not require forgiveness, but detachment from the material world. The earliest Hindu sacred texts were produced during the period known as ancient India. The unquestionably most respected of all known Hindu texts are found in the Vedas and consist of a compilation of four books and formed the basis upon which Hindus practice their religion. In particular, the Rig Veda book is a crucial source of inspiration for Hindus on the proper treatment to afford towards all life forms and nature. It is specifically mentioned that trees and plants are believed to possess divine healing properties, and it is still a popular belief that every tree has a Vriksa-devata (i.e. a tree deity). This explains the reason why trees are ritually worshiped with prayers, offerings, and the sacred thread ceremony. The Vriksa-devata are not worshiped as gods, but as manifestations of the Divine. Tree planting is considered a religious duty[endnoteRef:4]. [3: Gaia. “Hinduism and Ecology.” Hinduism and Ecology. Accessed October 26, 2019. http://www.environment-ecology.com/religion-and-ecology/279-hinduism-and-ecology.html. ] [4: Gaia. “Hinduism and Ecology.” Hinduism and Ecology. Accessed October 26, 2019. http://www.environment-ecology.com/religion-and-ecology/279-hinduism-and-ecology.html. ]

Causes of environmental destruction

Hindus can play a pivotal role in identifying environmental issues that are central to India and able to develop and implement effective solutions to address the most serious ones in a timely fashion. It is important to point out that internal and external forces such as secularism, years of British colonialism, capitalism and globalization have caused believers of the Hindu faith to turn away from religious ideologies of environmental protection in favor of the Western approach based on “sciences” to deal with modern environmental problems. It is obvious that Easterners and Westerners have opposite views when it comes to man’s responsibility towards nature. Within the three major monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, men considered themselves as the dominant beings over nature as opposed to Hindus who believe they are equals and must work together in harmony. Indira Nehru Gandhi, the only female Prime Minister of India and very much criticized for her policies, considered herself more as an environmentalist and naturalist than a politician. She reminded the nation of Emperor Ashoka’s decree to not only protect his citizens but also protect animal life and trees. She is credited for the implementation of four laws that govern environment regulation in India which are: “the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974, the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981”[endnoteRef:5]. Hinduism could be an impressive driving force behind India’s environmental ethics by providing the necessary guidelines based on their belief system. Hinduism can play an important part in addressing pollution issues if they educate their citizens on the principals of Hindu teachings in order to heighten the Indian people’s consciousness of environmental problems to find potential solutions[endnoteRef:6]. It is interesting to note that during they last election, they made little to no mention about climate change or environmental convervation. [5: Ians. “Indira Gandhi Saw Herself as an Environmentalist, Not Politician: Jairam Ramesh.” India.com, July 23, 2017. https://www.india.com/news/agencies/indira-gandhi-saw-herself-as-an-environmentalist-not-politician-jairam-ramesh-2344092/. ] [6: Ghaffar, Raham. “Environmental Problems and Solutions.” Envirocivil.com, March 8, 2013. https://envirocivil.com/environment/environmental-problems-and-solutions/.]

Hindu population & poverty

Current world population is estimated at 7.5 billion. In June 2019, the United Nations in their latest update, projected that global population would reach 10.9 billion by 2100 vice 11.2 billion. This decline is a result of a drop in the fertility rates observed in most part of the world. This decline is being attributed to increase level of urbanization. Currently, 54 per cent of the population lives in a city. The UN projects that by 2050, it will climb to 68 per cent. It has been observed that when people move to a city, they have fewer children[endnoteRef:7]. [7: “Is Population Control the Way to Fix Climate Change? | CBC News.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, October 25, 2019. https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/population-climate-change-1.5331133.]

Today, with its 1.1 billion Hindus, India has the largest world population of believers of Hinduism in the world. It represents 79% of total India population and close to 16 % of the world. Neighboring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan are home to 21 million, 13 million, and 4 million Hindus respectively. India is the second most populated democracy in the world and represents close to a fifth of the entire world’s population. The population density of India is considered very high with its estimated at 440.29 person per square km. India is almost three times denser than China[endnoteRef:8]. Population and environment are inseparable of each other, they are part of the same ecosystem. A severely overpopulated area will most likely lead to destroying the environment than to actively try to conserve it. According to a 2017 report published by Oxfam, an International Confederation of agencies fighting poverty, the richest 10% in India controls 80% of the nation’s wealth while the top 1% owns 58% of India’s wealth. By comparison, the richest 1% in the United States owns 37% of the wealth. About 60% of India’s nearly 1.3 billion people live on less than $3.10 a day, while 21%, or more than 250 million people, survive on less than $2 a day according to the World Bank’s median poverty line. Despite its billionaires, intellectuals, technology and being the single largest democracy in the world, India struggles with its enormous poor population. In India, almost 75% still lives in villages and leads a hardscrabble life of labor; only 11% owns a refrigerator; 35% cannot read and write[endnoteRef:9]. The issue of overpopulation being defined as having a population so dense as to cause environmental is being looked and impaired quality of life should not be viewed as the solution to fixing our trouble environment and climate change. Between 1975 and 1977, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, her government implemented a sterilization program to curtail the perceived problems caused by the ever-increasing population. As a result, an estimated 11 million men and women were forcibly sterilized. It was imposed upon the poorest and most vulnerable people in India. Such programs are forbidden, as there are in all respects similar to committing crimes against humanity. Instead, world leaders should put their energy and the financial resources towards education. In addition, special consideration should be given to the education of girls and women, which would protect women’s reproduction rights. It is widely acknowledged that women’s education has been a key factor in the overall decrease in birth rate among industrialized countries. Furthermore, it would be a more logical approach to control the population of livestock in the world. A change to the current law that forbid slaughtering of cows would go a long way to help with environmental issues and climate change. [8: “China Vs India by Population.” Comparing China and India by Population – StatisticsTimes.com. Accessed October 26, 2019. http://statisticstimes.com/demographics/china-vs-india-population.php. ] [9: Basu, Moni. “This Is What It Means to Be Poor in India Today.” CNN. Cable News Network. Accessed October 26, 2019. https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2017/10/world/i-on-india-income-gap/.]

Pollution

India has currently the worst air pollution in the world. Most Indian cities have and are still experiencing rapid urbanization. This rapid growth in urban India has translated into a tremendous increase for the need in electricity to power homes, businesses, a significant increase in the number of fossil fuels-based motorized vehicles have become the main source of air pollution. Environmental impacts are not limited to local air quality, greenhouse gas emissions from cows and vehicular traffic, damage nearby soil, vegetation, forest areas, aquatic systems, and groundwater. With two-thirds of India’s population depending directly on climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and forestry, it is essential that these problems are addressed sooner rather than later. Major efforts are needed to reduce air pollution such as reducing emission of pollutants and greenhouses gases to improve the quality of air. India has launched a “green” court on October 19, 2010 to make polluters pay damages as it steps up its policing of the country’s environmental laws. The country has also switched over to cleaner petrol and diesel. The government has almost reduced the acceptable limits for polluting gases to the half, gases like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. The key bits are that residential and industrial areas will have the same limits.

In conclusion, I found that India approach to environmental issues filled with contradictions. India had an election this spring, and the liberal view on environmental conservation and climate change is based on science while the conservatives are more in line with tradition and spiritual ideologies. To use Hinduism as an effective tool to address environmental conservation issues is a sound approach. The sheer numbers of followers is impressive. However, the government will need to revise some of their laws. In particular the law forbidding the slaughtering of cows. India is ranked 2nd in the world with around 1.5 billion head of cattle, representing over 12 percent of world inventory. Allowing cows to roam free with no control, does more damage to the environment than culling them. Unfortunately, for Hindus, killing animals causes bad karma to be released onto the world. Although, they believe they respect nature, they aren’t educating themselves on the effects over population of animals have on the earth. Since the independence of India, there has been a surge of religious officials and politicians that justify their environmental objectives by using sacred texts but without implementing proper educational systems and effective programs. Environment issues are complex. Without simultaneous improvements on the education, poverty, economics fronts, India will keep struggling to improve the state of their environment.

“Twenty-five years ago, people could be excused for not knowing much, or doing much about climate change. Today we have no excuse” -Desmond Tutu

Research shows that six in ten Americans receive their news from social media (Gladston, I., & Wing, T. 2019). Social media is a fast and effective way to inform its users of the status of the climate change crisis; With such an abundance of articles and information on social media platforms regarding our planet’s health, it has a way of drawing people in and allowing them to conceive their own opinions in regards to climate change. Whether climate change is real or a government conspiracy, is a massive topic that is constantly debated throughout social platforms. With the main focus from some of the older generations being that they had no issues like this back in their day, not realizing that the crisis has been brewing for many years, and is just now emerging from being dormant. Facts are shared and climate change evidence is being photographed and shared across the globe in efforts to inform the world of how serious this is. Another reason some people do not want to acknowledge that Climate change is real is because they don’t feel comfortable with changing their way of life. Besides the possibility of fake news being shared throughout social media, these platforms have proven to aid people in the effort to save the planet, by informing, spreading facts, and intensifying passion for the cause, and will prove to be a useful tool against global warming.

The discussion of climate change has been prevalent in the last couple of years, with many different viewpoints on how to tackle this issue; Conservation of our planet is a vital part of maintaining a viable environment for humans, animals and plants alike. In this fight against climate change, a big contributing factor in spreading awareness and aid has been through social media. Social media is a widespread database that connects the entire world, it is a huge platform with plenty of information and opinions; Even though this does come with many factors to be a dangerous tool, if utilized properly, social media can be a helpful tool in the fight against climate change. Many people in former generations see social media as a burden, cutting off people from the ‘real world’, however, many people who use social media have increased knowledge of world events through social media platforms. Social media is faster and more efficient in regards to acquiring the most information about climate change in the least amount of time. Focusing on the younger generation, who happen to have been born into the age where posting and sharing things on the internet is the easiest and fastest way to communicate with the world on how they’re feeling, what they’re doing and what interests them; With more access to information and more potential to make a change to the current decline of our planet, social media gives people the power to make the fight against climate change go viral.

Social media has become one of the most accessible sources of information in regards to climate change; Through social media, people can easily access and see what kind of changes and actions are being made in order to save the planet. In 2015, an agreement on climate was adopted between the Parties of UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), at the Paris Climate Conference. The Paris Agreement was created to bring awareness to the UN of the urgency to cut back on CO2 emissions in order to avoid a global warming crisis, this agreement is meant to take place from 2020 onward. This agreement took force on November 4th, 2016; ratified in 153 countries out of 197 parties. According to a report made following the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, the UN climate experts warn everyone that we must limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels; In order to limit these emissions, experts suggest, “Human-caused emissions of CO2 will need to fall by around 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero around 2050” (“The Chemical Engineer”, 2018, p. 8), this was covered in an article discussing climate change. These experts are pushing to reduce these emissions faster through means that produce less emissions, rather than using technology that removes CO2 from the atmosphere. The main concern is about eradicating the use of industrialized fossil fuels and replacing them with eco-friendly and sustainable energy, such as solar energy and wind energy; “Making the transition will require policies that put a high price on emissions, that increase investments in low-emission infrastructure and scrap regimes that subsidise fossil fuel use.” (“UN Climate Experts”, 2018, p. 9) These eco-friendly alternatives have seen a popularity increase in the last decade, with social media on its side to share to the world the benefits and the necessity of these sustainable resources. The parties involved in this agreement agreed to keep their efforts in lowering emissions open to the public, in order to ensure that each party is doing their part in addressing this crisis. With this kind of open policy, social media has taken an even bigger foothold in this globally addressed topic; This current generation is exposed to so much of the information regarding climate change all over the world, and has taken up arms by sharing articles and other information through means of social media. With this kind of publicity, Global warming has become a hot topic in today’s society, whether people believe it or not, its safe to say that they will see and hear about it at least once a day.

Social media platforms can highlight what is most popular on their platforms by basing them off of hashtags, the easiest and fastest way to make something that’s trending, go viral. This popularity on social media has taken precedence in trending hashtags such as #Savetheturtles and #Vegan. These are two topics that have become popularized all over social media, the first being a movement against plastic use after a video circulated across the social media platforms of a man rescuing a sea turtle by pulling a plastic straw out of its nose. This video sparked outrage across the world, and brought to people’s attention the detrimental effects that single use plastic has on wildlife. This movement has taken its role in being one of the most influential, creating new movements in order to save the oceans. Just from one single video, hundreds of other videos and articles were then popularized in order to fit with social media users interests. For example, when you’ve been watching videos on a specific subject and ‘like’ it, social media will then suggest other videos or articles based off of the content of the video you liked; In other words, “other videos you may be interested in”. This kind of algorithm exists within these platforms to allow the world to become exposed to an abundance of information and opinion pieces in order for people to create their own opinions; on climate change for example. The other trending hashtag of veganism, may have initially started with a controversial organization known as PETA, but the fad diet has now taken its own popularity by being endorsed by famous actors and social media influencers; sharing their stories on why and when they became vegan. Veganism is used as a source of climate change solutions for its affects against greenhouse gas emissions created by the livestock industry; a commonly known source of deforestation and CO2 emissions. Whether this diet is popularized for its health reasons or its effect on animals, it no doubt makes an impact on global warming. With the algorithm based off of the popularity of a hashtag, this is one of the most influential ways to spread the awareness of climate change through social media.

With the help of those trending hashtags, we must also look at the influencers behind them; With an increase in social media ‘fame’ it is now a goal to see who can become the most popular on social media platforms. One very influential person on social media in regards to climate change is Greta Thunberg. Greta Thunberg, a swedish 16 year old girl, has become a very popular influencer in climate change after her speech at the UN. This student activist started a strike ‘school strike for climate’, in 2018 the strike gained social media attention and took off, one single child in sweden inspired thousands of other kids all over the world to participate in the same strike. After that, Greta was invited to speak at all sorts of events, one in particular really tipped the scales, her speech at the UN climate action summit, where Greta was asked about the message she had for world leaders. Greta addressed the world and made it clear that young people are seeing the world leaders lack of urgency on the issue of climate change; “We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!” (Staff, N. P. R. 2019) This speech went viral on social media, with all kinds of response from the world, the video was even discussed over many different news channels. Former president Barack Obama referred to her as “one of our planet’s greatest advocates” (Obama, B. 2019). Greta was even mentioned in a tweet by the current president of the United States, Donald Trump, “She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future, so nice to see!” (Trump, D. J. 2019) although this message was perceived from the world to be a sarcastic remark, Greta took this quote and made it her bio on Twitter, showing the world that Greta would not be affected by these remarks. Another strong role model on social media is a man named Max La Manna, who is an environmental activist, popular on Instagram; Max is an influencer for living a ‘no-waste’ lifestyle, where he even had a book published called “More Plants Less Waste”, where he gives tips and guides on how to live a healthy and clean life that contributes to helping the planet. Without the help of his social media fame, Max would not have made as big of an impact on the world as he is now; With almost 1 million followers on his Instagram, that’s a lot of people who idealize and follow in his beliefs, or at least find them interesting enough to follow. With this kind of fan-base, it’s easy to spread your opinions and ideals so that other people will follow them as well.

Combining strong role models on social media and these trending viewpoints, the fight against climate change has taken face with single use plastic, and has increased the popularity of useful products that are also eco friendly. One product that has become very popular amongst this generation is the use of reusable straws in comparison to the single use plastic straws. In the past 20 years, plastic straws have become an increasing contributor to plastic pollution, because they are currently a non-recyclable single use, luxury item; and often end up in a dump. People are taking action against this epidemic by banning single use straws from restaurants and bars around the world; For example, Vancouver has completely banned straws, and Taiwan is banning single use plastic in general by 2030. Another popular eco-friendly product that has taken precedence in the world of social media is reusable shopping bags, in substitution of single-use plastic bags that are provided by most stores. Plastic bags are a significant source of marine plastic pollution, these bags take many years to break down, but the amount of bags used and discarded is growing faster than the bags are degrading. With the bags similar look to jellyfish when they are in the water, they have also become a detrimental factor in wildlife, where animals are consuming the plastic and dying. Plastic has been a reported problem since the 1970’s, with little studies on how to tackle the issue. Interventions have been made to help reduce single use plastic bags by bans, fees and taxes on companies who use plastic bags. Other than these bans, reusable bags are the newest trend in reducing plastic pollution, with the assistance of social media influencers popularizing the use of these bags.

Along with these changes to marine life, climate change also has a disastrous impact on our lands with natural disasters taking a rise these last few years. Social media has become a useful tool in preparing and aiding communities for natural disasters through communication; In an article from the International Journal of Industrial Engineering, data was collected from multiple social platforms to show the contribution in tracking these events happening across the world, this article illustrates that, “detecting and monitoring all the details of a disaster is helpful for relevant authority officers to make the correct responses in a timely manner and reduce loss resulting from disaster events” (Tsai, Hsieh, Teng, Hou, Freg & Tsao, 2018). Therefore, social media can assist in spreading information and keeping officials up to date on the status of a natural disaster. Although social media can cause the potential for misinformation or rumors to be spread, the benefits that social media creates in these disasters drastically outweighs the potential misdirection. Social media aids in authority officials responding quickly and efficiently, while reducing the amount of loss in the operation. Social media has an advantage here, as it is a world-wide accessible platform that provides an array of information to local happenings around the world; With these high speed data streams, local responders are able to tap into these social media platforms and use them to assist in where to go first and what is needed in the community. One example are the fires in California, this information can be accessed around the world in a blink of an eye. It does not take very long for natural disasters to become trending topics on social media, to the point where they are the first videos, pictures, articles and etc. that you see when you log on to your profile. With all of this proof showing that social media is a good and helpful thing, it is sometimes hard to see why it is not popular with everybody. Social media has a nasty reputation of spreading hate and mistrust between people; Building on the one emotion we all can be controlled by: fear. By latching onto these twisted views, people are able to manipulate others into believing what they are saying because multiple people have shared their thoughts. Although this split second of seeing a post that’s fake news, and then sharing it, doesn’t last a long time, it will always remain in the back of people’s minds. For example, when a person sees a bad article about a restaurant that they frequent, they will subconsciously remember to avoid that restaurant after reading that bad article. Using this knowledge, its safe to say that social media makes the spread of fake news even easier than it did when people just ‘heard it through the grapevine’. This sort of manipulation is used in reference to global warming by people sharing articles that ‘prove’ their theory of climate change being a hoax; No matter how many articles of scientific proof are shared, how many photos of polar bears that are emaciated because the ice is melting, no matter how much proof of climate change there is, people will always have a post, or article that states that its a hoax. The rise in climate change caused disasters, has utilized social media to save lives and spread awareness through its algorithm allowing popular world changes to be highlighted and spread across the world.

In summary, Climate change is a very real enemy, and we must act quickly to ensure the health of our planet; Social media is a useful tool that should be utilized to its fullest extent in assisting in bettering the world, in events where our world’s future is at stake.

References

1. Yue-Fu Tsai, Jih-Liang Hsieh, Wei-Guang Teng, Ting-Wei Hou, Chih-Pin Freg, & Yu-Chung Tsao. (2018). Discovering Disaster Events from Social Media Streams. International Journal of Industrial Engineering, 25(5), 685–701
2. Djurovic, G., Cetkovic, J., Djurovic, V., & Jablan, N. (2018). The Paris Agreement and Montenegro’s INDC: Assessing the Environmental, Social, and Economic Impacts of Selected Investments. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 27(3), 1019–1032
3. UN climate experts warn society must make unparalleled shift. (2018). TCE: The Chemical Engineer, (929), 8–10
4. Mackie, P., & Sim, F. (2014). The shock of the new. Public Health (Elsevier), 128(12), 1047–1048
5. Gharabaghi, K., & Anderson-Nathe, B. (2018). Children and youth in the era of climate change. Child & Youth Services, 39(4), 207–210
6. Staff, N. P. R. (2019, September 23). Transcript: Greta Thunberg’s Speech At The U.N. Climate Action Summit. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2019/09/23/763452863/transcript-greta-thunbergs-speech-at-the-u-n-climate-action-summit.
7. Trump, D. J. (2019, September 24). Twitter. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1176339522113679360?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed&ref_url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/24/donald-trump-tweet-greta-thunberg-seems-like-a-happy-young-girl/2426440001/.
8. Obama, B. (2019, September 17). Twitter. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1174056583610949632?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1174056583610949632&ref_url=https://www.businessinsider.com/obama-meets-with-greta-thunberg-video-tweet-fist-bump-2019-9.
9. Locker, M. (2018, June 1). Here are the U.S. cities that have banned plastic straws so far. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/40580132/here-are-the-u-s-cities-that-have-banned-plastic-straws-so-far.
10. Gladston, I., & Wing, T. (2019, August 27). Social Media and Public Polarization over Climate Change in the United States. Retrieved from http://climate.org/social-media-and-public-polarization-over-climate-change-in-the-united-states/.
11. Tutu, D. (2014, April 10). We need an apartheid-style boycott to save the planet. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/10/divest-fossil-fuels-climate-change-keystone-xl?CMP=fb_gu.

Subject Introduction

The extravagance of life on earth which is called as the Biodiversity, is a basic component which shows the wellbeing of the biological systems on the Planet (Salazar J, 2010 ) Every species in the environment, regardless of how little or how huge, every one of them have their very own specialties and thus it upgrades the environment efficiency. A heathy biodiversity offers Biological assets, Social advantages and environment administrations. The normal administrations given by sound biological system have direct relations to human Health. Anyway regardless of the significance, biodiversity is starting to face mass termination because of expanded anthropogenic exercises and may jeopardize the indispensable administrations given by the environment.

Presentation Summary

While we command this planet, it is fundamental that we secure and save the decent variety of nature to stay away from the nearing calamitous ecological results. To do as such, perception of worldwide biodiversity is required so as to more readily comprehend the appropriation of species, their capacities/jobs and their territory. With the goal that territories of high concerns can be preserved and ensured. Conventional field testing or in-situ biodiversity observing in the good ‘ol days were acquainted with concentrate the wide scope of biodiversity which is for the most part tedious, needs parcel of HR, and can be abnormally exorbitant. In addition, testing results can be controlled by human predisposition regardless of being led by a specialist. Subsequently remote detecting was utilized to screen biodiversity since it can convey proficient and financially savvy information of wide decent variety of plants which are not controlled by human feeling.

In the good ‘ol days the remote detecting technique was utilized to watch the patterns in biodiversity through earthbound perception satellites. Anyway it was not affirmed by the general population until it followed the impacts of tropical timberland misfortune on the adjustments in species lavishness, and as far back as then the utilization of remote detecting to screen biodiversity expanded.

Techniques and Materials

In the territories of rich biodiversity, remote detecting technique were applied to develop a database on vegetation biodiversity. Through the assistance of gear’s and advances, for example, Light Detection and going (LiDAR) and Imaging spectroscopy, the information gave were nitty gritty and thus definitely improved the dimensionality of remotely detected data.

So as to investigate the immense earthbound plant biodiversity, various techniques were presented, for example, natural surroundings mapping to assess biodiversity; species appropriation mapping; mapping and evaluating utilitarian decent variety through plant useful attributes; and assessing assorted variety through otherworldly decent variety (optical assorted variety). Through these techniques, numerous species, their living space, disseminations and jobs around the have been recognized.

Result

Through natural surroundings mapping, species-region bends and living space heterogeneity were found which administered plenitude of species. Through these techniques, the dissemination of individual species just as the species collection were likewise anticipated. These methodology brought about distinguishing regions of key species which was later recorded and rationed. Scotland and Great Britain embraced living space mapping to recognize and find prairie and deciduous forest.

So as to outline of species, fine otherworldly and spatial subtleties were utilized which gave nitty gritty basic and ghostly data of species dissemination with high spatial goals at local and neighborhood scale. Subsequently, it mapped overwhelming species like California Chaparral or even the vegetation types. In Australia, sensors, for example, Leaf reflectance (ASD) found the Tropical timberland. Through remote detecting, enormous plant useful decent variety were followed with the assistance of plant qualities and accordingly the transformative chronicles and natural changes were reflected and contemplated.

Assessing assorted variety through optical decent variety brought about giving data on species wealth in a region and ghastly species. These strategies offer ascent to diverting investigations of the plant biodiversity and help instruct or educate individuals on the bottomless plant biodiversity present on the earth.

Discourse

It is generally exceptionally hard to recognize and recognize every single plant species on earth using remote detecting. In any case, there are enhancements in the observing frameworks and systems to contemplate an immense number of animal types. A portion of the propelled thoughts and improvement methodologies are as rundown;

• Upgrading collusion between specialists from biodiversity and remote detecting to propel the checking frameworks and preservation of plant biodiversity.
• Developing advances that can be utilized distinctly for checking biodiversity and adding some propelled choices to it.
• Improving overall biodiversity evaluation and conservation by improving joint effort from interdisciplinary analysts, normal resource chiefs, money related specialists and arrangement producer.
• Through partner neighborhood and commonplace biodiversity perception, we can redesign attempts to screen the Earth’s biodiversity and even add new data to the present existing biodiversity perceptions.

Energy is certainly one of the most critical driving forces required to advance a country. It is not just an important ingredient in economic growth; it is key in maintaining a nation’s sustained sustainable growth. For all humans, the use of electricity is crucially important to maintain life on the planet since it contributes to the growth and technological advancements in our modern society. In the following essay, the central theme that I will be discussing and evaluating about will be regarding energy consumption as well as the economic and environmental consequences in relation to the country, principally Malaysia. It’s an expeditiously growing country in Southeast Asia, positioned in the north of the Equator, with the goal of achieving high-income country status. Its economic development is heavily reliant on its reliable energy resources, in specific natural gas and crude oil. Electricity production in Malaysia largely comes from the burning of restricted fossil fuel supplies, such as oil, coal or natural gas, which have tremendous effects on the environment.

In Malaysia, electricity production is substantially dependent on three major sources of fossil fuel, particularly regarding coal, natural gas, and fuel oil. Such generations of fossil-fuel-based energy have adverse impacts on the environment and deplete fuel reserves. This process of generating energy is primarily through non-renewable sources, given that the country is heavily dependent on it, with nearly 90.04% of the energy produced utilizing oil, natural gas, and coal. Regarding non-renewable sources, electricity production from coal sources is 42.28%, 46.6% from natural gas and lastly oil sources produce 1.16% of electricity. There are, however, efforts to generate energy in environmentally-friendly forms through the renewable energy processes and about 9.96% generating production by hydroelectricity, solar energy, and biomass.

Therefore, Malaysia is taking into consideration renewable energy and is currently relying heavily on non-renewable energy. Fossil fuels are paying an environmental toll. They are causing significant problems to both the environment and public health such as CO2 emissions leading to damage global warming and climate change as well as it also produces particulate matter, sulfur dioxide gas and other chemicals that may affect people’s health and can cause cancer, heart diseases, bronchitis, etc. They often trigger certain, more complex issues not quite so simple to see like pollution, and, stunt in growth of the surrounding ecosystem. For instance, The maximum of sulfur dioxide along with most of the nitrogen oxides are emitted by power plants as they burn fossil fuels, such as coal, for production of electricity.

The emissions from vehicles, vans, and buses also produce toxic nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. Such contaminants are triggering acid rain that damages houses, affects forests, marine life as well as insects. However, renewable energy can be found in several forms; for example solar power, hydropower, oil thenar biomass, and waste materials. Further studies by the government are now being undertaken to enhance their efficiency. As a country, Malaysia is now looking into the use of renewable energy more actively as it already has, and will continue to generate energy which creates no greenhouse gas emissions through fossil fuels, decreases air pollution of certain types in the environment, reduction of deforestation rates, eliminate citizens from poverty, and is more cost-effective, if put to use. In Malaysia total consumption of energy is high as subsidies are given to consumers. The nation invested a staggering of RM 16 bil on fossil fuels alone in 2017 to produce electricity.

In Malaysia, the following electricity generation approaches are utilized in various different forms. Firstly, as per the statistics recorded in 2017, the most electricity that is been consumed in the country is for industrial use, applying about 6145 ktoe, following commercial, approximately 3762 ktoe, 2610 ktoe for residential use and lastly 5 ktoe for the agricultural use. Ktoe refers to “Kilotonne of Oil Equivalent.” It’s the “tonne of oil equivalent (toe) is a unit of energy defined as the amount of energy released by burning one tonne of crude oil.” Information on Malaysia’s electricity consumption was recorded in November 2019 at 12,454,809 kWh mn. It tracks the rise of 12,351,969 kWh mn per Oct 2019 from the previous result. Malaysia’s statistics on electricity consumption are revised on a monthly basis, with a total of 6,576,100 kWh from January 1989 to November 2019.

Malaysia is wealthy with natural resources, a treasure that has much of water and obtains a high amount of rain per year used to generate electricity. Therefore in this country, the use of hydropower is important. Hydropower is a renewable energy source that generates very little greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, it’s the cheapest way to store vast amounts of electricity. The use of electrical energy is an essential element of a country’s economic development and of raising the overall standard of living of residents by reducing greenhouse gases that would be produced in turn. The increasing electricity consumption, the environmental consequences of the use of fossil fuels and the possibility of losing fossil fuels are the main themes that push us in the path of concentrating on hydropower as a supply of renewable technology.

The energy consumption has increased substantially, due to its value for conservation. The annual rate of global electricity generation use is projected to increase by 1.6% between 2009 and 2020. Almost all of the energy resources utilized are non-renewables, though, mostly fossil fuel supplemented by nuclear fuel. Fossil fuel contributed to 78.4% of total sustainable energy use, while 19% originated from renewables. The use of non-renewable resources has had negative environmental impacts such as acid rain, air pollution, global warming, degradation of the ozone layer and radioactive substance emissions. Although natural gas provides 50 to 60 percent less carbon dioxide when it burns, it creates increased levels of nitrogen oxides released into the environment. When formed, these gasses combine with other substances which create acid rain and smog. This is particularly dangerous to people and may have permanent side effects. These environmental issues affect the people residing in Malaysia as well as have been the main controversy in today’s world putting a strain on our planet. The solution for this environmental setback is to avoid the use of non-renewable fuels and change to renewable energy sources, along with solar, wind and water.

In conclusion, Malaysia is a fast-growing country. As a Minister of Energy, I believe that it is crucial for Malaysia to continue its path towards renewable energy sources instead of non-renewable energy. This can be achieved by continuously pursuing the field of hydropower and by 2030, creating goals for 75% of the energy to derive from hydropower rather than fossil fuels to prevent environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions,etc. In order to overcome the many adversities confronted by non-renewables, we can emphasize a renewable energy supply which is one of the greenest power sources and limits the mentioned negative effects. As our society is more aware of the significance of protecting our world, hydropower is the best option available to non-renewables, so many nations depend on sustainable products.

Hence the development of hydropower energy often occurs in various ways, tides, ocean currents, sea, the natural flow of water in rivers, etc. I, as a minister of energy, mark an aim to expand the electricity output through renewable sources by 35% before 2022. Therefore, solar energy has tremendous potential, as the nation has 12 hours of daylight a day, 365 days a year. The goal for the country to stay sustained is to achieve 2,500 megawatts (MW) or 15% of its solar power requirements by 2022. Due to its high safe geographical location, which has an equatorial environment, heavy rainfall, good access to the sea, multiple dams, and irrigation channels, the justification for a huge expansion of hydropower seems to have been. In addition to developing the energy industry in Malaysia, we will concentrate on all aspects, rather than just energy output. By extensively analyzing each factor we need to determine the right accessible source of energy.

diverseEnvironmental ethics is considered as a branch of ethics that studies established the foundation of environmental values, the relation of people in general with its atmosphere, concrete problems around societal approaches, actions, and policies to safeguard and sustain a wide range of diversity and ecological systems. Environmental ethics believe that nature includes mankind but also thousands of different enormous living creatures such as plants and animals which are also living organisms required for a balanced ecosystem. These elements are a necessary part of the natural atmosphere as well as play a vital role in human life. Hence, it’s important that each individual should respect and honor all other organisms. Furthermore, while all creatures are addressed as social imperatives, Environment ethics is mainly defined as the theory and experiential study concerning, the values and duties of its elements like us, mankind towards the biosphere.

In the classification of environmental ethics, the difference between the instrumental and intrinsic value of things has been of immense importance. The former suggests that the value of some things is more meaningful to other ends than their own good. While the other suggests that the value of some things is subject to end regardless of their usefulness to other ends. And because intrinsically valuable things are such in nature that they are good as an end in themselves, it’s commonly accepted that certain things of intrinsic value in nature, are needed to be preserved by their surrounding components like us, as our moral duty suggests. [1: The varieties of Intrinsic value, J. O’Neill, page 119-137]

In the division of environmental ethics, generally, there are two views. The initial perspective is termed a humanistic (anthropocentric) worldview. They assign intrinsic worth to mankind alone or they assign a considerably larger quantity of intrinsic worth to mankind as compared to any non-human things, such as the promotion of human interests or prosperity at the expanse of non-human things seems to be nearly even most the time. For instance, Aristotle states that “Nature has made all things specifically for the sake of man and that the value of non-human things in nature is merely instrumental.” [2: ‘Politics’, Aristotle, trans. E. Barker, Chap. 8, page 56]

In India, environmental safety isn’t a contemporary thought, however, has been in existence since past times. Throughout historic days mankind and the atmosphere were said to be indivisible. In past days man never had an instance to degrade the atmosphere except throughout the course of fulfilling his natural want and wishes, which were minimal and organized. Former men were fearful of the natural atmosphere and didn’t pluck up the courage to stand and contaminate it, as is the usual trend in current scenarios. Air, water, and land are mainly symbolic components of the natural environment. And if nature or its environment is tormented in excess, it damages us as well beyond repair. Henceforth, it is vital to know how to behave with various components of the environment and nature as we are codependent. The concept of ethics which guides an individual as to how to behave with the environment is known as environmental ethics. It mainly consists of principles of moral rightness or moral obligations towards the attributes of the environment, which are land, water, air, plants, and animals. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to explore the environmental ethics established since the old times and to investigate how far they are being followed by Indian environmental jurisprudence.

Hindu Environmental Ethics

The Vedas are known to be one of the primary texts in mankind related to Environmental behavior. They are globally recognized as the foremost precious Indian heritage. Since these religious times, the main motto of social life was “to live in harmony with nature”. Sages, saints, and great teachers of India used to live in forests, meditated, and expressed themselves in the form of Vedas, Upanishads, Smritis, and Dharmas. These literature writings of ancient times were followed in one form or the other in a religious attitude towards plants, trees, Earth(dharti), Sky(Akash), Air(Vayu), Water(Jal), and animals, to keep a compassionate perspective towards them. It was considered a spiritual responsibility of every individual to protect them. [3: Original of Environmental Science From Vedas, Shashi Tiwari]

The Vedic lifestyle was considered environmentally honorable. Igniting holy fire was a spiritually recognized mode of worship like lighting diyas during Sandhya. It was aimed to light this holy fire to keep the environment and its components healthy. The Yajurveda specified that the creator of the world authorized the sun and fire to be absorbed deep into the elements of our body to set apart their aqueous and somnolent characteristics. The elements of one’s body which are affected then become pure and clean and grant prosperity to men. Furthermore, it’s believed upon when butter is related to fire, the igniting flames and smoke eliminate unpleasant vibrations and smells from the atmosphere.

The Hindu community since the beginning always preserved an immense respect for nature, environmental peace, balance, and conservation. It guided man to show respect for the existence of divinity in nature. Henceforth, trees, animals more particularly cows, hills, mountains, and rivers are worshipped as a sign of honorable and symbolic components of nature.

An approach towards Hindu sacred literature works such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Smritis, Purina, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Gita which are spiritual scriptures including mythological stories, social and ethical codes and political rules commonly state that “Non- violence,” which is non-injury to both the living and non-living creations of the nature, the following were the common leading factors to be observed by all in their daily life:

· Man, being one among the formations of God, has no exceptional privileges or dominance over other creatures, on the other hand, he has more responsibilities as well as duties to shield and enhance them.

· All lives, human and non-human in nature, including plants and trees, are of equivalent worth and all have the same privileges for existence. It shows that the concept of purity and goodness of life is clearly established in the Hindu religion.

· Ahimsa Parmo Dharma (non-violence) is the dharma of the most supreme value, an individual should be non-violent towards animals, trees, and other microorganisms in this world. Hinsa or harm towards other organisms was considered the highest sin.

· All the components, air, water, soil, mountains, trees, animals, etc. are all the formation of God and he lives in all of them. Therefore, to cherish them is to worship Him-the creator of the world.

· It’s also believed upon that God and Goddesses demonstrate their anger when we mistreat the environment through acts of disruption around us like earthquakes, heavy rainfall, volcanic eruption, flood damages, etc.

As indicated by one native hypothesis set up in Upanishads, the universe comprises five fundamental components, 1) Earth or land, 2) Water, 3) Light or shine, 4) Air, and 5) Sky. Nature has kept a status of harmony between and among these constituents or components and living animals. An unsettling influence in the level of any constituents of the environment past specific cutoff points upsets the normal equilibrium, and any disbalance in the regular equilibrium creates lots of issues for the living organisms known to mankind. Various constituents of the environment exist with set associations with each other. The connection of mankind with the environment is inherent as he can’t live without it.

Numerous sections in Rigveda and Atharvaveda have been dedicated to the commendation of Lord Surya (Sun), Vayu (Ruler of Winds), Agni Devta (Divine force of Fire), Varun Devta (Lord of Water), Prithvi Mata (Mother Earth), Vanya Devi (Goddess of Forest), and so on. Henceforth, cutting off trees, and contaminating air, water, and land were viewed as sins, as components of nature were to be honored as Divine forces, next to God and Goddesses. Perseverance of their goodness and healthiness was viewed as an obligation of everybody.

Additionally, trees and plants have been viewed as essential for the existence of mankind. They have been considered honored, bestowers of good, and defenders of evil with an idea of God living in them. Trees and plants are considered the habitation of different Gods and Goddesses. This feeling of love additionally has a foundation of utility and spitefulness. The Rigveda contains a whole song about the commendation of mending properties of trees.

Environment protection is the process to conserve the natural environment by Society which includes individuals, different organizations, and laws and acts. The main purpose of environmental protection firstly does not to interfere with the natural environment, to keep it as it is, and conserve natural resources of water, air, and energy. Moreover, to repair and protect against damages that human activities have done to the environment. As we know that overuse of sources and the increase in population and technology is decreasing the value of the environment. That`s why, to protect the environment people do initiatives by themselves, as a part of organizations, and with the help of the government. They are making people aware of the importance of the environment globally and locally.

Like environmental protection, sustainability has the same value to us. Sustainability tells us about the fulfillment of needs by keeping in mind the needs of coming generations. Sustainability is approached through the conservation of the environment, social responsibility, and by development economically. In ancient times, it is said that water is our father, the air is mentor and earth is mother to us. The whole environment means a to us. We exist in different aspects of the environment. We need to take care of this environment. Without a healthy environment, neither our present nor our future will be pleasant. If human activities do not happen, then nature can progress within itself. But human activities have been damaging a lot of ecosystems. American Forests is doing a great job to preserve the environment and maintain its sustainability.

To protect the environment, American Forests are focusing on climate, social equity, water, and wildlife. These all are the main things to protect in this Era for better environmental sustainability.

Climate- The organization is focusing on climate solutions because the climate is a crucial part of the environment and it also helps to sustain the environment. To maintain climate change, they are focusing on forests. Because trees help to reduce carbon emissions, which are harmful to the environment. They are not only focusing on the big forest but also protecting trees in urban and rural areas,

Social equity- For a better environment social value is important. Because a healthy environment reflects healthy life and wealth in society. Fresh air never takes birth to fatal decease like asthma. Trees around us protect people from the blistering heat. A good environment provides us better life and society to live. Economically, environmental sustainability helps us because forests create jobs for local people as people take care of them.

Water- It is an integral part of environmental sustainability. Freshwater, is needed for the universe. To get fresh water, trees play the role of a filter. Together trees and Soil attract rainfall, which is important to environment. Trees control floods.

Wildlife- A forest is a home to a lot of different animals and bird species. These species are also a part of our nature and its environment. Animals live on Soil, birds in the sky, and water animals in the water. These creatures on their basis help nature to maintain its sustainability. Birds and animals are like people and these lovers help their creatures to main the environment for them and as well for the whole generation.

America Forests association:-

America Forests association was founded in the year 1875 by John Aston Warder. This association is a volunteer organization that was established to preserve the natural environment and the Woodlands of America. This organization was established after a decade of World war second. The main reason behind the formation of this organization was that after the industrial revolution, people started cutting more and more trees which enormously changed the climate. So, John Aston warder founded this organization to save the environment and individuals. This association mainly focused on the plantation of more and more trees in America and also to reduce the climate effects. It is one of the oldest organizations, founded in America after the world war. The main reason behind setting up their goal is to solve some problems like the problem of climatic change and imbalance in societies which they faced during the consumption of natural resources.

Mission:-

The mission of the American forest’s association is to cultivate sound woodlands by planting more and more trees. It also conveys fundamental advantages to the environment, individuals, and to other resources. The organization is driving forward its goals by establishing location-based partnerships and by taking some other steps.

Vision:-

The vision of this association is to create an environment that is well sustained and everyone has equal rights to all natural resources. This association promotes equality among environmental resources in every community in America.

Goals:-

This association has a plethora of goals that they wanted to complete until the year 2030. Some of their goals are listed below which they want to complete.

• Their prominent goal is to plant 4 million trees in a vast area of North America which will ultimately cover 16 million acres of property.
• The second goal is to install some indicators in nearly about a hundred cities in America which will tell the number of trees is enough or not for that particular state or city.
• To employ more and more people from the communities which do not have access to many resources in forest.

Founder:-

John Aston warder is the founder of the American forest’s association. He had a great love for nature and forestry from his childhood. He completed his graduation in the year 1836 in the medical stream and he also pursue his interest in nature and horticulture aside. He has a great love for nature so after practicing for 20 years in the medical field he left that and joined a horticulture organization after that in 1875 he founded this organization. He was a very good leader with having influential personality and he tried his best to preserve the environment and make every positive step to make changes in the Woodlands in America.

Projects:-

American Forests is an age-old organization that focuses on safeguarding forests. It works on propaganda that If we will take care of our forests, Forests will take care of us. In order to protect the environment, the organization has adopted various projects with a revolutionized view of American forests by the end of 2030.

Project 1: Restoration of large forests in America

This project focuses preservation of forests in North America. The aim of this project is to conserve the existing forests and restore them with reforestation techniques. For reforestation, the organization has delegated work to locals of that area.

The project focuses on safeguarding forests from various threats. One of the major threats is deforestation. Deforestation is done in many ways in American Forests. These can be summed up as under:

• a) The increasing population is leading due to reduced forest area. A large forest area is being converted into a residential area.
• b) The forest trees are catching diseases entering American forests through different parts of countries which makes them weak and vulnerable.
• c) Climatic changes and natural fires are making trees weak, unhealthy, and dead.

The need of the hour is to implement this project with dedication so as gain the following benefits:

• a) Getting a healthy environment for human survival
• b) Getting a healthy environment for the survival of wildlife
• c) Getting pure air, cleaner water, and an accurate climate.

Project: 2: Urban Forestry and Tree equality

Urban forestry may be defined as doing and taking care of the trees although it helps us to tell the exact location of the trees and where we should have to plant a tree as planting a tree in an accurate place gives us benefits and protects our climate.

Trees Equity is defined as everyone should have to get proper and balanced benefits from trees. Everyone should have to plant a tree to get the benefits of trees because trees play a crucial role in humans’ life as it gives a lot of benefits to humans and our climate.

If we do not plant trees then are a lot of disadvantages that are discussed below.

1. The first disadvantage is that in the area where there is the efficiency of trees then there is a chance to get a flood in that particular area.
2. The level of pollution will be increased in that area where the numbers of trees are fewer and it also disturbs the environment.
3. Chances to get heat in the homes due to fewer trees near the home.

Now talking about the advantages.

1. The advantage of planting trees is that the chances of flood will be reduced in that areas where there are huge trees.
2. The pollution will be controlled in the area where there are ample trees although it makes our environment clean and green.
3. Planting trees protect our homes from heat and trees also provide us shelter which is essential for human survival.

Both projects should be followed by American people with full dedication to protecting the environments and forests of America too.

Challenges:-

Although sufficient challenges may prove fruitful, difficult battles can come into plight situations that may put a bad impact on mankind. American Forest Organization has faced many problems related environment, to keep it clean but they are suffering from not having sufficient water, bushfires, rising sea levels, and others. Due to rising global warming at an alarming rate, Forestry in the US planned to grow more trees as possible; nevertheless, it’s becoming a challenge for forestry to seedling trees on a billion ratio and nurseries of the nation have to seed doubled their normal output, yet to grow plants at doubled amount, nurseries have requirement of more land and seeds as well. In addition, it is mandatory to prevent the loss of trees that already exist in the ground and to plant more trees as plants make the air clean, convert detrimental variants of gases that are in the air into good ones, and assist to stop getting temperature warm which is the major cause of forest fires and rising sea levels. Despite this, there are possible approaches that can be adopted by both public and law enforcement agencies such as planting trees on personal property or in their neighborhood, to convey to people this policy forestries got to face up-hill battle owing to American citizens were not ready to grow trees at their yards, it has become mentality of individuals to keep gardens spic and span. Furthermore, people were less aware of the environmental issues; rather concerning about the environment, they kept themselves busy buying materialistic Stuff to make their lifestyle better, however, people didn`t know that making the environment better makes mankind`s lifestyle better as well. Therefore, forest firms finalize to rise awareness of this phenomenon is immense. Fundamental, using social media platforms that can draw public attention to the issues of climate and how communities can confront it.

Along with this, the budget of the President of America is particularly notable for preparing the forest for threats such as Wildfires, droughts, and conservation or restoration, yet it is extremely disappointing because this budget is not helping to render any enhancement to the community or forestry. AS, it can see easily the higher rates of illness and deaths of species, dirtier air, and water, even under the surface of the earth, by dint of not having many trees. The situation is the same after the budget of JOE BIDEN and before as well. Hence, there are a plethora of Challenges that are faced by the American Forest Organization and will have to cope with in a very gentle and serviceable way in the future.

Introduction

A forest is an area that is covered with trees, plants, and animals. Forests are very important for the survival of animals that support human life. Pakistan is an agricultural country. Pakistan has almost 4.2 million ha of planted trees and agricultural forests. It’s about 4.8% of the total land area. In Pakistan’s hilly areas, about 40% forest comprises coniferous and scrub forests. The balance includes irrigated plantations, the riverine forests along major rivers of the Indus plains, mangrove forests of the Indus delta, and trees planted on farmland. Pakistan is comparatively forest poor. With only 0.05 ha per capita against world averages of 1 ha. Forests provide timber, firewood, forage, and many medicinal plant species, and forest increase productivity, and soil fertility. They provide vital coverage to the country’s watershed. One of the important factors is that forests provide recreational facilities. Forest sustains the newspaper industry, paper hardboard, plywood sports goods, and a host of cottage industries. In arid areas forests increase the amount of rainfall. Today all the necessities of human life are directly or indirectly connected with forest wealth. The economic growth of an agricultural country like Pakistan depends on its forest production and its distribution. Trees provide excellent raw materials for industries. The high population rate in Pakistan is 2.61% pushing the figure down and, at present, it is possible to grow as more as we can plants. For this former should encourage planting trees on farmland and wasteland to help ameliorate the situation.

Importance of forests in Pakistan

Forests make possible the survival of living things existing in a region by providing oxygen to them. About 4% of the total area of Pakistan is covered with forests. Mainly forests provide lumbar, paper, fuelwood, latex, and medicines. Forests also provide the environment for the conservation of wildlife. Forest is also called the green gold of the country. Forest importance can be judged by the following facts:

The ecological role of forests

Climatic conductions in our country induced by the use of forests and tree have been aggregated, Pakistan is the most affected region in Asia to which the main concern has been given to cooperation and implementation by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and important activity in desertification control is stabilized sand dunes. This activity has been adopted in West Africa North Africa and in Asia (India, Iran, etc).

• Forests shield many issues which affect climate at the worldwide level as well as regionally and locally.
• Forests are a source of edible products including honey, fungi, meat, mushroom, forage, for
• Forests offer habitat for plants and animals and they affect the level and timing of water flowing out of the forested area as well as rates of soil shape or erosion.
• Forests are one of a number of important elements in the global cycling of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and many other gases which influences the composition of the earth’s atmosphere.
• All over the world, forests have been a source of inspiration for people who live in forests or near them and have known forests, forest woods, or even individual trees as sacred objects.
• Forests provide many ecological and environmental services. In most cases, the forest environment is one component in a complex communication in which factors such as the location area of the forested area, geology, flora, and fauna activities all play a role. Different classification of the significance of forests in problems such as climate change, water flow in streams, or soil erosion is often related to the difficulty of measuring the role of forest ecosystems in the phenomenon in question.
• The global climate differs with changes in the polar ice caps, in external and internal surface temperatures of the waters, by absorption, reflection, and transmission of energy in the form of heat and from the surface of the land. Nearly two-thirds of the surface of the globe is covered by water (oceans) and the polar ice caps, rather than forests and other land features, are the most significant physical features of the globe affecting climate.
• Forest cover disturbs the absorption, reflection, and transmission of light and heat from the surface of the ground, and of water from the forest due to processes of evaporation and transpiration. On a global scale, very large areas of forest appear to have an admirable effect on climate and precipitation, although small areas of the forest do have some effects on the local climate.
• Archaeologically it was believed that the presence of forests plays a vital role in rain or in increasing rainfall. In the last 45 years, it has become possible to say the movements of water vapors and atmospheric gases to develop a clear idea of the role played by forests in moderating or regulating rainfall. In moderate regions and hot regions such as Southeast Asia, the main source of water vapors in the atmosphere is evaporation at the surface of the oceans. In the Amazon Basin, however, nearly fifty percent of water vapor in the region of Manaus and Belem appears to be “recycled” from the forest.
• Forest plays a role in the regulation cycles of water flow. Since factors such as density of foliage, temperature, and the decomposed vegetation layer on the forest floor, absorption of the soils, slope, and geology all infuse the water flow, it is impossible to state definitely that forests increase or decrease the flow of water. It would be to say that forest cover does moderate the effects of factors such as snowmelt, decreasing the livelihood of downstream water flow and increasing the time during which water flow can recharge underground reserves.
• The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says water cycling is the most important environmental service provided by forest areas.
• Water cycling is another important environmental service of forests. One of the probable effects that would result from a significant increase in the extent of cutting of trees in Amazonia and other parts of Brazil would reduce in precipitation, especially during the dry season. The same effects have been intended for the effects of forests on rainfall in the Pakistan subcontinent, and tropical forest defense has been shown to produce drought mitigation and flood mitigation benefits in Indonesia.
• During photosynthesis, plants take carbon dioxide and convert it into carbon and oxygen. Forests have a significant environmental function in fixing and storing C from the atmosphere. Increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere seems to be one of the aspects leading to changes in the climate so there is growing attention to the role of forests as a promising factor in mitigating global climate change.
• Every year as plants grow and rise their biomass, plants absorb C from the atmosphere and store it in plant tissue. This process is called carbon sequestration. Despite constant called carbon sequestration. Despite constant changes in C between forests, soils, and the environment, a large amount is always saved in plants’ leaves and woody parts, roots, and soil nutrients. This amount of C is known as the carbon store. Carbon sequestration and storage decrease the rate at which carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere and mitigate global warming. Forests sequester and store more C than any other ecosystem, and create an important natural defense against the change in the climate.

Source of Foreign Exchange

Goods like honey, timber, and oil which are non-wood products also obtained from forests and can be exported to other countries. So it is also a source of foreign exchange.

Source of Raw material

Many industries like furniture, sports goods, and paper industry get their raw material from forests. Forests play a vital role in the establishment of industries.

Source of Employment

Five hundred thousand workers are employed in forestry and related industries like village carpentry, logging, and the manufacture of timber components for the contrition industry.

Source of Fuel

Forests provide 32% of Pakistan’s total energy needs in the form of fuel wood. Forests provide fuel for domestic and industrial utilization. Being cheap its contribution is more as compared to oil and electricity.

Climatic importance

As the overpopulation increases day by day the climatic condition of Pakistan is also affecting day by day. Only forests make the climate safe and sound. So population influence can be decreased by increasing forest area.

Source of Government Income

Pakistani government earns a lot of income from the forest. The sale of timber products of forests added to the revenue.

Attraction of Tourists

Hilly areas in Pakistan due to their greenery and bundle of plants attract tourists and earn foreign exchange for the country. All human life directly or indirectly gets benefits from the forest. Besides the greenery and nature of forests, trees are helpful for increasing the economy of a country. Pakistan’s annual wood requirement is about 22 million cubic feet in the shape of timber wood but our country is produce only 11 million cubic feet. We have a lack of forest our needs but this can be overcome by Afforestation practice. It is estimated that if we want an afforestation program to overcome or to increase the forest according to our needs then it will require 100 years to raise the present situation.