Ecosystems is defined as a system formed by " the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment." Human beings, because of their hierarchy in evolution and the food chain, have profound impact on the Earth ecosystem that in turn can dictate the fate of mankind, in the long run.
What's in a name?
Initially, we wanted to name this section "Nature and Wildlife". However, the phrase, "nature and wildlife", tends to romanticize the environment and our interaction with the world we live in. "Nature and wildlife" conjure distant places that we visit when we want to get away from the routine of our day-to-day lives.
It does not capture the complex interrelationships of the issues and topics that we would want to integrate in this website. For example, genetically manufactured organisms (GMOs) is a man-made creation but can have profound impact on nature and wildlife. The same is true of many environmental issues, like antibiotics, ozone depletion, etc.
Ecosystems, includes not only the "nature and wildlife" that we long to escape to sometimes, but also the very environment of our daily lives -- the cities, the farms, the monotonous surbarbia, the factories, the schools, the workplace, etc. In fact, because of the primacy of man in the evolutionary scheme, the things we do in these environments where we spend most of our lives have profound impact on the "nature and wildlife" that we romanticize, and expect to be there, always, when we want to escape and commune with nature.
Thus, treating the former peoples as "exotic tribes" can have profound impact on our psychological and sociological outlook of these peoples and how we may respond to their plight as human beings. Is it no wonder that because of the above -- even if our conditioning is unintentional or unintended -- millions of people in Africa and other parts of the world, are dying of AIDS, other diseases and starvation, without getting as much attention anymore. And yet, the death of a single American, while similarly tragic, can raise headlines all over the world.
Goals
One of the goals of this website is to provide you with internet resources dealing with nature and wildlife and related topics, e.g., conservation and recycling, ecology, environment protection, as well as emerging concerns, such as genetically manufactured organisms (GMOs), pest and pathogen resistance, and other issues that have impact on our fragile Earth ecosystem. Instead of being comprehensive, we opted to focus mainly in including internet resources deemed reliable. When the situation warrants it, we may present divergent views on certain controversial topics.
If you an eye for things beautiful, you will be visually stimulated by the photos found in the numerous gallery links -- about animals, plants, parks, wildlife, etc. -- included here. These photo galleries were independent creations by people who have tried to capture the beauty and wonders of the world around us. In the process of viewing these photographs, we hope to instill in you an appreciation of the fragility of our Earth ecosystem and that it needs your vigilance so that the beauty of our world and its resources can be preserved for the generations to come.
Doing our part
"A pebble thrown on the pond casts a ripple that reaches the bank."
It is the big issues -- oil drilling in Alaska, the deforestation of the Amazon, acid rain, ozone depletion in the polar caps, etc. -- that get the headlines. The "environmentalists decry them while those who want "progress" consider them as the natural course of things. While most of us, agree or disagree with the main protagonists in these social debates, on the whole we tend to stand aside.
How many of us have really thought that it is the simple choices that we make in our daily lives that lead to these big issues?
We are enamored with our SUVs and power cars, the prestige they seem to give us; then turn around and blame the oil companies and the Arab countries when they raise the price of gas. Congressional hearings are convened, the mass media crowd the airwaves with interviews of the "common man" about how the recent gas increase has caused hardship, businesses complain how they may have to layoff people, etc., etc.
Imagine how different things could have been if we are not so dependent on oil and for that matter oil from the Middle East. Our policy in the region could have been much different, perhaps even more balanced. There may not have been any "September 11, 2001" tragedy at all.
Very often, people associate efforts to preserve our resources and environment with draconian programs neccesitating vast deployment of resources and manpower. In reality, it begins simply by reexamining our own values and practices, and making the personal changes to avoid waste and destruction of resources.
But who will casts the first pebble on the pond?
Getting your way around
Before you proceed any further, familiarize yourself with the navigation scheme and main sections of Ecosystems , shown on the left side, so that you will get the most out of these pages.
Volunteer
Help preserve the beauty of our world and its resources so that they can be enjoyed by the generations to come!
We need volunteers, academicians and scholars, from around the world, who are interested to monitor their ecosystem, or are interested to create, improve or keep up-to-date any topic in the Ecosystems section. Please contact us, if you are interested to create, improve or keep up-to-date any section included herein.
Note:
This article was the original introductory page of the section Ecosystems in the original "Treasures of the Internet" page.