Chapter 8RESOURCE CONSERVATION

The surge of population, the flattening of classes around the world, and the lifestyle that we have come to rely on requires a new look at our relationship with nature and the earth’s resources. We can no longer afford to simply take from the earth without any thought as to how much is left. We cannot simply take from the earth and not give back. With such a mindset, the earth simply cannot sustain the projected 9 billion people that are expected to inhabit the earth by 2050.

Conservation traditionally has focused on preserving the environment and “protecting” it. The question is—from whom? Humans and nature must be able to coexist, each supporting the needs of the other. Peter Kareiva, chief scientist for The Nature ...

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