The Amazon became an alternative classroom during the pandemic. Now, the educational forest in Batraja, Bolivia, lives on to teach children and adults the value of nature.
Forests
5 environmental challenges to be faced with sustainable behaviours
Here are the top 5 most important environmental challenges for sustainability that only those who adopt sustainable behaviours can face.
All human activities have a negative impact on the Earth. We consume more resources than the Planet can offer. To meet the increasing demand of raw materials, we damage the ecosystems with intensive and polluting practices. The future of human beings depends on the decisions the society and governments are making now. These decisions are also influenced by the daily choices of every single person.
To tackle the Earth’s problems, all men and women have to commit themselves to protect the world natural heritage. Conscious societies should use technology, innovations and cooperation to change the development trend towards a sustainable growth respectful of the environment.
Desertification
The UN declared 17th June World Day to Combat Desertification to promote public awareness on climate change through some practices to contain soil drying up. Desertification can be tackled by choosing food products from sustainable agriculture, i.e. from those regions of the world where the land is not cultivated intensively or with one-crop systems, which are harmful to the soil, aquifers and can cause deforestation. Farming practices based on circular economy, i.e. those that return the nutrients used during the farming process to the land and organic farming should replace industrialised mass production. Being aware of the environmental impact of the food we eat and reading food labels is necessary to fight the spread of environmentally damaging practices every day.
Soil exploitation and overbuilding
The concrete is harmful to the land. Because of human activities including pulluting farming practices, soil contamination, building and infrastructure construction, farming soils are damaged and impervious. All of us can limit the effects of soil exploitation. For example, by not buying a new house, thus avoiding to incentivise the urbanisation of farming or natural fields. Restoring an already existing house, according to current regulations on energy efficiency, has a lower environmental impact on the soil and subsoil than buying a new one.
Food waste
One-third of all food produced worldwide is wasted: a part is lost during the processing, a part is thrown away by consumers. 1.3 billion tonnes of edible food is wasted annually. It is necessary to adopt a sustainable lifestyle, respectful of the resources the Planet gives us in order to face poverty and food insecurity. Buying the appropriate amount of food products for the family members, using leftovers to prepare new meals, choosing supermarkets that donate the food about to go bad are a few solution to the problem. France chose to oblige supermarkets to donate the food about to go bad to non-profit organisations.
Loss of biodiversity
To protect biodiversity it is important to know that there are thousands of plant species that can be cultivated in a sustainable way. Respecting biodiversity also means choosing and recognising seasonal fruits and vegetables. That’s why reading up on food properties, on the way in which they were produced and making sure that they are all from a short supply chain is so important. Another way to protect biodiversity is getting to know and support national parks and reserves.
Pollution
The means of transport we use in our everyday journeys are one of the major causes of air pollution and CO2 emissions. Opting for a sustainable way of moving and choosing to meet the energy demand through innovative technologies powered by clean energy is one of the first things aware people should do. Fossil fuels are things of the past. As for mobility, these polluting sources have been replaced by the hybrid and the more innovative hydrogen technology in public transports as well as private vehicles. If the scarcity of refuelling stations prevented the spread of cars fuelled with alternative sources, the development of smart grids, the network of electricity and hydrogen supply, is the most appropriate solution towards sustainable mobility.
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