140. ... We need only recall how ecosystems interact in dispersing carbon dioxide, purifying water, controlling illnesses and epidemics, forming soil, breaking down waste, and in many other ways which we overlook or simply do not know about.... So, when we speak of “sustainable use”, consideration must always be given to each ecosystem’s regenerative ability in its different areas and aspects.
Reflection: Ecosystems – big and small – depend upon sustainable relationships. Plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscapes, interact in particular geographic areas to create systems of life. Change or remove elements and the ecosystem adjusts…to a point. Some of our ecosystems are on the verge of collapse.
Action: 2021–2030 is the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Explore the website. Watch a documentary series about places where nature is making a comeback.
