ecological > what is ecological living?
"protects the planet, supports other species and futureproofs humankind"
Ecological living is about protecting and preserving the environment of planet Earth, through recognising the uniqueness of its various eco-systems and species. Every individual habitat supports all manner of life.
Habitats around the world are under threat from human activity because we have changed the world to suit ourselves, promoting the uniqueness of our species at the expense of others. Damage is caused to the environment through processes such as industrial and domestic pollution, raw material extraction, construction and agricultural development. In addition, climate change will probably endanger sensitive eco-systems that fail to adapt as the planet warms.
It is said that everyone has an ecological footprint, which represents the effect we have upon the planet in the course of our activities. The more environmental damage our activities cause, the greater the ecological footprint that’s created and left behind for future generations to cope with.
The environmental impact of humans is felt in two ways, as a threat to the bio-diversity of the Earth and from the danger of climate change. From these challenges, nature conservation and sustainability promotion have emerged to highlight problems, offer solutions and educate new attitudes that help people to alter their behaviour.
This is often seen as government territory, because they seemingly have the power to make and enforce laws in these areas, but individually, we can also take responsibility for our own ecological foot print and seek to reduce it. For example, choosing an organic lifestyle helps to reduce chemical usage in the countryside and encourages wildlife, or recycling household rubbish means less landfill and helps in carbon reduction.
Want to see what impact your lifestyle is having on the planet? The Ecological Footprint Quiz from My Footprint uses your responses to 27 easy questions to estimate the amount of land and ocean area required to sustain your consumption patterns and absorb your wastes on an annual basis.
To see Broadband Films on the Environment go to Green TV.
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