Nowadays, it’s unfortunate that everyone has lost a sense of wisdom and knowledge about environmental conservation. We forget that what we have now as reality is what our forefathers worked hard for a long time ago. Abusing the environment has one shortcoming; the effects of abuse do not affect those abusing it, but their next generation. Most of us disregard the rationalism and the centralization that we have an environmentally diverse planet. It is time to go back and increase our awareness of the knowledge of fauna, flora, natural cycles, and the sensitivity of the ecosystem.
What Is Bio-Regionalism?
Bio-regionalism refers to a system of cultural, economic, ecological, and political ideologies. It focuses on the integration of the various environmental efforts from each region (bio region) to contribute towards environmental sustainability.
What is a Bio Region?
A bio region consists of the unique overall characteristics and features that define a place.
The unique characteristics that define a bio region include:
- The people
- Native animal and plant species
- Climatic seasons
- Watershed boundaries
- The terrain and landforms
- The soil
The ideology, therefore, seeks to mobilize people to try and share knowledge to find solutions to environmental issues. The concept believes that the various ecological components mentioned above have a direct impact on our lives as a community. It affects how we are, how we behave and how we interact with other human beings within our societies. Our economic, political, cultural, and spiritual success depends on how well we take care of our environment.
What Are The Primary Objectives Of Bio-Regionalism?
- To support the efforts and works of re-inhabitation
- To restore and maintain the local natural systems
- To promote the practice of sustainable methods of satisfying basic human needs such as water, food, housing, and energy.
How Would Bio-Regionalism Save Us?
- By raising awareness on Current Environmental Issues and their impact on the Society
One of the primary objectives of the movement is to promote the practice of sustainable methods of satisfying human needs. In doing so, the program increases people’s awareness on the environmental issues affecting the society. A topic such as global warming is on the rise. Many people do not think that global warming might affect them. However, environmental issues affect everyone directly and indirectly.
Let’s look at the example of what happened between 2008 and 2011. There was a shortage of resources among many nations. The situation led to clashes over natural resources such as water. There was increased inflation, high rates of unemployment, and open hostility between nations due to natural resources, and national deficits.
The movement is therefore instrumental in raising awareness in different bio regions.
For example, the movement is targeting governments which are diverting rivers and allowing the inefficient use of resources within their nations. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on climate released a report. The report revealed that there is an expected increase in the demand for food and water in the near future. We, therefore, should expect an increase in the prices of food, water, and energy. The shortages will consequently lead to social unrest and disorder that affects everyone on the planet.
- Creation Of Environmental Movements Who Participate In Active Projects
The ideology has with time led to the emergence of different organizations and foundations. The foundations are actively engaging in projects aimed at preserving what remains in nature. The movement has brought much collaboration with different players who can contribute to environmental sustainability.
Some of the players include:
- Artists
- Writers
- Scientists
- Social activists
- Ecological activists
- Community leaders
- Governments
- Volunteers
The people then come together to make a positive effort in their respective bio regions to conserve the environment. Some of the regional foundations that have come up include:
- Frisco Bay Mussel Group in northern California
- Planet Drum in San Francisco
- Ozark area community congress in Kansas Missouri
There are also other similar groups in other regions in Australia, Europe, North Carolina, Japan, and South America.
Some of the active projects include one conducted by the Mussel Group. The foundation persuaded the public against voting for an environmentally lethal project. The public was able to vote against the plan to move the freshwater canal away from San Francisco. The Planet Drum group has also had a significant impact on the society. The foundation engaged in publishing publications that promoted environmental conservation. The newspapers revealed how various aspects of politics, culture, philosophy, and social-economic practices affected the environment.
- Political and Governance effects of the Movement
The movement has gone ahead to instill the spirit of communal responsibility for environmental issues. The ideology believes that each person in the community ought to have a sense of belonging and responsibility. Environmental conservation, therefore, gives the Eco-regions a sense of belonging and identity.
Through the spirit of togetherness, people can be able to take responsibility and participate in issues of governance and politics. They also participate in every individual’s economic activity and source of livelihood.
Artists, actors, poets, painters, farmers have been able to use their source of livelihoods to express their views on environmental conservation. The movement is more prevalent in the urban regions where there are a lot of practices that destroy the environment. Adverse actions the cities conduct include water pollution, emission of poisonous gas from factories and vehicles, and industrialization. There has been an introduction of a school curriculum that teaches students on ways of preserving the ecosystem.
Resource democracy has revolutionized the way nations account for their use of natural resources. Resource democracy requires that there exist multilateral agreements between countries sharing resources. The treaty then helps to ensure that each nation takes care of the resource in an environmentally friendly way.
Resource pluralism ensures that each person enjoys the rights to the use of resources. It is, therefore, illegal for one to use natural resources in a way that affects the other person’s usage. The concept has brought together various actors within the ecosystem to come with ways to sustain the culture. The people have in turn participated in governance by giving recommendations to councils, government agencies, and boards.
About Josy
Hi! I’m Josy O’Donnel and I am the creator of Conservation Institute. While completing my bachelors degree, I developed an interest in the study of Earth’s future and the conservation of Earth’s natural resources. Years after, I am still immersed in these subjects. I want to share my passion with an online community of people who are devoted to spreading awareness and attention to the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth
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