At a glance; the beach is a destination, a slice of paradise, a place to enjoy anyway you can; surfing, swimming, sunning; it’s a meeting place. But what creates this paradise?… What lies below the surface, working away, connecting to us from a microscopic system of naturally occurring destruction and creation that nourishes all the sea life we adore to witness?
Did you know that without one little worm’s existence our oceans would be covered in drifting logs, dolphins and whales would become extinct without access to air, sea birds; gone, and seaweed below would die without its sunlight? The life supplying nutrients that it provides for sea turtles and the smaller fish would also be gone and, thus, so would they. In this extreme you can see here how a cycle can be effected. Each animal has its place, and its significance is unimaginable, it’s mysterious yet profound effect is unquestionable. However, we continue to allow all of these animals, all of the effects of our industrialization and the rapidness of the frantically greedy hands smoking up the planet in global warming, to become invisible to us. To close our eyes… to live in a dream of paradise, while true paradise is all around us, open for appreciation and to bask in its splendor will ultimately lead to us waking up to a nightmare.
Humans stand on the evolutionary ladder as consciously effective beings on Earth; it is our birthright AND our responsibility to live in a beautiful world. Nature will continue to survive, she cannot be killed, she is the very forces of destruction and creation herself. But as we face the biggest extinction of animals and plants in the geological history of this planet, we must ask ourselves… why will nature want to keep us? While we work against her; her thousands of years of evolution and cyclic rhythms that is birth to all we see today.
Intricate ecosystems conduct the world that we know today, and these have been working for millions of years to create the beauty we see in nature as we know it. Its rhythmic cycles developed well before the footprint of humans grew larger and larger. Construction of all types wreaks havoc on Australia’s coastlines, diminishing vegetation, disrupting natural processes and ignoring the signs from nature such as the decrease in species. The Gold Coast is Australia’s most bio diverse region, home to 58 known ecosystems; with 1600 native plant species… 88 of these are endangered…. 700 native animal species… 51 of these are endangered.
Climate change is being caused by our own hands due to;
- Greenhouse emissions from burning fossil fuels such as gas, coal and oil.
- Industrial pollution.
- Deforestation - creating about 6 billion tons of CO2 per year (trees absorb CO2 pollution).
- And an increase in world population means more food, more energy and a heavy demand to transport – all adding to more Greenhouse gases.
JUST some WAYS TO REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING
ENERGY USE: install solar power/ hot water, Insulate hot water pipes, Use cold water for washing, Change to a renewable energy retailer
FOOD: Buy locally produced food or grow your own, Reduce food waste (compost), Reduce meat consumption, Use products with less packaging
REDUCE WATER USE: Embrace to bucket flush, Don’t pre rinse your dishes, Load your dishwasher properly, Fix leaky sinks and running toilets and Turn off the tap.
ENJOY SIMPLE LIVING: Buy less, Give to charities, Buy gifts from charities
SUPPORT POLICIES THAT: Address the global population explosion, Curb unsustainable economic growth and create sustainable employment
REDUCE DEFORESTATION: Recycle paper and cardboard, Plant Trees
TRAVELLING: Use public transport, Combine journeys/ carpool, Walk or use a bicycle, Keep car engine tuned, Work from home, Holiday closer to home, Minimize the load in your vehicle, Consider buying a small car or hybrid
ENERGY USE: install solar power/ hot water, Insulate hot water pipes, Use cold water for washing, Change to a renewable energy retailer
FOOD: Buy locally produced food or grow your own, Reduce food waste (compost), Reduce meat consumption, Use products with less packaging
REDUCE WATER USE: Embrace to bucket flush, Don’t pre rinse your dishes, Load your dishwasher properly, Fix leaky sinks and running toilets and Turn off the tap.
ENJOY SIMPLE LIVING: Buy less, Give to charities, Buy gifts from charities
SUPPORT POLICIES THAT: Address the global population explosion, Curb unsustainable economic growth and create sustainable employment
REDUCE DEFORESTATION: Recycle paper and cardboard, Plant Trees
TRAVELLING: Use public transport, Combine journeys/ carpool, Walk or use a bicycle, Keep car engine tuned, Work from home, Holiday closer to home, Minimize the load in your vehicle, Consider buying a small car or hybrid
WHAT INITIATIVES CAN YOU CREATE IN YOUR COMMUNITY TO HELP REDUCE WASTE AND FOR WORKING WITH AND FOR NATURE?
Visitwww.calderaenvironmentcentre.org for how to help, other links, and the latest news and events coming up in your community.
