There have been many conferences, many a keynote speaker, and much talk on the subject of sustainability.  There is substantial literature on how human being uneven population distribution) through economic development, principally modern agriculture. This is partially because humans use agricultural and development methods that decrease biodiversity. It is also because human development decreases natural habitats. Development has exacerbated the decline of biodiversity in two particular ways. The first of these is through so-called "underdevelopment" or rather, unsustainable practices in impoverished areas. The other is expansion of development in less impoverished areas. Global warming is another major factor as migrating species are no longer able to escape areas rendered uninhabitable. There is reduced habitat, and thus, decreased diversity as a result of this. This can be evidenced from studies that demonstrate decreased vegetation distribution and shifts in biome boundaries, both of which can reduce the biodiversity of species in those regions. Due to this factors, we will have to make huge changes in how we treat the planet.

Us and the Land

Destruction of life in our era is different from those past because of the sheer scale of extinctions and ecosystem collapse. We are susceptible to environmental collapse because of the economic growth mechanisms that we ourselves have created. Therefore, the problem of ecological destruction (and environmental catastrophe in general) is a matter of collective will. But collective will is not a simple concept in and of itself. The collective is a grouping of people and associations that easily becomes tangled in its own complexity. The collective is a mess of opinions and intentions and a functional system of effective policy requires the proper channeling of viewpoints into realistic decision-making. Lack of political will is more complex than that, but it is important to remember that true politics is everything that occurs between and among people. It is important to realize that there will always be fringes that do not necessarily have the most logical or even well-meaning perception of the issue at hand, and therefore, the ingenuity of the human race is not always easily harnessed. And yet, mobilizing to fight environmental catastrophes does happen from time to time. Examples? Native Americans working to block oil pipelines, stream restoration by high-schoolers, urban farming, the list goes on. All of these projects demonstrate the effectiveness of community organization because within the framework of preexisting relationships, it becomes easier to begin dialogue.

Living sustainable lifestyles is all about engendering community, and hopefully- structural support, be it political, economic, or otherwise. Sustainability is an act of subversion against some aspects of social and capitalist doctrine- including but limited to materialism, consumption, and increased resource extraction and waste. “We are in an era of profound change that urgently requires new ways of thinking instead of more business as usual; capitalism, in its current form, has no place in the world around us”, Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum said. But in order to subvert the system, these pre-existing structures must be harnessed in transformative ways, by utilizing the more beneficial aspects of their mechanisms and limiting and redirecting negative aspects. Emphasis on the ‘in its current form’.

An Ecological Perspective

Environmentalism has resulted in a new perspective regarding the preservation of the natural community. There is a very self-serving perception that nature is only valuable in terms of the economic or practical benefits to humans. But we are part of an environment, rather than the recipients of select benefits. Due to the interconnected nature of our world, damaging some aspects of nature can have irrevocable consequences throughout the ecological web. Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” follows similar reasoning, and other notable thinkers have presented ideas on environmental ethics.

It is important to remember that we are inextricably linked with the natural world and even in thought, we remain accountable to and a composite part of that ecosystem.