Introduction. Eat, Pray, Leave: A Consumerist Approach to Nature
There is no denial that people have been taking nature for granted for too long. Because of the unreasonable use of the natural resources, environmental pollution and inadequate protection (WWF, n. d.), people have led a number of species to extinction; moreover, due to the increasing rates of consumerist approach towards the food which nature provides for people, the number of species has started decreasing even more rapidly. Therefore, people have either to reconsider their diet, or to watch most of the animals and plants disappearing fast.
The Problem, Unveiled: The Self-Centered Humankind
Despite the obvious progress, people cannot control the natural processes. Therefore, it is extremely dangerous to intrude into the latter. Once having started to use natural resources, people will never be able to stop.
Because of careless attitude towards the small amount of natural resources and huge rates of consummation, some species are already extinct, and some have become highly endangered. The issue concerns not only plants, but also animals and fish (Landais, 2007, January 26). Eating whatever they want, people have been disregarding the fact that natural resources are exhaustible.
According to O’Sullivan, the recent event in Italy revealed the rates of people’s negligence towards nature: “The country’s foreign minister, Franco Frattini, commented that the banquet was distasteful at a time when Italy’s bears are ‘almost extinct and we are trying with great effort to bring them back to the mountains that have hosted them for centuries’” (O’Sullivan, n. d.). Because of high rates of fish consummation, a number of fish has become endangered. Yet these species are still consumed.
Moreover, to produce enough veal and beef, people have to use the nature’s forest resources as pastures. The above-mentioned leads to forest destruction. Finally, the lack of balance between the consumed food and the feedback to the nature leads to a natural crisis. The latter can finally drive to a planet-scale catastrophe.
Evaluating the Consequences: The Game Is not Worth the Candles
Before proceeding with the solutions, people have to ask themselves a question, “How did this happen?” To understand why the consumerist attitudes have taken such a drastic scale, one must consider the way people treat natural resources.
The example above shows that people have a great problem in their relationships with nature. The problem is that the humankind has been taking nature for granted.
Probable Solutions: Helping Rare and Endangered Species
As it has been mentioned above, the consequences of a thoughtless use of natural resources will be drastic. Even now, one can track some of the outcomes of people’s eating habits. For example, the following species have disappeared completely over the past few decades:
However, there is no time to panic. Even at the given stage, there is a way out. To start with, people should practice sustainability approach. Using natural resources only when necessary, people will be able to right the wrongs. In addition, it will be needed to contribute to nature as opposed to constant consummation.
Spreading awareness, one can enhance the process: “More than one million people have now watched The End of the Line, a groundbreaking expose of the consequences of overfishing, according to an evaluation of the film’s impact” (Levitt & Thomas, 2011, February 18).
Speaking of the endangered species, people should reconsider their ration, indeed, to save the former. There are several ways to do so. Vegetarianism is the most radical approach. However, it will not suit anyone. Another method to solve the problem is the approach of biodiversity. Guided by the principle of giving back to the environment as much as people take away from it, sustainability approach presupposes that biodiversity should be encouraged with the help of developing a reasonable diet for people.
Providing enough elements which are vital for people does not mean that the endangered species should be used as food or resources for fur and leather products. While providing people with the necessary vitamins and minerals, one can still take care of the endangered species. The latter can be substituted by the species which are quite numerous. Giving the endangered species a couple of centuries to repopulate, one will be able to make the natural resources plentiful again.
Conclusion: There Is Still Some Hope Left. Biodiversity and Sustainable Environmental Policies
As it has been mentioned previously, there is a way out of this complicated situation. People need to understand that their self-centeredness is self-defeating. Moreover, the focus on the consumerist approach will finally kill not only people, but also the remaining species. Therefore, the way people eat must be reconsidered once and for all.
It is unreasonable to make all people survive on bread and water. However, at present, the world is in another extreme. Eating everything what they please, people destroy the delicate balance of nature. Therefore, not only what we eat, but also how we eat must be changed.
Reference List
Landais, E. (2007). 40% of food ‘is genetically modified.’ Web.
Levitt, T. & Thomas, A. (2011). The End of the Line: How a film changed the way we eat fish. The Guardian. Web.
O’Sullivan, F. (n. d.). Threatened species on the menu worldwide. Web.
WWF (n. d.). Threats to oceans and coasts. Web.