EarthFocus
› home| • Take-a-Hike! • Conservation • Energy Efficiency • Recycling Toxics • US National Parks • Atmospheric Research |
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| • Climate
Change (UN)
• Animal Rights (tough) • GMOs |
| Focus |
| • What
is EarthFocus? • What's the Point? • Techniques • Steve • Contact |
| “Now I used to think I was cool, running around on fossil fuel, until I saw what I was doin’ was drivin' down the road to ruin.” – James Taylor |
| This is the only Earth we'll get.
Most environmental changes are subtle and may seem inconsequential,
but have profound effect over the long-term. Even the smallest change
affects our ecosystem because we live in a closed environment where
every process is interdependent, and every molecule is 'recycled.' Conservation is important on both a micro (individual), and macro (world) level. As individuals we make choices every day that cumulatively impact our environment. The effects can be neutral (a good thing, as Earth historically maintains a balance when left on its own), or can degrade our environment. Resource use in the US is disproportionately high as compared to other countries. Bigger is not better when it impacts resource use and increases pollution. According to one study, if we improve the average gas mileage of all our vehicles by 7mpg, dependency on foreign sources of oil would be eliminated. Better yet, if we focus on developing (and utilizing) alternative fuels now, we'll be less catastrophically affected as oil reserves become depleted. Significant climate changes have taken place several times during Earth's 4.5 billion year history, but none were caused by its inhabitants. Pollution and global warming is entirely humans' creation, and the risk is that changes happen too fast for compensatory adaptation by the environment and humans who depend on it. Extinction has been a regular occurrence on Earth since the beginning; species come and go, but one scientist estimated our current extinction rate at 120,000x the average over Earth's history! We seem technologically in control of our fate, yet still entirely dependant upon our environment to survive. Perhaps technology's rate of advance exceeds our ability to understand its long-term consequences. |
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 Steve hugs tree |
| Image Topics |
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& White • On the Road • Connecticut • Greenwich Point • California • Colorado • Utah Rocks! • New Mexico • Sedona • Hawaii • Yellowstone+ • Rocky Mountain • Yosemite • Glacier • Olympic • Grand Canyon • New Zealand • Australia • Canada • Egypt • Europe+ • Italy • Seashore • Flora • Creatures • Zoo Creatures • Sport • Patterns • *Whatever* • Is it Art? |