Lesson 10: Environmental Stewardship

Section 1: Introduction to Environmental Stewardship

Environmental stewardship means taking care of our planet and making sure that it stays healthy for future generations. Think of the Earth as our shared home: just like you keep your room clean and take care of your things, we all need to do the same for our planet. This involves protecting our environment, which includes the air, water, plants, animals, and all the natural resources we rely on.

Why Is Environmental Stewardship Important?

The environment provides us with everything we need to survive—clean air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, and materials to build homes and make products. However, human activities like cutting down trees, burning fossil fuels, and polluting water sources have harmed the environment. If we don’t take steps to reduce these impacts, future generations may not have access to the resources we currently enjoy.

Environmental stewardship is important because it helps to prevent further damage to our planet. By being responsible stewards, we can protect ecosystems and ensure that all living things, including humans, continue to thrive. It’s not just about saving nature, but also about making sure that we have a healthy environment to live in.

Connection to Sustainability

Stewardship is closely linked to the idea of sustainability. Sustainability means using resources in a way that doesn’t deplete them. For example, if we fish too much from the oceans or cut down too many trees, there won’t be enough left for future generations. By practicing environmental stewardship, we’re ensuring that we use our resources wisely, so they will still be available in the future.

You’ve already learned about climate change and the effects humans have on the environment from earlier lessons. Environmental stewardship is a way to respond to these challenges by acting responsibly and protecting the planet.

What This Means for You

Everyone can be an environmental steward, no matter how young or old. There are small actions we can take, like using less water, turning off lights when we leave a room, or recycling, that add up to make a big difference. It’s about making choices every day that help protect the environment instead of harming it.

In this lesson, we will explore more about how humans can protect the environment and what each of us can do to contribute to sustainability. By the end of this lesson, you’ll understand that you have the power to make a positive difference for the Earth.

Section 2: The Role of Humans in Environmental Protection

Humans have a significant impact on the environment—both positive and negative. On the negative side, activities like cutting down forests, burning fossil fuels, and polluting water sources have caused serious harm to the Earth. But the good news is, humans can also play a big role in protecting the environment through conservation efforts and sustainable practices.

Human Impact on the Environment

Over the past centuries, human activities have caused many environmental problems. Some of these problems include:

• Deforestation: Cutting down trees for farming or building cities destroys animal habitats and increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change.

• Pollution: Factories, cars, and other machines burn fossil fuels, releasing harmful gases into the air. This causes air pollution, which can make it hard to breathe and is a major factor in global warming.

• Water Pollution: Chemicals and waste from factories, farms, and even our homes can end up in rivers, lakes, and oceans, making the water unsafe for both people and wildlife.

These activities damage ecosystems, which are the communities of plants, animals, and organisms that live together in a specific environment. When ecosystems are harmed, all living things within them—including humans—suffer.

How Humans Can Help

Luckily, humans are also capable of making positive changes. Through conservation efforts, we can help repair some of the damage done to the environment. Conservation involves protecting natural resources and taking steps to preserve ecosystems for the future. Here are a few examples:

• Reforestation: Planting new trees in areas where forests have been cut down helps rebuild habitats, improves air quality, and absorbs carbon dioxide.

• Using Renewable Energy: Instead of using fossil fuels like coal and oil, we can rely on renewable energy sources like solar power, wind power, and hydropower. These energy sources don’t pollute the air and are better for the environment in the long term.

• Wildlife Protection: Setting aside areas as national parks or wildlife reserves helps protect animals and plants from human activities like logging or hunting.

Case Study: Canada’s Role in Environmental Protection

Canada is known for its large forests, freshwater lakes, and diverse wildlife. The government has made efforts to protect these resources by creating national parks and promoting sustainable resource use. Indigenous peoples, who have lived in Canada for thousands of years, have long been stewards of the land, practicing sustainable ways of hunting, fishing, and farming. Their knowledge and traditions have helped protect the environment for future generations.

Section 3: Principles of Environmental Stewardship

Environmental stewardship means being responsible for taking care of the environment by practicing sustainability in how we use our resources. There are several important principles or guidelines that we can follow to protect the Earth and ensure that its natural resources are available for future generations.

1. Reducing Waste

One of the most important principles of environmental stewardship is reducing waste. Every day, we throw away items like plastic bottles, food packaging, and paper. If we don’t manage this waste properly, it can end up in landfills or in the environment, where it can harm wildlife and ecosystems.

There are simple ways we can reduce waste:

• Buy less: Before purchasing something new, think about whether you really need it. Sometimes we buy items that we don’t use or could have borrowed.

• Avoid single-use plastics: Items like plastic straws, bags, and bottles are used once and then thrown away. By using reusable options, such as a water bottle or shopping bag, we can cut down on the waste we create.

2. The 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The 3 Rs—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle—are at the heart of environmental stewardship:

• Reduce: Use fewer resources by making mindful choices. For example, reduce your energy use by turning off lights and electronics when not in use.

• Reuse: Instead of throwing things away, find new ways to use them. For example, you can use a glass jar as a container for storing food or reuse scrap paper for notes.

• Recycle: Recycling means turning used materials into new products. Most communities have recycling programs for paper, glass, plastic, and metal. Recycling helps reduce the amount of waste in landfills and conserves natural resources.

By following the 3 Rs, we not only reduce the amount of waste we produce, but we also lower our impact on the environment.

3. Conserving Resources

Natural resources like water, forests, and energy are essential for life. Environmental stewardship means using these resources in a sustainable way. For example:

• Water Conservation: Water is a precious resource, and it’s important to use it wisely. Simple steps like turning off the tap while brushing your teeth or fixing leaky faucets can help conserve water.

• Sustainable Forestry: Trees are a renewable resource, but we need to manage forests carefully. Sustainable forestry means cutting down trees at a rate that allows the forest to recover, ensuring that the ecosystem remains healthy.

• Energy Conservation: Reducing energy use by turning off appliances when not in use, using energy-efficient light bulbs, and supporting renewable energy sources can help decrease our carbon footprint.

4. Protecting Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, including different species of plants, animals, and microorganisms. Each species plays an important role in its ecosystem, and losing even one can have ripple effects throughout the environment. Protecting biodiversity is a key part of environmental stewardship.

One way to protect biodiversity is by supporting conservation efforts, such as national parks and wildlife reserves. These areas provide safe habitats for plants and animals, allowing them to thrive without human interference.

Section 4: Individual Actions Toward Sustainability

While governments and big companies have an important role to play in protecting the environment, individual actions are just as crucial. Everyone can contribute to sustainability through small, everyday choices. These actions might seem simple, but when millions of people practice them, they can have a huge impact on the planet.

1. Conserve Energy

One of the easiest ways to help the environment is by reducing the amount of energy you use. When we use electricity, most of it comes from burning fossil fuels, which contributes to air pollution and climate change. Here are some ways you can conserve energy at home:

• Turn off lights when you leave a room.

• Unplug chargers and electronics when you’re not using them.

• Use energy-efficient light bulbs, like LED bulbs, which use less energy and last longer.

• On sunny days, open the blinds instead of turning on the lights.

By being mindful of your energy use, you help reduce the demand for electricity and decrease your carbon footprint.

2. Reduce Plastic Use

Plastic is one of the biggest pollutants on Earth, especially in our oceans. Much of the plastic we use, like water bottles, straws, and shopping bags, is only used once and then thrown away. These single-use plastics don’t break down easily and often end up harming wildlife.

You can reduce plastic use by:

• Bringing your own reusable shopping bag when you go to the store.

• Using a refillable water bottle instead of buying bottled water.

• Saying “no” to plastic straws and using a reusable metal or bamboo straw instead.

These simple steps help keep plastic out of landfills and oceans.

3. Support Eco-Friendly Products

Many products are made with harmful chemicals or packaged in ways that create a lot of waste. By choosing eco-friendly products, you can support companies that care about the environment. Look for products that:

• Are made from recycled materials.

• Have minimal or biodegradable packaging.

• Use sustainable ingredients, like organic cotton or bamboo.

You can also support local businesses, which often have a smaller environmental impact because their products don’t have to travel as far to reach you.

4. Get Involved in Community Projects

There are many ways to get involved in your community to promote sustainability. You can participate in local clean-up events, help plant trees, or join recycling programs at school. When you work with others, your actions can have an even bigger effect on the environment.

Section 5: Global Environmental Stewardship

Environmental stewardship is not just a local or national responsibility—it’s a global issue. The environment doesn’t stop at borders, and many environmental problems affect the entire world. As a result, countries around the world need to work together to protect the environment and ensure a sustainable future for everyone. Global environmental stewardship means nations cooperating to reduce pollution, protect biodiversity, and combat climate change.

1. The United Nations and Environmental Protection

The United Nations (UN) plays a significant role in promoting global environmental stewardship. In 2015, the UN introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are 17 goals designed to promote peace, prosperity, and environmental protection around the world. Two of these goals focus specifically on the environment:

• Goal 13: Climate Action: This goal urges countries to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. It encourages reducing greenhouse gas emissions, switching to renewable energy, and preparing for the effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels and extreme weather.

• Goal 15: Life on Land: This goal focuses on protecting forests, stopping deforestation, and promoting the sustainable use of ecosystems. It also encourages countries to protect biodiversity by conserving plants and animals that are endangered or threatened.

These goals highlight the importance of working together to solve global environmental issues.

2. The Paris Agreement

One of the most important global agreements to combat climate change is the Paris Agreement, signed in 2015 by nearly every country in the world. The main goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to below 2°C, compared to pre-industrial levels, and to make efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. This agreement encourages countries to:

• Reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

• Invest in renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.

• Support developing countries in their efforts to combat climate change.

Countries that have signed the Paris Agreement are working on plans to reduce their carbon emissions and adapt to the effects of climate change.

3. Canada’s Role in Global Stewardship

Canada is known for its vast forests, lakes, and wildlife, which play a crucial role in the global environment. As a country rich in natural resources, Canada has a responsibility to manage these resources sustainably. Canada is involved in international environmental efforts in several ways:

• Protecting Biodiversity: Canada has committed to protecting 30% of its land and oceans by 2030, which will help preserve habitats for wildlife and ensure that ecosystems continue to function.

• Fighting Climate Change: Canada is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by promoting renewable energy, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. The country is also investing in public transportation and green technology to lower emissions.

• Supporting Indigenous Stewardship: Indigenous peoples in Canada have been practicing sustainable resource management for thousands of years. Canada is working with Indigenous communities to ensure their traditional knowledge is used in environmental protection efforts.

4. Examples of Global Stewardship

Other countries are also stepping up to protect the environment:

• Norway: Norway is a world leader in renewable energy and electric vehicles. Most of the country’s electricity comes from hydropower, and the government offers incentives for citizens to buy electric cars.

• Costa Rica: Costa Rica has made huge strides in protecting its rainforests and wildlife. The country gets more than 98% of its energy from renewable sources, and it has set aside a large portion of its land as protected areas.

• China: While China has faced challenges with pollution, it is now one of the world’s leaders in renewable energy. China has built thousands of solar panels and wind turbines, which are helping to reduce its reliance on coal.

Section 6: Challenges and Solutions in Environmental Stewardship

While many efforts are being made to protect the environment, there are still several challenges that make environmental stewardship difficult. However, innovative solutions are being developed to address these problems, and every step taken toward sustainability can have a positive impact.

1. Challenge: Industrial Growth and Pollution

As countries grow, industries expand to meet the needs of their populations. Factories, transportation, and agriculture all contribute to air, water, and soil pollution. For example, many factories burn fossil fuels like coal and oil, releasing harmful gases into the atmosphere. This pollution can lead to health problems and environmental damage, including acid rain and climate change.

Solution: One solution to this challenge is switching to cleaner, renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. These energy sources don’t produce harmful emissions and can provide sustainable power for industries. Countries like Canada and Norway are already leading the way in transitioning to renewable energy. Additionally, technology like electric vehicles and energy-efficient appliances can help reduce pollution from transportation and households.

2. Challenge: Overpopulation and Resource Use

The world’s population is growing rapidly, and more people means more demand for resources like food, water, and energy. As more resources are consumed, natural habitats are destroyed, and ecosystems are disrupted. Overfishing, deforestation, and over-extraction of resources are common problems that result from overpopulation.

Solution: To combat this, many countries are adopting sustainable resource management practices. For example, sustainable forestry ensures that trees are replanted after logging, which helps maintain forests. Similarly, sustainable fishing practices limit the number of fish that can be caught each season, allowing fish populations to recover. Individuals can also help by reducing waste, conserving water, and supporting eco-friendly products.

3. Challenge: Lack of Global Cooperation

Environmental issues are global in nature, but not all countries contribute equally to the problem or are equally affected by it. Wealthier nations tend to produce more pollution, while poorer countries may lack the resources to protect their environment. This can make it difficult for countries to agree on environmental policies.

Solution: International agreements like the Paris Agreement bring countries together to work on common goals, like reducing carbon emissions. Financial and technical support from wealthier nations to developing countries can help them adopt more sustainable practices. Global cooperation is essential for tackling environmental challenges that affect the entire planet.