how to protect the nature essay

Essay on Conservation of Nature for Students and Children

500+ words essay on conservation of nature.

Nature has provided us numerous gifts such as air , water, land, sunlight , minerals, plants, and animals. All these gifts of nature make our earth a place worth living. Existence on Earth would not be possible without any of these. Now, while these natural resources are present on Earth in plenty. Unfortunately, the necessity of most of these has increased extremely over the centuries due to growth in the human population.

What is Conservation of Nature?

Conservation of nature means the preservation of forests, land, water bodies, and minerals, fuels, natural gases, etc. And to make sure that all these continue to be available in abundance. Thus all these natural resources make life worth living on Earth. Life would not be imaginable without air, water, sunlight as well as other natural resources present on the earth.

Thus, it is essential to conserve these resources in order to retain the environment integral. Here is a look at the types of natural resources existing on Earth and the ways to conserve these:

Types of Natural Resources:

• Renewable Resources : These are resources such as air, water, and sunlight that refill naturally.
• Non-Renewable Resources: These are resources like fossil fuels and minerals that do not restock reform very slowly.
• Biotic: These originate from living beings and organic material like plants and animals.
• Abiotic: These come from non-living things and non-organic material. These comprise air, water, and land as well as metals like iron, copper, and silver.

Natural resources are also categories such as actual resources, reserve resources, stock resources and potential resources based on their development stage.

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How to Conserve Nature and Its Resources?

Many of the natural resources are being used at a faster rate as compared to their speed of production. There is so a necessity for conservation of nature and the natural resources it offers. Here are some of the ways in which these resources can be conserved:

Reduce Water Consumption

Water is available in abundance on Earth . This is one of the reasons people do not consider much before using it. However, if we keep using it at this speed. In the future, we may not be left with as much of it. Therefore, simple things such as turn off the tap while brushing or reuse the leftover water to water the plants can help in this direction.

Reduce Usage of Electricity

Use only as much energy as you require. It is thus advised to limit the usage of electricity. Simple habits such as turning off the lights before parting your room, turn off the electric appliances after use.  Switching to energy-saving fluorescent or LED bulbs can make a change.

Restrict Usage of Paper

Paper manufacturing depends only on trees. Increasing the use of paper means encouraging deforestation . This is one of the key reasons for concern is in today’s time Always ensure you use only as much paper as necessary. Stop taking print outs and use e-copies instead to do your bit.

Use Newer Agricultural Methods

The government must aware the methods such as mixed cropping, crop rotation. Also, the government should teach the minimum use of pesticides, insecticides. Appropriate use of manures , bio-fertilizers, and organic fertilizers to the farmers.

Spread Awareness

Spreading awareness about the conservation of nature is always a necessary step. It can be achieved only when more and more people understand its importance and the ways in which they can help. Besides this, it is essential to plant more and more tress. It is necessary to contribute towards lowering air pollution. We must use shared transport and employing rainwater harvesting systems to conserve nature.

Nature comprises of everything that surrounds us. The trees, forests, rivers, rivulets, soil, air all are the part of nature. Keeping nature and its resources integral. So, it is very important for the continuation of life on earth. It would be difficult to imagine life on earth, which has a spoiled natural environment.

Therefore, taking appropriate steps to conserve nature in its untouched form. It must be a priority for the human race. Only human beings with their power and ability can save nature in its purest forms.

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How Can We All Help Conserve Nature?

When we speak about conserving nature, we are really talking about taking care of our future, because nature provides essential resources for our survival and enjoyment. We asked an international group of scientists working on different environmental issues worldwide to identify important practical actions that we can all do to help conserve nature. We obtained nearly 100 responses and grouped them into three main categories: (1) Actions to reduce our ecological footprint; (2) Actions to conserve nature; and (3) Actions that help us connect with nature. We briefly explain actions that can be performed daily to reduce our impact on nature, and provide some useful links for further reading.

Protecting Nature to Ensure Our Future

We often forget how much humans depend on nature . Even city-dwellers living in modern skyscrapers need air to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat, all of which are provided by nature. True, you can buy bottled water and ready-to-eat meals in supermarkets, but they were not produced there. Some fruits and vegetables, for example, only grow in tropical countries and cross the globe in refrigerated ship containers, to arrive just ripe to your local supermarket. All drinking water ultimately comes from a natural source, since we still do not have the technology to manufacture large amounts of water in the laboratory [ 1 ]. The same applies to the air we breathe, which is purified and oxygenated by plants [ 2 ]. So, when we speak about preserving nature, we are really also talking about preserving ourselves.

Whereas nature encompasses the natural environment as a whole, the term biodiversity [ 3 ] is used to refer to all living organisms. Biodiversity is ultimately responsible for the services we receive from nature, which are also called Ecosystem Services [ 4 ] or Nature's Contribution to People [ 5 ]. For example, forests containing many different bee species provide pollination services to nearby crop fields. In places where natural forests have been cut down, beekeepers must bring in artificial beehives to guarantee that enough pollinators visit crop flowers to produce fruit [ 6 ]. Other wild organisms, like wasps and birds, act as pest-control agents for agricultural crops, reducing the population of pests that damage those crops, and resulting in higher crop yields.

You are probably thinking that you already knew about this, and that there is not much you can do to preserve air, water, or fruit trees. But even if you live in a big city, far away from oxygen-producing forests, natural water springs, or crop fields, your daily actions can have a strong impact on these natural resources. Spilling a single drop of cooking oil while cleaning the dishes contaminates a million drops of water. Traveling in a vehicle powered by fossil fuels contributes to air pollution and global climate change [ 7 ]. Buying certain processed food ingredients, like palm oil, can contribute to massive deforestation in the tropics, as farmers clear land to grow these crops for money. All these impacts together make up what is called our ecological footprint on nature [ 8 ], which is a measure to quantify our daily life's impact on nature.

We will now share with you some important practical actions that we can all do to help conserve nature, to preserve our own well-being, and to guarantee that natural resources are available for future generations.

What Actions Can We Take to Help Conserve Nature?

We asked an international group of scientists, working on various environmental issues, to provide ideas on what young people can do to help conserve nature. We obtained nearly 100 responses and then organized all of the ideas by grouping them into three main categories: (1) Actions to reduce our ecological footprint ( Figure 1 ); (2) Actions to conserve nature ( Figure 2 ); and (3) Actions to connect with nature ( Figure 3 ). Below we explain each.

• Figure 1 - Word cloud showing the key actions that can be taken to reduce our ecological footprint.

• Figure 2 - Word cloud showing the key actions that can be taken to conserve nature.

• Figure 3 - Word cloud showing the key actions that can be taken to connect with nature.

Reduce our ecological footprint: Reducing our ecological footprint means placing less demand on nature (read here about the 3Rs—reduce, reuse and recycle; and get some ideas here on how you can help nature). Here are some ways that you can do this:

• Recycle your rubbish and participate in or help organize recycling campaigns.
• Avoid littering and participate in or help organize litter clean-ups ( here you can link to a website for volunteering or starting your own beach clean-up).
• Use less plastic by, for example, carrying a reusable water bottle, saying no to disposable straws and cutlery, avoiding plastic toys, and bringing your own shopping bags (for further ideas on a plastic-free life take a look here ).
• Swap toys, movies, and books instead of buying new ones.
• Donate, recycle, and repair electronic devices (see how here ).
• Use less water when brushing teeth, taking a shower, or washing the dishes.
• Use less electricity by turning off lights and electronic devices when not in use, using energy-saving light bulbs, and hanging clothes to dry.
• Use public transport, share a journey with friends (e.g., car-sharing), cycle, or walk when possible.
• Use less paper by not printing unnecessary things and reading e-books.
• Turn down the air conditioning when it is hot and use fans if you are still hot-they use much less power.
• Turn down the heat when it is cold and use sweaters, blankets, and socks to keep warm.
• Do not waste food and try to buy food that is grown locally and in season.
• Eat more non-meat proteins (like beans), less dairy, more vegetables, and more organic food when possible.
• Buy products that do not cause damage to the environment and that have certified labels (such as Rainforest Alliance and Animal Welfare ).
• Refuse to buy what you do not need, because every item you do not buy reduces the demand for the production of that item. For example, if everyone stopped buying plastic bags, super markets would stop selling them.

Conserve nature: Conserving nature means to protect, preserve and restore biodiversity. Here are some ways that you can do this:

• Try to prevent your pets from killing/harming wildlife (for some specific advice to help your local birds, see this ).
• Do not touch or take home wild animals or plants (see some advice here ).
• Plant native wildflowers, fruit trees, and pollinator-friendly plants in your garden or yard (for some related gardening tips, check out this ).
• Make compost to improve soil quality and to help insects (check out a guide to composting here ).
• Build and place bat houses, bird houses, and “bee hotels” in your garden, school grounds, and local green spaces ( here you can learn how make and manage a Bee hotel).
• Do not buy/keep wild pets at home (such as parrots, song birds, wild cats, or reptiles), in order to avoid supporting illegal trafficking of animals ( here you can find more info about illegal wildlife trade).
• Be aware of wild animals crossing the road and respect their paths ( here is some further information about the importance of wildlife crossings).

Connect with nature: Connecting with nature means setting aside time to interact with the natural environment. Here are some ways that you can do this:

• Play outside and spend more time in nature (read this link to find out why this is so important).
• Organize trips to explore the national parks/nature reserves close to you.
• Join conservation programs or eco-clubs (see how here ).
• Participate in nature-focused citizen science initiatives (learn more about citizen science here and see actual projects you can join here and here ).
• Use books or apps to identify the plants and animals around you (check out a cool app here ).
• Play games to learn more about nature (check out some fun examples here and here ).
• Use websites, blogs or social media to help raise awareness on the importance of conserving nature and share all these ideas).

Understanding the importance of nature and biodiversity for our own well-being can really help us to help nature. In this article, we have provided some practical ideas that we can all try to reduce our ecological footprint, conserve nature, and connect with nature. We encourage you to put these ideas into practice and share these actions with your family and friends.

Nature : ↑ The term that encompasses living organisms and the forces responsible for the physical world, such as the weather, mountains, oceans, and landscapes.

Biodiversity : ↑ The word biodiversity means the variety of all living organisms on Earth, and includes different levels of organization—from genes, species, and communities through to entire ecosystems.

Ecosystem Services : ↑ The many benefits that people get from natural ecosystems. These services can be broken down into provisioning (e.g., food and wood), supporting (e.g., soil formation and nutrient cycling), regulating (e.g., clean air and water purification), and cultural (e.g., recreation and eco-tourism).

Climate Change : ↑ Change in global or regional climate patterns, most due to increased levels of greenhouse gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels. Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, act like a blanket, trapping heat near the Earth's surface, and raising the temperature.

Ecological Footprint : ↑ This is a measure of how much people take from nature, which is then compared to what natural resources are available to provide for people.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

[1] ↑ Ernst, C., Gullick, R., and Nixon, K. 2004. Conserving forests to protect water. Opflow 30:1–7. doi: 10.1002/j.1551-8701.2004.tb01752.x

[2] ↑ Nowak, D. J., Hirabayashi, S., Bodine, A., and Greenfield, E. 2014. Tree and forest effects on air quality and human health in the United States. Environ. Pollut. 193:119–29. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2014.05.028

[3] ↑ Carrington, D. 2018. What is Biodiversity and Why Does it Matter to Us? Guard. Available online at: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/12/what-is-biodiversity-and-why-does-it-matter-to-us

[4] ↑ Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Synthesis . Washington, DC: Island Press. Available online at: http://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.356.aspx.pdf

[5] ↑ Daz, S., Pascual, U., Stenseke, M., Martn-López, B., Watson, R. T., Molnár, Z., et al. 2018. Assessing nature's contributions to people. Science 359:270–2. doi: 10.1126/science.aap8826

[6] ↑ Potts, S. G., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V. L., and Thompson, H. M. (Eds.). 2016. The Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production . Bonn: Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Available online at: https://www.ipbes.net/assessment-reports/pollinators

[7] ↑ Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. Climate Basics for Kids . Available online at: https://www.c2es.org/content/climate-basics-for-kids/ (accessed June, 2019).

[8] ↑ Global Footprint Network. Ecological Footprint . Available online at: https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecological-footprint/ (accessed June, 2019).

Conserving Earth

Earth’s natural resources include air, water, soil, minerals, plants, and animals. Conservation is the practice of caring for these resources so all living things can benefit from them now and in the future.

Biology, Ecology, Earth Science, Geography, Geology, Conservation

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Earth ’s natural resources include air , water , soil , minerals , fuels , plants, and animals. Conservation is the practice of caring for these resources so all living things can benefit from them now and in the future. All the things we need to survive , such as food , water, air, and shelter , come from natural resources. Some of these resources, like small plants, can be replaced quickly after they are used. Others, like large trees, take a long time to replace. These are renewable resources . Other resources, such as fossil fuels , cannot be replaced at all. Once they are used up, they are gone f orever . These are nonrenewable resources . People often waste natural resources. Animals are overhunted . Forests are cleared, exposing land to wind and water damage. Fertile soil is exhausted and lost to erosion because of poor farming practices. Fuel supplies are depleted . Water and air are polluted . If resources are carelessly managed, many will be used up. If used wisely and efficiently , however, renewable resources will last much longer. Through conservation, people can reduce waste and manage natural resources wisely. The population of human beings has grown enormously in the past two centuries. Billions of people use up resources quickly as they eat food, build houses, produce goods, and burn fuel for transportation and electricity . The continuation of life as we know it depends on the careful use of natural resources. The need to conserve resources often conflicts with other needs. For some people, a wooded area may be a good place to put a farm. A timber company may want to harvest the area’s trees for construction materials. A business may want to build a factory or shopping mall on the land. All these needs are valid, but sometimes the plants and animals that live in the area are forgotten. The benefits of development need to be weighed against the harm to animals that may be forced to find new habitats , the depletion of resources we may want in the future (such as water or timber), or damage to resources we use today. Development and conservation can coexist in harmony. When we use the environment in ways that ensure we have resources for the future, it is called sustainable development . There are many different resources we need to conserve in order to live sustainably. Forests A forest is a large area covered with trees grouped so their foliage shades the ground. Every continent except Antarctica has forests, from the evergreen -filled boreal forests of the north to mangrove forests in tropical wetlands . Forests are home to more than two-thirds of all known land species . Tropical rainforests are especially rich in biodiversity . Forests provide habitats for animals and plants. They store carbon , helping reduce global warming . They protect soil by reducing runoff . They add nutrients to the soil through leaf litter . They provide people with lumber and firewood. Deforestation is the process of clearing away forests by cutting them down or burning them. People clear forests to use the wood, or to make way for farming or development. Each year, Earth loses about 14.6 million hectares (36 million acres) of forest to deforestation—an area about the size of the U.S. state of New York. Deforestation destroys wildlife habitats and increases soil erosion. It also releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere , contributing to global warming. Deforestation accounts for 15 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation also harms the people who rely on forests for their survival, hunting and gathering, harvesting forest products, or using the timber for firewood. About half of all the forests on Earth are in the tropics —an area that circles the globe near the Equator . Although tropical forests cover fewer than 6 percent of the world’s land area, they are home to about 80 percent of the world’s documented species. For example, more than 500 different species of trees live in the forests on the small U.S. island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea. Tropical forests give us many valuable products, including woods like mahogany and teak , rubber , fruits, nuts, and flowers. Many of the medicines we use today come from plants found only in tropical rainforests. These include quinine , a malaria drug; curare , an anesthetic used in surgery; and rosy periwinkle , which is used to treat certain types of cancer . Sustainable forestry practices are critical for ensuring we have these resources well into the future. One of these practices is leaving some trees to die and decay naturally in the forest. This “ deadwood ” builds up soil. Other sustainable forestry methods include using low-impact logging practices, harvesting with natural regeneration in mind, and avoiding certain logging techniques , such as removing all the high-value trees or all the largest trees from a forest. Trees can also be conserved if consumers recycle . People in China and Mexico, for example, reuse much of their wastepaper, including writing paper, wrapping paper, and cardboard. If half the world’s paper were recycled, much of the worldwide demand for new paper would be fulfilled, saving many of Earth’s trees. We can also replace some wood products with alternatives like bamboo , which is actually a type of grass. Soil Soil is vital to food production. We need high-quality soil to grow the crops that we eat and feed to livestock . Soil is also important to plants that grow in the wild. Many other types of conservation efforts, such as plant conservation and animal conservation, depend on soil conservation. Poor farming methods, such as repeatedly planting the same crop in the same place, called monoculture , deplete nutrients in the soil. Soil erosion by water and wind increases when farmers plow up and down hills. One soil conservation method is called contour strip cropping . Several crops, such as corn, wheat, and clover , are planted in alternating strips across a slope or across the path of the prevailing wind . Different crops, with different root systems and leaves, help slow erosion.

Harvesting all the trees from a large area, a practice called clearcutting , increases the chances of losing productive topsoil to wind and water erosion. Selective harvesting —the practice of removing individual trees or small groups of trees—leaves other trees standing to anchor the soil. Biodiversity Biodiversity is the variety of living things that populate Earth. The products and benefits we get from nature rely on biodiversity. We need a rich mixture of living things to provide foods, building materials, and medicines, as well as to maintain a clean and healthy landscape . When a species becomes extinct , it is lost to the world forever. Scientists estimate that the current rate of extinction is 1,000 times the natural rate. Through hunting, pollution , habitat destruction, and contribution to global warming, people are speeding up the loss of biodiversity at an alarming rate. It’s hard to know how many species are going extinct because the total number of species is unknown. Scientists discover thousands of new species every year. For example, after looking at just 19 trees in Panama, scientists found 1,200 different species of beetles—80 percent of them unknown to science at the time. Based on various estimates of the number of species on Earth, we could be losing anywhere from 200 to 100,000 species each year. We need to protect biodiversity to ensure we have plentiful and varied food sources. This is true even if we don’t eat a species threatened with extinction because something we do eat may depend on that species for survival. Some predators are useful for keeping the populations of other animals at manageable levels. The extinction of a major predator might mean there are more herbivores looking for food in people’s gardens and farms. Biodiversity is important for more than just food. For instance, we use between 50,000 to 70,000 plant species for medicines worldwide. The Great Barrier Reef , a coral reef off the coast of northeastern Australia, contributes about $6 billion to the nation’s economy through commercial fishing , tourism , and other recreational activities. If the coral reef dies, many of the fish, shellfish , marine mammals , and plants will die, too. Some governments have established parks and preserves to protect wildlife and their habitats. They are also working to abolish hunting and fishing practices that may cause the extinction of some species. Fossil Fuels Fossil fuels are fuels produced from the remains of ancient plants and animals. They include coal , petroleum (oil), and natural gas . People rely on fossil fuels to power vehicles like cars and airplanes, to produce electricity, and to cook and provide heat. In addition, many of the products we use today are made from petroleum. These include plastics , synthetic rubber, fabrics like nylon , medicines, cosmetics , waxes, cleaning products, medical devices, and even bubblegum.

Fossil fuels formed over millions of years. Once we use them up, we cannot replace them. Fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource. We need to conserve fossil fuels so we don’t run out. However, there are other good reasons to limit our fossil fuel use. These fuels pollute the air when they are burned. Burning fossil fuels also releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Global warming is changing ecosystems . The oceans are becoming warmer and more acidic , which threatens sea life. Sea levels are rising, posing risks to coastal communities. Many areas are experiencing more droughts , while others suffer from flooding . Scientists are exploring alternatives to fossil fuels. They are trying to produce renewable biofuels to power cars and trucks. They are looking to produce electricity using the sun, wind, water, and geothermal energy — Earth’s natural heat. Everyone can help conserve fossil fuels by using them carefully. Turn off lights and other electronics when you are not using them. Purchase energy-efficient appliances and weatherproof your home. Walk, ride a bike, carpool , and use public transportation whenever possible. Minerals Earth’s supply of raw mineral resources is in danger. Many mineral deposits that have been located and mapped have been depleted. As the ores for minerals like aluminum and iron become harder to find and extract , their prices skyrocket . This makes tools and machinery more expensive to purchase and operate. Many mining methods, such as mountaintop removal mining (MTR) , devastate the environment. They destroy soil, plants, and animal habitats. Many mining methods also pollute water and air, as toxic chemicals leak into the surrounding ecosystem. Conservation efforts in areas like Chile and the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States often promote more sustainable mining methods. Less wasteful mining methods and the recycling of materials will help conserve mineral resources. In Japan, for example, car manufacturers recycle many raw materials used in making automobiles. In the United States, nearly one-third of the iron produced comes from recycled automobiles. Electronic devices present a big problem for conservation because technology changes so quickly. For example, consumers typically replace their cell phones every 18 months. Computers, televisions, and mp3 players are other products contributing to “ e-waste .” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that Americans generated more than three million tons of e-waste in 2007. Electronic products contain minerals as well as petroleum-based plastics. Many of them also contain hazardous materials that can leach out of landfills into the soil and water supply. Many governments are passing laws requiring manufacturers to recycle used electronics. Recycling not only keeps materials out of landfills, but it also reduces the energy used to produce new products. For instance, recycling aluminum saves 90 percent of the energy that would be required to mine new aluminum.

Water Water is a renewable resource. We will not run out of water the way we might run out of fossil fuels. The amount of water on Earth always remains the same. However, most of the planet’s water is unavailable for human use. While more than 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is freshwater . Out of that freshwater, almost 70 percent is permanently frozen in the ice caps covering Antarctica and Greenland. Only about 1 percent of the freshwater on Earth is available for people to use for drinking, bathing, and irrigating crops. People in many regions of the world suffer water shortages . These are caused by depletion of underground water sources known as aquifers , a lack of rainfall due to drought, or pollution of water supplies. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 2.6 billion people lack adequate water sanitation . More than five million people die each year from diseases caused by using polluted water for drinking, cooking, or washing. About one-third of Earth’s population lives in areas that are experiencing water stress . Most of these areas are in developing countries. Polluted water hurts the environment as well as people. For instance, agricultural runoff—the water that runs off of farmland—can contain fertilizers and pesticides . When this water gets into streams , rivers , and oceans, it can harm the organisms that live in or drink from those water sources. People can conserve and protect water supplies in many ways. Individuals can limit water use by fixing leaky faucets, taking shorter showers, planting drought-resistant plants, and buying low-water-use appliances. Governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations can help developing countries build sanitation facilities. Farmers can change some of their practices to reduce polluted runoff. This includes limiting overgrazing , avoiding over-irrigation, and using alternatives to chemical pesticides whenever possible. Conservation Groups Businesses, international organizations , and some governments are involved in conservation efforts. The United Nations (UN) encourages the creation of national parks around the world. The UN also established World Water Day, an event to raise awareness and promote water conservation. Governments enact laws defining how land should be used and which areas should be set aside as parks and wildlife preserves. Governments also enforce laws designed to protect the environment from pollution, such as requiring factories to install pollution-control devices. Finally, governments often provide incentives for conserving resources, using clean technologies, and recycling used goods. Many international organizations are dedicated to conservation. Members support causes such as saving rain forests, protecting threatened animals, and cleaning up the air. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an alliance of governments and private groups founded in 1948. The IUCN works to protect wildlife and habitats. In 1980, the group proposed a world conservation strategy . Many governments have used the IUCN model to develop their own conservation plans. In addition, the IUCN monitors the status of endangered wildlife, threatened national parks and preserves, and other environments around the world. Zoos and botanical gardens also work to protect wildlife. Many zoos raise and breed endangered animals to increase their populations. They conduct research and help educate the public about endangered species . For instance, the San Diego Zoo in the U.S. state of California runs a variety of research programs on topics ranging from disease control in amphibians to heart-healthy diets for gorillas. Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, England, work to protect plant life around the world. Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank , for example, works with partners in 54 countries to protect biodiversity through seed collection. Kew researchers are also exploring how DNA technology can help restore damaged habitats. Individuals can do many things to help conserve resources. Turning off lights, repairing leaky faucets, and recycling paper, aluminum cans, glass, and plastic are just a few examples. Riding bikes, walking, carpooling, and using public transportation all help conserve fuel and reduce the amount of pollutants released into the environment. Individuals can plant trees to create homes for birds and squirrels. At grocery stores, people can bring their own reusable bags. And people can carry reusable water bottles and coffee mugs rather than using disposable containers. If each of us would conserve in small ways, the result would be a major conservation effort.

Tree Huggers The Chipko Movement, which is dedicated to saving trees, was started by villagers in Uttar Pradesh, India. Chipko means hold fast or embrace. The villagers flung their arms around trees to keep loggers from cutting them down. The villagers won, and Uttar Pradesh banned the felling of trees in the Himalayan foothills. The movement has since expanded to other parts of India.

Thirsty Food People require about 2 to 4 liters of drinking water each day. However, a day's worth of food requires 2,000 to 5,000 liters of water to produce. It takes more water to produce meat than to produce plant-based foods.

Tiger, Tiger Tigers are dangerous animals, but they have more to fear from us than we have to fear from them. Today there are only about 3,200 tigers living in the wild. Three tiger subspecies the Bali, Caspian, and Javan tigers have gone extinct in the past century. Many organizations are working hard to protect the remaining tigers from illegal hunting and habitat loss.

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Related Resources

9 things you can do to protect the natural world

By the Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment

Nature is vital to our existence .

It provides the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat as well as other essential resources we need to survive. being out in nature also has important benefits for our mental health and well-being. nature protects us. but what can be done to protect nature, we know that large-scale action is needed to address the threats facing the natural world , including soil degradation, pollution, deforestation, and species extinction. but it’s easy to underestimate the value of our own individual voice and actions. your voice can go a long way in raising the profile of these issues. your actions can have an important impact on the health and quality of natural spaces in your local area. in order to identify some of the achievable things we can all do as individuals, we reached out to world-leading scientists and experts here at imperial and beyond. we asked them what all of us can do to protect the natural world, and here are the nine key things they told us..

Ask your local councillors to ensure that everyone has access to nature, even in the most urban of areas. Ask them to give more space to wildlife, reduce verge cutting to nurture more natural green spaces, or introduce community gardening.

Tell your MP about the importance of protecting nature.

Explain why a healthy environment is essential for a healthy society. Call for more action on climate change, which is damaging natural environments around the world.

If you live in the UK, find out  who your MP is , and the  best way to contact them . 

Talk to your employer, school, or university about being more friendly to nature. Could they do more to encourage recycling and waste reduction? Could they make outdoor spaces greener? Can people get together to grow fruit and vegetables?

Do you see companies that could do more to protect the environment? – e.g. selling products in non-recyclable packaging. Find their contact details and tell them why they need to do things better.

Speak to friends, family, colleagues and classmates about the threats facing the natural world, talk positively about the changes you have made, the challenges you encountered and how you overcame them.

Be a green gardener by using peat-free compost and natural fertilisers and pesticides . Plant native species and be kind to all the insects and birds that feed on flower nectar and pollinate the fruits. If you can, support local wildlife around your home by setting up bee hotels , bird boxes , ponds and green roofs .

No access to a garden?

Green your home with indoor plants or window boxes on your balcony . You can also get involved in community gardening, such as Energy Garden , which runs 30 projects in London Overground trackside space, or check Social Farms & Gardens for projects in your local area.

Scientists often ask people to look out for important or rare species at specific times of the year. Check out the Biological Records Centre , the British Trust for Ornithology and the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme to support conservation and research.

Protect local ecosystems (and your mental health) by visiting green spaces and getting your hands dirty!

Get involved with local grassroots organisations and conservation groups. organisations like  fields in trust  and the  national federation of parks and green spaces  have advice and resources on how you can get involved in areas local to you. check out the conservation volunteers ( tcv ). this community volunteering charity brings people together to work on nature-based projects and improve the health and wellbeing of people nearby. join in a local litter clean-up (such as those organised by goodgym members across the uk ) and include picking up litter into your daily activities. every piece of rubbish removed from the local environment means there is one less hazard for wildlife and one less piece of pollution in local ecosystems. you could also start or join a tree planting project near you. tree town is a great resource to get you started., when enjoying outdoor spaces, such as a local park, take care not to disturb the plants and animals that live there. keep to main walking paths - as the saying goes, ' take only photos, leave only tracks '..

Eat less meat, dairy products and fish.

Farming animals is a major cause of deforestation worldwide and the source of about 15% of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, while overfishing is behind the decline of many ocean species . Eating less of these animal products and choosing alternatives, such as plant milks or meat-replacements such as soya or tofu are some of the most effective ways to reduce your impact on the wider natural world.

Choose more locally-grown foods when in season.

If you can’t grow your own or get involved with community gardening, your neighbourhood market can be a great source of local produce.

Where possible, look for foods with labels such as the Marine Stewardship Council , Soil Association Organic , and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil . Sustainability certifications are one way to ensure that your foods were produced or sourced in a nature-friendly way.

All our food has some impact on the environment, so help reduce food waste by only buying what you need, and using up left-over pieces or portions creatively in the kitchen! Check out Love Food Hate Waste for some inspiration.

You may also be able to ‘rescue’ tasty treats from local shops and restaurants that would otherwise be thrown away, check out Too Good To Go or Olio to see if there is anything in your local area.

Avoiding waste by cutting the amount of items that get produced and thrown away can make a big difference for nature. Follow the three Rs:

Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Reduce waste and save money by minimising the amount of items you use. Ensure items are used for as long as possible by maintaining and repairing them. If you need something, see if it could be borrowed rather than purchased. Or, why not get some friends and family together to create a sharing network for rarely used items, such as hammers, drills or sewing machines? This is also a great way to connect with others.

Did you know that you can reduce the amount of plastic pollution released by your washing machine?

Using microfibre filters and washing bags can stop ocean-bound microplastics from by clothing fibres.

Reuse items where you can, such as plastic bags, cups, and straws. Donate old items to charity shops so they can be reused by others.

Recycle as much as possible where you live and work. Check your local council website if you're not sure what can be recycled and if you find products that cannot be recycled in your area, ask your council if things can be improved.

Keep nature in mind when you are shopping because all products have an impact on the environment in some way. Think about where products are made, consider second-hand options and, where you can, opt for higher quality items that are made to last.

If possible, buy household products that use natural, non-toxic and biodegradable ingredients to minimise their environmental impact. Look out for accreditation marks such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Global Organic Textile Standard to ensure that items are produced with people and planet in mind.

Additionally, reducing the amount of plastic we use can made a big difference for nature. Choosing products made of plastic alternatives (such as paper, wood and stainless steel) is one great way to do this. You can also avoid products with excess plastic packing - some companies now offer refillable packaging, for example. so you don’t have to buy a new plastic bottle each time.

Another way to give back to nature is to invest your money responsibly . Ask your bank or pension fund if you can opt out of funds that are destructive to nature, and to invest in environmentally friendly portfolios.

Humans are a major drain on the world’s fresh water supply – from the water required for agriculture to that for brushing your teeth .

The good news is that there are a lot of simple things you can do to preserve it.

Take shorter showers , turn off the tap when you can, fix leaking taps and toilets and ensure you run dishwashers and clothes washing machines with a full load to get the best use out of the water they consume.

Other simple changes at home can save water, from using a water butt to store rain for watering your plants to making your own water-saving toilet by putting a brick or ' toilet hippo ' in the cistern or buying a low-flush or dual-flush mechanism that does the same job but with less water.

To avoid contaminating freshwater, do not dispose of hazardous waste, such as medications, down toilets or sinks.

Tourism affects local ecosystems as people come into more direct contact with wildlife.

Choose to travel locally and use sustainable transport, such as public transportation or a bicycle, where possible. Look for activities that minimise the impact on nature and wildlife - instead of a motorboat or jet ski, use a kayak or canoe.

Consider a nature holiday in the UK to find out more about our native wildlife. Several sites cater for visitors, including tours and camping facilities, all designed with nature in mind.

The European Commission's Ecolabel programme grades tourist accommodation based on its the construction, use of water and energy and waste management, helping you to decide the best places to visit to reduce the environmental impact of your holiday.

The more you know about the natural world, and the threats it faces, the more you can help.

Take initiative to learn more about habitats and ecosystems, and what you can do to protect them.

Take up a nature-friendly hobby such as bird watching, go for a walk, get a magnifying glass and bug box or visit a nature-themed museum or outdoor centre. Seek out online resources, such as the Grantham Institute’s online events . Share your ideas with friends, family and colleagues so you can learn from each other and work together to protect nature.

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• Environmental Protection Essay

Essay on Environmental Protection

Environmental protection is improving, defending, and maintaining the quality of the environment. The main methods of environmental protection are recycling, reusing, and reducing; however, some other methods such as Green Energy production, green transportation development, and eco-friendly industrialization also exist. Not only residents but also businesses and industries should play their basic roles to improve the environment.

The History of Environmental Protection  

Humankind has always been concerned about the environment. The ancient Greeks were the first to develop environmental philosophy, and they were followed by other major civilizations such as India and China. In more recent times, the concern for the environment has increased because of growing awareness of the ecological crisis. The Club of Rome, a think tank, was among the first to warn the world about the dangers of overpopulation and pollution in its report "The Limits to Growth" (1972).

In the early days of environmentalism, people thought that the best way to protect nature was to set aside areas where humans would not disturb the environment. This approach, which is known as preservation, was given a major boost in the United States with the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916.

The modern environmental movement began in the 1960s when concerns about the negative impact of humans on the environment began to increase. In response to these concerns, governments around the world began to pass legislation to protect the environment. In the United States, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970.

The Principles of Environmental Protection

There are three fundamental principles of environmental protection:

The precautionary principle: This principle states that if an activity has the potential to cause harm to the environment, then steps should be taken to prevent that harm even if there is no clear evidence that the activity is damaging.

The polluter pays principle: This states that the party responsible for causing pollution should be held responsible for cleaning it up.

The public right to know the principle: This principle states that the public has a right to know about any potential threats to the environment and what is being done to address them.

The goals of Environmental Protection

There are three main goals of environmental protection:

To protect human health: This is the most important goal of environmental protection because humans cannot survive without a healthy environment.

To protect ecosystems: Ecosystems are the foundation of life on Earth, and they provide many benefits to humans, such as clean air and water, food, and fiber.

To promote sustainable development: Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Environmental protection is a practice that aims to protect the natural environment from the hands of individuals, organizations, and governments. It is the need of the hour because the Earth's environment is deteriorating every day, and the reasons are human beings. They are mishandling the Earth's environment to fulfill their needs. If it goes like this, then it is difficult to say that the future generation will have a safer environment to live in. Through this essay, you will learn the importance of environmental protection.

A Long Essay on Environmental Protection

It is imperative to protect our natural environment from deteriorating, and the only way to do that is through environmental protection. This process should be adopted by every country as soon as possible before it is too late. The objective of this process is to conserve all the natural resources and try to repair some parts of the environment that are possible to get repaired. The biophysical environment is getting degraded permanently because of overconsumption, population growth, and the rapid development of technology. This can be stopped if the government plan strategies to restrict these activities to perform in a controlled way. This environmental protection essay can be a great help for the students to understand the environment they are living in.

Voluntary Environmental Agreements

Voluntary environmental agreements are getting popular in most industrial countries. Through this free essay on environmental protection, one will learn more about this type of agreement. These agreements provide the companies with a platform where they are recognized if they are moving beyond the minimum regulatory standards for protecting the environment. These agreements support the development of one of the best environmental practices. For example, the India Environment Improvement Trust (EIT) has been working in this environment field since the year 1998. Through this environmental protection essay, one is getting so much to learn.

Ecosystems Approach

An ecosystem approach to environmental protection aims to consider the complex interrelationships of the ecosystem as a whole to the process of decision making rather than just focusing on specific issues and challenges. The environmental protection essay writing will give a more precise overview of this approach. The ecosystems approach aims to support the better transferring of information, develop strategies that can resolve conflicts, and improve regional conservation. This approach has played a major role in protecting the environment. This approach also says that religions also play an important role in the conservation of the environment.

International Environmental Agreements

In the present scenario, many of the Earth's natural resources have become vulnerable because of humans and their carelessness towards the environment across different countries. As a result of this, many countries and their governments have come into different agreements to reduce the human impact on the natural environment and protect it from getting deterioration. Through this environmental protection essay in English, one will get a much clearer view on this matter particularly.

The agreements made between different governments of various countries are known as International Environmental Agreements. This agreement includes factors such as climate, oceans, rivers, and air pollution. These agreements are sometimes legally bound, and in case they are not followed, it may lead to some legal implications. These agreements have a long history with some multinational agreements that were made in the year 1910 in Europe, America, and Africa. Some of the most well-known international agreements are the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Through this environmental protection essay, it is clear that governments are taking steps to solve the environmental issue, but it is not enough.

A Short Paragraph on Environmental Protection in English

Earth is a beautiful place to live in, with the most favorable environmental conditions for living beings. But we humans are making it vulnerable and are destroying our own homes with activities that are causing pollution at an increased rate. In this protecting the environment essay, 200 words will be explained properly on how to save the environment.

Environmental protection has become the need of the hour as it is getting destroyed each day. So, governments are making policies and are coming into agreements with other countries to come up with strategies that can protect the environment. Some companies also have the same aim of protecting the environment from the activities of humans.

In this short article on environmental protection, it is clear that if sudden steps are not taken then, our future generation will have to live in a polluted environment that is conserved very conserve difficult. Environmental protection is the key to a safe and secure future with a beautiful environment to live in. 

With pollution increasing each year and causing deterioration of the natural environment, it has become necessary to take steps to protect the natural environment. As we know that the reason for all these problems is humans, governments should make policies to restrict their activities that are causing harm to the environment. If they are not stopped urgently, then the world might see some catastrophic destruction in the coming years. For example, climate change has been a huge problem, and this is one of the causes of increased pollution. A secured future depends on the environment as a whole.

FAQs on Environmental Protection Essay

1. What are International Environmental Agreements?

International environmental agreements are legal contracts between countries that discuss the protection of the environment to provide better living to present and future generations. These include issues such as climate, oceans, rivers, air pollution, etc. we should always consider that if we harm our environment, then it can affect us as well, and we will become more vulnerable. If we do not take action now, it might get a lot worse. We need to be the generation that starts taking care of our planet and future generations!

2. What is the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol is one of the most well-known and successful international environmental agreements that has been made in the past to protect the environment. This agreement between countries was made to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases which are causing damage to the ozone layer and climate change. With the help of Kyoto, protocol countries have reduced emission rates by 8% and are planning to reduce them more so that future generations can live in a healthy environment in which they can flourish.

3. What is the Paris Agreement?

The Paris Agreement was made in 2015 to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and to stop climate change. This agreement is very important as it includes every country in the world, and all have agreed to work together to stop climate change. This is a huge step forward as it means that everyone is now working together to try to save our planet. If we try to solve these problems together, then we will have a chance to save our planet.

4. What is the Green Climate Fund?

The Green Climate Fund comes from an agreement made in 2010 to provide money for developing countries that are going through issues such as deforestation and air pollution by making them more sustainable. This fund has a goal of collecting 100 billion dollars by 2020 for supporting developing countries. If this can happen, then many lives can be saved, and we will be able to see a lot of positive changes in the coming years and decades so that we can see an improved environment.

5. What are some activities that harm the Environment?

Some activities that harm the environment include burning fossil fuels, deforestation, air pollution, and wastewater discharge. These activities harm not only the environment but also humans, and we must take action now to reduce the impact which we are causing. For example, the burning of fossil fuels is one of the main reasons for climate change and air pollution, which both have a huge impact on humans. If we stop these activities, then it will be a lot better for everyone!

6. How can we protect the Environment?

Environmental protection is very much required in today's time. Some of the ways to protect the environment are to reduce, reuse, recycle, conserve water, save electricity, clean up the community, educate people on pollution, conserve water, preserve soil, tree plantation, use long-lasting bulbs, and plant trees. Heaven these are the ways which help us to protect the environment from getting polluted.

7.  Why is Environmental Protection Important?

The ecosystem in which we live provides the natural services that are very much important to humans and other species for health, quality of life, and survival. So to protect that, environmental protection is very important. Hence, governments of various countries should make strategies to protect our natural environment from getting polluted.

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With floods, heat waves, fires, and other effects of climate change affecting millions of people around the world in 2021, there has never been a better time for each of us to do our part to protect nature and wildlife in our neighbourhoods and communities.

While there are various scientific breakthroughs designed to limit the impact of climate change (such as mechanically removing carbon dioxide from the air ), the Earth’s ecosystems already have the incredible ability to heal from the extensive harm humanity has inflicted on them and stabilize the global climate — but human help is required in the form of stopping environmentally destructive activities and taking actions to help nature regenerate.

These concepts of empowering nature to fight against climate change are known as “ nature-based solutions ” and they've gained a lot of momentum in recent years.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) , “we all need to implement lifestyle changes” and “support nature-based solutions, like reforestation” if the world is to curb rising temperatures and reduce extreme weather events by 2030. 

In other words, it is not just companies and nations that need to pay more attention to the environment and the impact of climate change (although they do have a huge role to play, as you can learn more about in our coverage of the COP26 climate conference ) — every citizen of every country in the world has a part to play.

But it can be hard to know how to get started, so we’ve put together a (non-exhaustive) list of things you can do right now to give nature and wildlife in your neighbourhood a helping hand. 

1. Reduce Your Waste

As the saying goes, “little drops make the mighty ocean.” While it is easy to think waste reduction is a problem for big companies and industries (and they definitely have a big role to play), we can also all do our bit by actively working to reduce waste in our personal and daily lives. 

Every year, more than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans and experts estimate that by 2050 there will be more plastic waste than fish . Daily use items such as plastic bags, disposable cups, straws, and plastic bottles all contribute to this problem. 

Experts estimate that about 60% of the more than 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic that has been produced since the early 1950s have either ended up in landfills or the natural environment.

A great place to start is to use plastic waste calculators like this to identify how much waste you are responsible for and take steps to cut down on it — in the UK alone, 7 million disposable coffee cups are used every day. Every little bit counts in protecting nature and our environment.

2. Reuse Plastic Items as Much as Possible

One great way to start cutting down your plastic waste is to use cotton bags for shopping and errands — this way you rely less on plastic bags. You can also get creative and reuse or repurpose plastic items you already have. 

You can also choose a reusable glass or plastic water bottle as well as taking your lunch in a tupperware-like container. 

For context, the average American throws away approximately 84kg of plastic a year and when you multiply that by the US population, that is a lot of plastic! Reusing plastic items helps cut back on plastic waste and ultimately helps protect and keep our neighbourhoods clean. 

3. Recycle Wherever You Can

Many things we use in our daily lives are often recyclable, if you pay attention. From plastic to paper and aluminum containers, you can find out about recycling options in your neighbourhood and commit to recycling as much as you can. 

This way you can help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills , reduce emissions from incinerators, conserve natural resources , and even help create jobs . 

When we recycle we help prevent pollution by cutting down the need to source raw materials for new products and reduce the impact on nature’s biodiversity systems. 

4. Plant a Tree or Anything That Grows

Trees help combat climate change by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They also beautify our neighbourhoods, prevent soil erosion, and, alongside other plants, absorb roughly half of manmade carbon emissions. 

Globally, rainforests are disappearing at a rate of some 13 million hectares per year , according to the European Commission, even though they only cover 6% of the earth’s surface. By planting trees and other plants, you could be helping nature recover from this rapid and devastating loss. You can learn more here about the movement to plant, restore, and grow a trillion trees by 2030.

You could also be creating a cleaner, more enjoyable environment for yourself and your loved ones when you commit to having plants around your house, garden, and neighbourhood. 

5. Talk About How You're Protecting the Environment

One of the best ways to encourage other people to care more about the environment and take action to reduce their contributions to climate change is by talking about it. 

Within your social groups and on your social media, talking about the things you are doing to protect nature in your neighbourhood helps to educate other people about climate change. 

That said, remember to keep things civil and respectful at all times.

6. Volunteer Your Time

While activists, organisations, and individuals across the world are working hard to secure the future of our planet, there is still a lot more to do. Reducing the effect of climate change is a truly herculean effort that needs all the support it can get. 

You can start trash collection drives in your neighbourhood, a gardening club, a plant parent group, and so many other cool activities to help protect nature. 

You can also volunteer to do some work for environment-focused nonprofit organizations and activists in any way you can — it can be a skill, or just your time. Trust us, they need as much support from as many people as possible. You can also engage your local leaders in your spare time to encourage them to start taking climate action seriously. 

You can even get started right now by taking action here with Global Citizen to support our campaign to defend the planet, and call on world leaders currently gathered at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, UK, to take climate change seriously and make the urgent action required to tackle it. 

7. Donate 

According to the World Bank, the world needs to invest about $90 trillion in climate change initiatives and infrastructure by 2030 if we are to ensure global temperatures don’t exceed 1.5°C. 

While funding as significant as this needs to be driven by world leaders, you can also donate if you can to your local nature conservatory or nonprofit organizations working to protect the planet. Nothing is too small because these organizations and activists need all the help and support they can get for the incredibly important work they are doing. 

You can also donate things like gardening supplies, or even just household items and clothes that you are no longer using so they don’t end up on the waste pile. Doing this can both be beneficial to the environment and also support the most vulnerable in our communities.

Global Citizen Life

Defend the Planet

7 Things You Can Do Right Now to Protect Nature in Your Neighbourhood

Nov. 3, 2021

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Land & Water Stories

How We Protect Watersheds

Water supplies, animal habitat, and recreation are all dependent on healthy watersheds.

A watershed is an area of land that drains rain water or snow into one location such as a stream, lake or wetland. These water bodies supply our drinking water, water for agriculture and manufacturing, offer opportunities for recreation (canoeing and fishing, anyone?) and provide habitat to numerous plants and animals. Unfortunately various forms of pollution, including runoff and erosion, can interfere with the health of the watershed. Therefore, it is important to protect the quality of our watersheds.  

Why Do We Need Healthy Watersheds?

Watersheds sustain life, in more ways than one.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than $450 billion in foods, fiber, manufactured goods and tourism depend on clean, healthy watersheds. That is why proper watershed protection is necessary to you and your community.

Watershed protection is a means of protecting a lake, river, or stream by managing the entire watershed that drains into it. Clean, healthy watersheds depend on an informed public to make the right decisions when it comes to the environment and actions made by the community.  

Why We Need to Protect Our Watersheds

Earth is covered in 70% water and unfortunately 40-50% of our nation's waters are impaired or threatened.  "Impaired" means that the water body does not support one or more of its intended uses. This could mean that the water is not suitable to drink, swim in or to consume the fish that was caught there.

The leading causes of pollution in our waterways are sediments, bacteria (such as E. coli) and excess nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus). Although nutrients sound like things that belong in a healthy environment, they can cause big problems in a poorly managed watershed. For instance, sediment can suffocate fish by clogging their gills and the presence of bacteria alone can indicate that other viruses and germs can be found in the water as well. Erosion, runoff of animal waste and overflowing of combined sewers are just a few ways these pollutants reach our waters.  

What You Can do to Help

The EPA offers their tips on how you can help keep your watershed clean and healthy.  

• Conserve water every day. Take shorter showers, fix leaks & turn off the water when not in use.
• Don’t pour toxic household chemicals down the drain; take them to a hazardous waste center.
• Use hardy plants that require little or no watering, fertilizers or pesticides in your yard.
• Do not over apply fertilizers. Consider using organic or slow release fertilizers instead.
• Recycle yard waste in a compost pile & use a mulching mower.
• Use surfaces like wood, brick or gravel for decks & walkways, which allows rain to soak in and not run off.
• Never pour used oil or antifreeze into the storm drain or the street.
• Pick up after your dog, and dispose of the waste in the toilet or the trash.
• Drive less—walk or bike; many pollutants in our waters come from car exhaust and car leaks.

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Climate Forward

What about nature risk.

Climate is not the only aspect of the natural world that is being transformed by human activity.

By Manuela Andreoni

Reporting the corporate risks of climate change is increasingly becoming a required part of doing business. This month, the Securities and Exchange Commission made such disclosures mandatory for public companies in the United States, following the lead from the European Union and California.

But climate is not the only aspect of the natural world that is being transformed by human activity.

Oceans, forests and fresh water supplies have also suffered. Though corporate leaders often don’t talk about these other parts of nature, they could deeply impact the corporate world in ways that we are only beginning to measure.

Will the demise of insects that pollinate crops slash productivity? Could groundwater depletion threaten the boom in data centers? (More on that below.) Will policies to stop ocean pollution impact how companies produce plastic?

Hundreds of companies have already committed to start reporting their nature-related risks in their financial disclosures, and they will start rolling them out in the next few months.

“We’ve got to change the mindset around nature being something we can take for granted,” Tony Goldner, the executive director of the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures, which produced the framework the companies are using. “It’s a risk we have to actively manage. And the resilience of nature underpins the resilience of business.”

Here are a few ways companies are trying to chart the complexities of nature, and why it matters.

A practical money problem

Disclosing more corporate information may seem like a baby step. But experts say more transparency can help stop companies from greenwashing their environmental claims, as we’ve reported in a previous newsletter , and guide nature-conscious investors like New York state’s pension fund .

It may also make sense for the bottom line. Half of the world’s gross domestic product is moderately or highly dependent on nature, according to a 2020 World Economic Forum report .

A few examples: The struggling aquifers in parts of Arizona may be a major obstacle for the data centers being built there . The demise of Europe’s bumblebees , which pollinate crops such as strawberries and tomatoes, will likely make it harder for supermarkets to source products. A European law that creates obstacles for companies buying palm oil and other products from deforested areas, as my colleague Patricia Cohen has reported, can significantly affect companies based in tropical nations .

“Every single company depends on nature, whether it’s directly or through indirect links,” said Sebastian Bekker, who is developing a tool to help assess nature-related risks for the United Nations Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

How it’s done

The Norges Bank Investment Management, which is responsible for investing money from Norway’s trillion-dollar sovereign fund , published a report about nature-related risk a few weeks ago. The fund, largely created by profits from the country’s fossil fuel exports, is the largest in the world.

Snorre Gjerde, who works on the bank’s responsible investment strategy, told me Norges Bank’s experience shows that understanding nature-related risks can be a lot more complex than accounting for climate alone.

When the bank wants to figure out how a company contributes to climate change, it’s relatively straightforward to measure greenhouse gas emissions. “One ton of emissions anywhere in the world have the same impact globally,” he said.

Impact on nature is far more complex. First, he said, there isn’t a global unit to measure nature. Second, a company’s impact on ecosystems will vary according to the location of a factory or a farm. Drawing water from a healthy river isn’t the same as depending on a nearly dry aquifer, and deforesting a biodiverse ecosystem doesn’t have the same impact as razing trees in an area that doesn’t host as many species.

“How do you account for those nuances? I don’t have an answer to that yet,” he said.

The fund owns about 1.5 percent of the entire global stock market, or “a small slice of the global economy,” Gjerde told me.

“Our mandate is to manage the fund for the benefit of the current, but also future, generations,” he added. “In the very long run, then, our financial returns will be dependent on sustainable development in economic terms, but also social and environmental terms.”

A big surge in electricity demand

Something unusual is happening in America. Demand for electricity, which has stayed largely flat for two decades, has begun to surge .

Over the past year, electric utilities have nearly doubled their forecasts of how much additional power they’ll need by 2028. Peak demand is projected to grow by 38,000 megawatts nationwide in the next five years, equivalent to adding another California to the grid.

Utilities are confronting an unexpected explosion in the number of data centers, an abrupt resurgence in manufacturing, and millions of plug-in electric vehicles.

The stakes are high. If more power isn’t brought online relatively soon, large portions of the country could risk blackouts, according to a recent report by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, which monitors the health of the nation’s electric grids.

In an ironic twist, the swelling appetite for more electricity could also jeopardize the country’s plans to fight climate change.

To meet spiking demand, utilities in states like Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia are proposing to build dozens of natural gas-burning power plants over the next 15 years. In Kansas, one utility has postponed the retirement of a coal plant to help power a giant electric-car battery factory.

Burning more gas and coal runs counter to President Biden’s pledge to halve the nation’s planet-warming greenhouse gases by 2035.

“I can’t recall the last time I was so alarmed about the country’s energy trajectory,” said Tyler H. Norris, a former solar developer and expert in power systems. If a wave of new gas-fired plants gets approved by state regulators, he said, “it is game over for the Biden administration’s 2035 decarbonization goal.” — Brad Plumer and Nadja Popovich

Read the whole article here.

More climate news

The southern section of the Great Barrier Reef is facing what could be the worst bleaching event on record, The Washington Post reports . CBS explained why coral reefs are a lifeline for cancer patients .

Asthma inhalers emit a greenhouse gas that is up to 3,000 more potent than carbon dioxide, the public radio station WBUR reports .

A flood of Chinese solar panels are driving down prices, making it difficult for U.S. producers to establish a domestic clean energy supply chain, the Financial Times reports .

The Wall Street Journal shows that the world’s largest plane could transform wind energy by carrying enormous blades to far-flung places .

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March 26, 2024

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Using nature to help the climate: Four ways that work

by State of the Planet

A new study finds that four nature-based climate solutions—the ones that companies and other entities use most often to claim carbon credits—have robust scientific foundations. The four pathways are conservation or reforestation of tropical forests; and conservation or reforestation of temperate forests.

The majority of other such methods need additional research before their potential can be assessed, say the authors. The research was just published in the journal Nature Climate Change .

Nature-based climate solutions are conservation , restoration or management strategies whose primary purpose is to mitigate greenhouse-gas emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere. More than 100 of the 167 signatories to the Paris Accords include them as part of their mitigation plans. Many, including Indonesia, Colombia and China are already using them to demonstrate progress on their climate commitments.

The study looked at the scientific basis of, and expert confidence in, 43 solutions. It did not examine implementation of individual projects, methods of calculating carbon credits or co-benefits of carbon-reduction projects.

Carbon-crediting protocols exist for 35 of the solutions that the researchers considered, and various entities have used 28 of the solutions to garner credits. The good news: Some 70% of nature-based credits tracked by the researchers have been for projects in the four forest-based categories that they found most credible. Other methods, such as agroforestry, conservation of mangroves and peatlands, and restoration of grasslands, need more research, said the authors.

Study co-author Ruth DeFries, chief academic officer of the Columbia Climate School, said, "The urgency for climate mitigation demands approaches based on sound science that can deliver effective action. The study is a call for ensuring that nature-based climate solutions focus on those actions that can deliver true mitigation, while continuing to develop the technical and scientific foundation for other types of nature-based actions."

Another co-author of the study, Steven Hamburg, chief scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, said, "Nature-based climate solutions are critical for meeting our climate goals. This study reaffirms the strength of the science underlying four major types of nature-based solutions, and emphasizes the need to engage in additional research to clarify the mitigation potential of others."

Journal information: Nature Climate Change

Provided by State of the Planet

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu .

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Conservation of Forest Essay

The conservation of forest essay is a useful learning resource for kids to understand the value of forests and wildlife. Forests are important to us. They provide air and water, absorb carbon dioxide, protect us from natural disasters, and house many of our wild animals. Hence, it is our duty to conserve them.

Due to human activities, the world is losing its forests. If we do not take action now, we will lose them forever. The continuing destruction of our forests is both a cause and consequence of climate change. This destroys the habitat of many plant and animal species that cannot adapt to changing conditions. Unfortunately, the trend toward extinction has been accelerated with the recent introduction of exotic species, which have caused millions of trees and other species to be lost or destroyed. We must preserve the environment for future generations, and all of us need to do our part in conserving what is left by keeping invasive species at bay.

To protect the environment, we have to reduce our carbon footprint. Minimising food waste is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint. It is also important for us to care about our wildlife and forests through awareness programmes on the importance of protecting them. The conservation of forest and wildlife essay is a great way to teach kids the significance of coexisting with nature and protecting its elements.

Importance of Conservation of Forests and Wildlife

The conservation of forest essay keeps your little ones engaged in learning the significance of protecting nature and wild animals. Conservation implies preserving something or maintaining it to keep it alive. People have concerns about preserving forests and wildlife because of the need for trees, which is why many people save a fallen tree from being chopped down by cutting it into logs.

Since forests are home to many species, it’s vital to preserve them because it is where animals can escape from danger and find food, water, and shelter. Moreover, forests contribute to climate stability and provide food for animals who live there or depend on them for their livelihoods.

The Earth is full of species, and it is our responsibility to take care of them. Some animals need conservation as they are facing the threat of extinction. The more we help these animals, the better the planet will be. Also, the conservation of forest essay PDF helps create awareness among kids so that they can take the necessary steps to protect our planet.

With the Earth’s resources being depleted, protecting our wildlife and nature is crucial. Conservation of wildlife has a lot of benefits to society that many people are unaware of, and it also helps the environment by reducing pollution and protecting endangered species.

You can find more essays similar to the conservation of forest essay on BYJU’S website. Also, explore a range of kid-friendly learning resources, such as short stories, poems, worksheets, etc., for young learners on the website.

Frequently Asked Questions on Conservation of Forest Essay

Does deforestation affect climate change.

Yes. Deforestation affects climate change, as it increases the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which leads to a rise in atmospheric temperature.

Why is it important to conserve wildlife and forests?

It’s important to preserve wildlife and forests because animals can escape from danger and find food, water, and shelter. Moreover, forests contribute to climate stability and provide food for animals who live there or depend on them for their livelihoods.

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