Natura Futura

The thirtieth:
Time to remember

Article published in December 2015

In December, we can see many christmas trees and cribs around the city. The pine tree, as christmas tree, is a symbol of life. It keeps its leaves, which remain green, while other trees lose their leaves. This tradition definetely makes sense in the northern hemisphere, where winters are harsh and the landscape is covered by snow.

The nativity scene shows us the newborn Jesus lying on a manger. Around him we see his parents, the three Magi and several animals. Since there was no more room for guests in the inn, his birth took place in the stable, among cows, sheeps, horses and donkeys.

Christmas tree and crib, two symbols of the western culture, are signs of our proximity to Nature. We, human beings, are part of Nature, but sometimes we forget about it. In the beginning of the 21st century, to many people, this keen coexistence with animals seems to be something distant, to be found in books and ancient stories.

Just hundred years ago, the automobile was in its beginning. At that time, horses were part of our daily lives. Pulling carts and carriages, they were the principal mean of transportation in the cities. They had names and nicknames, and needed our proximity to live. Someone had to feed, wash and treat them, with deserved attention and affection.

Technology brought us countless benefits, no doubt about it. Nowadays many people live among machines, a good portion of time: computers, mobile phones, cars and lawnmowers. We became more distant to animals and, who knows, our world became colder therefore. Let us rewarm our hearts during this Christmas season, celebrating with neighbors and our friends of Nature, plants and animals !

The thirtieth:
Time to remember

Article published in November 2015

Every year, on November 2nd, millions of people around the world, pay tribute to their forefathers. They pray, visit churches or cemeteries, in some way trying to revive the memory of those who left us.

Activate good memories is part of life and it encourages us in our daily journeys. To remember a grandmother’s good advice, or great grandpa’s wise words makes us feel their presence again.

Someday, we will join those who left us. Our whole generation will vanish from the Earth’s crust… And how shall we be remembered
in the future ? What kind of image of ourselves will we leave ?
See here two possibilities:

“The late 20th and early 21st century generation used up non-renewable resources (oil and minerals) from the planet, not paying attention to those coming after. They created the greenhouse effect with their unquenchable consumption habits. Their legacy was the global warming process and its consequent ruins”.

“Despite having spread a development culture responsible for the global warming, the late 20th and early 21st century generation has recognized being victim of their own evil deeds. They established, however, a new awareness and a change in attitude about the environment, plants and animals. Along with these, the return to balance could at least start”.

Life is made up of choices… and we will be remembered by the choices we have made.

The thirtieth:
Time to remember

Article published in October 2015

There has been a lot of talk about woman’s role in the last decades. Equal rights in the job market, sharing household tasks, raise in family income and so forth. As a result, changes in society and in the economy started to happen.

A remarkable fact is that women’s empowerment walked side by side with higher purchasing power and goods consumption in developed societies. But… to leverage consumerism… would this be the fate reserved for women in the 21st century ?

A woman’s action may have a wide reach. Alone, or as part of a couple. As a child’s mother, while educating and passing her values, and in society, where feminine presence represents almost half of the population. In brief, aware about this or not, a woman is very strong.

In current days, feminine actions could strengthen the environmental cause. It is enough to say that we live times of dramatic climate changes, pollution and urban decay, and reduction of areas dedicated to wild plants and animals. Wouldn’t be this the moment to reconsider women’s action as a force to defend Nature ?

Women can do a lot about environmental preservation. Women and men united, may do even more: acting together they have an extraordinary power. As parents and mentors of a family, they may pass their values of respect for plants and animals to their children. And a proposal of defending divine creation may spring up this way as well… and spread all over the world.

The thirtieth:
Time to remember

Article published in September 2015

Reduction of areas occupied by forests
Increase of areas occupied by cities
Increase of areas occupied by agriculture
Increase of areas facing climate change problems

Due to these factors, who remains without a place to dwell and live are wild animals and plants.

With nowadays population and economic growth, where once forests flourished, cities are being built. To feed its new inhabitants, more and more agriculture fields are necessary.

With less forest area, and more CO2 emission, many areas around the globe experience temperature raise. As a consequence, the melting of icecaps occurs, which is home for the polar bear, for example. His existence remains therefore threatened.

In short, animals that used to live in their natural habitat are forced to escape and live an unprotected and fragile existence, exposed to illnesses and hunger. Not finding a place to live, they risk death and extinction.

Think big. Help to break this cycle and create new forests, urban or rural ones. Start planting a tree and taking care of it. With this action, a small portion of our planet will improve: as an immediate result, there will be a new home for birds, more thermal stability and better quality air.

The thirtieth:
Time to remember

Article published in August 2015

Dinosaurs lived on Earth, in the same planet we live now, millions of years ago. No human being has ever seen these pre-historical animals alive. Their existence was inferred when their bones were found and later reassembled, regaining their original structure. These remains, the fossils, bear witness of a form of life that no longer exists.

The dinosaurs were extinct by a still unknown cause. Theories sustain that, long ago, a celestial body that collided with our planet caused an enormous devastation. As a result, a great part of the living beings on earth became extinct. A cosmic tragedy would have happened, without the interference of (still non existing) humans.

To modern science, extinction is a natural phenomenon. Although it has always existed, currently it occurs more frequently. And this is considered abnormal within Nature’s equilibrium system. Since the beginning of the Industrial Age, human activity imparted deep changes on our planet. Parallel to this, extinction processes became more intense.

Case in point is the passenger pigeon. Considered the most abundant bird on the planet, it has been decimated by firearms hunt and extinct in 1914. A human invention has been badly utilized against defenseless animals, in a time of incipient ecological awareness. The result of this action was a farewell to an animal species.

Nature has its processes. And the human species, steadily more powerful, interfere in these processes in a devastating manner. Consciousness and human actions of the present time will determine, in great measure, the existence of our future Nature. It is up to us, 21st century citizens, to gather maximal efforts to avoid that more forms of life cease to exist due to human mishandling.

 

The thirtieth:
Time to remember

Article published in July 2015

Many people pay daily attention to a pet (little kitty, doggie, etc.). It’s very good to have their presence at home… However, considering the possible extinction of some species, have you ever imagined dedicating yourself to a panda bear, every day ?

The panda, a mammal natural from China, became a symbol of protection of threatened species, decades ago… We know that extinction is forever. It happens when an animal or plant, for example, cease to exist on Earth.

You may not have a panda at home, but you can take care of a native tree of your region and help to save it from extinction. If this proposal makes sense to you, know that a common citizen can consistently contribute to this cause, with no complications and at a low cost.

To plant a seedling and look after it, is not difficult. It may be in a public square, on the sidewalk of your house, in the backyard, or even at the balcony of an apartment. Taking care of it every day means helping it to survive possible threats (locusts, ants, drought, vandalism, etc.).

If you have ever taken care of a pet, you know what it is taking care of someone. A tree will need more attention in its first year of life.
Later, when its trunk grows thicker, it will instil respect on others by itself. Isn’t it so among us, humans, as well ?

Plant a tree and take care of it every day. It is a demonstration of love towards the divine creation, and it is at anyone’s reach.

The thirtieth:
Time to remember

Article published in June 2015

Since April 2016, a total of 25 reflections about this theme have been presented here, in this website.

They gave us the opportunity to review subjects learned in school, in ecology classes, or in newspapers.

In a straightforward way we went through several topics:

What is…
A biome ?
Gaia Theory ?
Sustainability ?
Biogeochemical cycle ?
Carbon in the atmosphere ?
Riding around and street riding ?

* To increase your knowledge about these subjects is a way to strive for a better future. This is the objective of this section !

* Planting a single tree, native to your region, and taking care of it every day is a very simple task. Through this action, you can help to preserve a species, saving it from extinction.

* Keeping a bicycle and using it whenever possible for transportation, will deeply benefit your health and the environment, helping to reduce the emission of pollutant gases.

Help to create the future Nature… it is not difficult. A small commitment and lots of optimism are enough to practice these three actions !

The thirtieth:
Time to remember

Article published in May 2015

In this month, we present two diagrams, depicting traffic situations which involve an automobile and a bicycle.

Read them carefully and ponder !