The beauty of nature can have a profound effect upon our senses, those gateways from the outer world to the inner, whether it results in disbelief in its very existence as Emerson notes, or feelings such as awe, wonder, or amazement.We know that the natural environment provides us with a wide range of ‘ecosystem services’: all the things that people need and want that come from the natural world of which human beings are a part. We receive provisioning services (food, fibre, energy, drinking water, building materials, natural medicine).Human beings are part of nature. Nature is not dependent on human beings to exist.
Human beings, on the other hand, are totally dependent on nature to exist.The growing number of people on the planet and how we live here is going to determine the future of nature. And the future of us.Nature will go on, no matter what. It will evolve.The question is, will it be with us or without us?If nature could talk, it would probably say it doesn’t much matter either way.We must understand there are aspects of how our planet evolves that are totally out of our control.But there are things that we can manage, control and do responsibly that will allow us and the planet to evolve together.We are Conservation International and we need your help. Our movement is dedicated to managing those we can control. Better.Country by country. Business by business. Human by human.We are not about us vs.
them.It doesn’t matter if you’re an American, a Canadian, or a Papua New Guinean.You don’t even have to be particularly fond of the ocean or have a soft spot for elephants.This is simply about all of us coming together to do what needs to be done.Because if we don’t, nature will continue to evolve. Without us.Here’s to the future. With humans.