Sacredness

This concept refers to the fact that, as part of our spiritual relationship with the biosphere, there are instances when we must value nature for its own sake, or when we should not attempt to

attach a commercial or material value to it.

Many indigenous people, such as the Indian tribes in the Amazon and the Australian aborigines, have viewed their relationship with nature as harmonious and themselves as caretakers. This belief meant that they were able to live as part of a relatively balanced ecosystem, without dominating or over-exploiting it.

For our own well being, we could learn from them to value, or consider sacred, a beautiful, healthy and safe environment. While our survival depends on exploiting other species, we need not use them

wastefully. We could learn from observing how predators behave with their prey. They do not destroy their supplies. They use only what they need. As a result, the population of animals on which they prey

can replenish itself.

At the individual level, we must ask ourselves some important questions about the way we behave toward nature. Among these are:

􀁺 Is my action morally right?

􀁺 Will what I do jeopardise the biosphere and the lives of future

generations?

The carbon cycle

Forests are often referred to as the lungs of the world because trees, like other plants, absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and use it to create food through photosynthesis. The photosynthesis process captures carbon from the carbon dioxide, which is then used by the plants to help them grow, and the whole process releases oxygen (O2) back into the air.Animals, insects, etc. use oxygen, either breathed from the air or absorbed from water, and produce carbon dioxide as a waste product
of the respiration.

Of course, carbon dioxide can also be produced by any process that breaks down carbon-based material such as oil, coal and wood. The most obvious examples are when cars break down petrol (a fuel created out of fossilised material) to covert it into mechanical energy, or when industry also burns fossil fuels such as coal and gas.

What is ecosystems?

The natural environment operates as an ecosystem. An ecosystem is a natural, functional unit. In it, living things such as micro-organisms, vegetation and animals (including people), co-exist and interact with non-living things such as air, water, soil and minerals to form a stable and self-sustaining system. These interactions are based on the exchange of materials and energy.

What is our environment?

Our environment means our surroundings. At the most basic level, it refers to our home, our community and our workplace. Ultimately, however, it includes the whole world, which is a unified physical and social system. The term ‘environment’ refers to the natural and social surroundings and conditions in which people, animals and plants live. This includes all the living and non-living things that affect the life of an individual organism or population.