Kareiva defines “Anthropocene” as an era in which humans dominate and impact all aspects of Earth’s environment – from the land to the ocean. This includes “the planet’s ecology and geochemistry.” There is no doubt that the significant influence of human activities has contributed to the extinction of many species. Kareiva even states that “it is impossible to find a place on Earth that is unmarked by human activity.” With the ever increasing human population, nature is being exploited as habitats are destroyed and animals are hunted. Hence, biodiversity is slowly declining within the ecosystem. However, this human era has experienced incredible advancements in technology and way of life. We enjoy the comfort of heat and driving around, both of which emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. We build new towns and buildings at the price of deforestation. We overfish to satisfy our demands, contributing to the collapse of the marine food chain.
Perhaps the best solution is comprehend and understand the central issue. Humans want to improve and advance alongside modernization. Meanwhile, it is impossible to revert nature back to the way it was before. We should however, take into consideration the effects of all our actions on our environment. Thus, all developmental decisions should be incorporated with the notion of being eco-friendly – the right kind of development. People should be educated on the importance of our environment. This would instill appreciation and conservation of nature at heart. Throughout the years, humans have made efforts at going “green”.
The same idea can be found in the Science Magazine. Vitousek defines “urban ecology” as the interaction between species and urban communities. Humans have created civilization alongside nature. There is a struggle to between the two as urbanization and modernization compete with the natural environment. We share planet Earth with nature. However, we develop at the expense of the ecosystem. Animals are displaced as habitats are replaced by buildings. Harmful chemicals such as DDT were released into the environment to kill “pests”. Factories, automobiles, and fossil fuels contribute to air pollution and ozone depletion. Vitousek argues the solution of reducing the rate in which we change our planet so that ecosystems can better adapt. We humans are responsible for Earth and the ecosystems we are surrounded by.
I believe that both Kareiva and Vitousek’s solutions are useful ways of approaching the issue of humans versus nature. Both argue that humans have impacted the ecosystem in a negative way. We have neglected nature through societal advancements. More has to be done to stop the detrimental impact we continue to make on the environment. By educating people to be more mindful of our environment, we can reduce our deleterious footprints. When we make societal developments, we should keep the importance of nature at heart. This way, we humans can bring some positive light to this struggle.
