Trophic Cascade: Interconnection

How Wolves Change Rivers from Sustainable Man on Vimeo.

Source: http://vimeo.com/86466357


This video is a reminder of the complexity of our environment.  Far too often, we are told that a whole is the sum of all it's parts; that 2 + 2 = 4; everything can be broken down into an equation.  Well, if that were true, and a whole is the sum of all it's parts, then why can humans not take bits and pieces of a body, laser it together, fill it with blood, and zap it to life??  All the pieces are there, yes?  So, why doesn't Frankenstein exist, why did the theory not work?  In my own opinion, and one I will own, is because there is an element that lies outside of the equation.  Something that humans have yet to quantify, but has been qualified and understood by Earthen people for eons.  Call it whatever you like, but there is something more to life than the pieces we see or can calculate.

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." - John Muir

There are many people who have spent their life trying to understand the complexities of ecological communities, but none are quite as influential as John Muir. Born in 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland, John Muir spent his life advocating the preservation of the wilderness in the United States after moving there with his family in 1849.  He was a naturalist that paved the way for current-day ecologists, and was an activist for the preservation of Yellowstone, Yosemite, Sequoia National Park, and in 1892 he co-founded the Sierra Club. Mr. Muir is known as the "Father of the National Parks" in the United States... THANK YOU MR. MUIR!!!

It is of utmost importance that we start to understand the cause and effect of our actions, choices, and every-day habits.  Life on Earth is far more interconnected than we often give credence.  The future of our children, and the planet, is our responsibility.  Choosing to turn a blind eye is choosing death - maybe not for you right at this moment - for the next generation.

"You would have thought that our first priority would be to ask what the ecologists are finding out, because we have to live within the conditions and principles they define.  Instead, we've elevated the economy above ecology." - David Suzuki 

http://akellyphoto.com/html/wildlife/mammals/wolf/wolf-in-river.jpg

Let us not forget how wolves can influence a river!!!

As a challenge, let's start (or continue) asking these questions: 

- FOOD: Where does it come from, and is it sustainable?
     Money speaks and what we buy we financially support; "vote" with your money.

- CONSUMABLES: Can I recycle this?  
     Recycle!!  Electronics, cardboard, paper, plastic, food...  if your local legislation does not offer this, start to demand it!

- TRANSPORTATION: Can I take a bus, train, or cycle? 
     Taking the bus rather than driving your own car decreases carbon emissions. This isn't about social class, it's about putting the environment before your image.

- ENERGY: How much does this task cost Earth?
     Let's not waste energy and increase pollution.