It’s Day 7 of the Love Your Mother Earth Challenge from @OneGreenThing. Today also happens to be #worldbiodiversity day. As you may recall we started this challenge right after Mother’s Day in an effort to celebrate the mom we all share - Mother Earth. Today we’re leaning into public lands, nature, and wildlife for our #onegreenthing inspiration. Check the post for ideas based on Service Superpower.
If you’re not sure what your Service Superpower is, take the assessment.
Today we’re channeling our inner Beacon and learning more about the endangered or threatened species in our home area.
Since I live near Yellowstone, there’s plenty of wildlife to focus on! You might be surprised about the wildlife in your area.
Protecting wildlife is essential to protecting our personal health and well-being. Not only do forests act as important carbon sinks, but protecting wildlife and habitat can protect our personal health, too as we see more and more “zoonotic” diseases - wildlife to human disease. CDC, 3 out of 4 of emerging viral diseases have spread from animals to humans. The Brooking Institution has warned that we must “fundamentally revise our relationship with nature” to prevent more and more pandemics on a global school.
Creating more space for wildlife, curbing illegal wildlife trafficking, and preserving habitat are essential strategies to reduce zoonotic diseases. Biodiversity also has economic benefits as many medicines are plant derived and many materials of the future are plant-based. The National Wildlife Federation underscores that “56% of the 150 most popular prescribed drugs are linked to the discovers of natural compounds, with an annual economic value of $80 billion. From food production and pollinators, to food and nutrition, nature is essential to our well-being. (See Chapter 18 of One Green Thing for full discussion & citations.)
It’s time for a new world view of understanding that protecting wildlife is essential to our health and without a healthy environment our economies will fail.
Join us today to celebrate “Love Your Mother Earth.” Taking action each day can help ease eco-anxiety, bring a sense of joy into your life, and shift the culture toward the climate solutions we need.