Importance of Wilderness Values

 Do a lot of people in the world know that elephants are the only animal in the world that can not jump? The wilderness has many resources, and a variety of features that make it valuable for both animals and humans. Wildlife, plants, and animals are all important to humans and the future. The wilderness is a natural environment on earth that humans have not changed or altered. Keeping the wilderness safe will help the planet have a long lasting run in the future. Due to society and cities growing, life in general can not function properly, relying on many of the things that nature and wildlife provides.

Part 1: Animals’ importance to the Earth

The wilderness provides many creatures that are important for humans. Support animals like monkeys, dogs, and cats help people with disabilities or other problems. These support animals also help calm and guide people. Dana Casciotti states, “Companion animals may improve heart health by lowering blood pressure and regulating the heart rate during stressful situations.” Just having your favorite animals or hanging around them can be healthy. “Other research has indicated that the simple act of stroking a pet can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.” (“The Benefits of Pets for Human Health”) Over time, we have discovered and proven that animals have an ecological benefit to the environment and our living. Even taking out one single species from their habitat affects the food chain as a whole. This affects biodiversity, the variety of life in the world or in a single ecosystem. Humans rely on wildlife that helps daily natural processes and keeps balance in the environment. For example, an earthworm enriches the soil for plants, animals, and humans. They aerate the soil by tunneling and burrowing allowing air, nutrients and water to sink down deeper into the soil. Beavers are also another good example of animals that benefit the environment. They maintain wetlands building dams, which provides a habitat for many sensitive plants and animals. The human population, as it expands, kills off many different species that have a long lasting benefit for the planet.

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 Animals have been a main source of food, ranging from different meats to providing many dairy products. Humans have been using animals as food since the earliest human. Humans have been eating animals for their diet as early as 3.5 million years. There are many animals that can be healthy for your diet (Gunnars, 2018). For example, meat from healthy, grass-fed cows contain more conjugated linoleic acid which lowers body fat, increases lean mass, and has more vitamin A and E. Dairy products such as milk are good for bone and cardiovascular health. Fish contains Omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients, and proteins, and also help with mental health. Most people have seen Rocky, where he drinks egg yolk every morning to train for his fight? He is very smart, because eggs are considered one of the healthiest foods on the planet, especially the egg yolk, which is the most nutritious part of the egg. In America, 3% of people are vegan, which means 97% of Americans consume animals and or products that come from animals. Animals are just an everyday food source for humans, as Matthew Zampa states, “Over 150 million animals are killed for food around the world every day- just on land. That comes out to 56 billion land animals killed per year.” Adding fish to the equation adds up to about 3 billion animals killed for food every day. As recorded from July, there are around 7.6 billion humans on earth. This rounds to about one land animal for every 51 humans, and one animal for every 3 humans. Animals provide benefits such as emotional, mental, ecological, and nutritional to humans and the wilderness itself. They are used for consumption and making products for humans all around the world. Protecting the wilderness helps keep animals homes’ safe and helps earth’s future healthy and clean.

 Part 2: Wilderness’ benefit for us: Water, Air, and Excitement

 The wilderness provides clean and natural water that can be used to supply animals, plants  and the society’s around them. Water is a basic need for all life, what people drink everyday no matter if it is soda, alcohol, or juice contains water. The wilderness is where natural water is stored, in streams, rivers, snow, meadows, aquifers, and even the ground. The wilderness has aqua filtering effects that help keep the water clean. For example, the Klamath-Cascade lays on 12 million acres through California and Oregon. In an article by Pacific Forest Trust, they state, “Drinking water for more than 25 million Californians, the large majority of irrigated agricultural water, and more than 80% of the freshwater for San Francisco Bay originates in the Klamath-Cascade.” This wilderness has watersheds that delivers the most water in the state. These watersheds are used by over 60 million Americans. Runoff water, providing for about 66% of the nation, comes from wilderness areas like forests (Muir, 2014). By keeping these watersheds safe, it will help give people around the area a good future with clean, natural water. The wilderness also helps the earth provide clean air for people, animals, and plants. Forests take in carbon dioxide (CO2) and release oxygen (O2)  back into the air. EnviroAtlas, an official website for the U.S. government, describes in their article about clean air, “To help produce clean air, natural resources such as wetlands, trees, and soil, filter many pollutants from our air. Some of these pollutants include carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM), and nitrogen oxides (NOx).” The wilderness is also very good for helping with the problem of air pollution. It helps by lowering air temperature through respiration, and retaining particulates (Muir 2014). Some trees like conifers and deciduous broadleaf trees are better at detaching pollutants from the air. 

The wilderness is important for its aesthetic value and the many recreational activities it offers for humans. Everyone wants to go to places like the Cenotes in Mexico, the Punakaiki in New Zealand, or the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina (“10 Most Unique Natural Landscapes in the World”, 2013). Natural landscapes are something no one can change or modify because it is a beauty and wonder to the human eye. If human beings destroy these amazing places, the kids in the future will not know the beauty that the earth provides. Many people visit natural landscapes, such as the Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, etc. EnviroAtlas describes in their article that, “Each year in the U.S., hundreds of millions of people visit protected lands, such as National Parks, National Forests, National Monuments, National Recreation Areas, National Wildlife Refuges, Nation Wild and Scenic Rivers, and National Historic Sites. In 2012, the National Park system alone had over 282 million recreational visits.” The wilderness provides people with fun and relaxing recreational activities. Some fun and exciting outdoor activities include camping, hiking, fishing, biking, rock climbing, rafting, and many more. Wilderness Connect states, “Throughout history, writers and wilderness proponents have touted the many aspects of a wilderness experience-learning, adventure, self-empowerment, freedom, solitude, spiritual awakening… the special qualities of wilderness areas-the solitude, quiet, wild ambience, and the opportunity, in a sense, to step back in time and engage in age-old human adventures-makes them the preeminent venues for these activities.” Trips to the outdoor can teach everyone about nature, and it takes them away from their screens. People learn a lot of wilderness survival skills and basic life lessons out wherever they are. The wilderness has many values to humans from drinking water, providing clean air to breathe, beautiful natural landscapes, and many exciting outdoor activities.

Part 3: How We can Protect the Wilderness

There are very many ways that people can help protect the wilderness and support wildlife that are convenient for everyone. One way we can do this is by visiting zoos or aquariums that hold wild animals. Seeing these animals up close helps people learn about what is in the wild and what danger they are in. Keeping trash where it is supposed to be, reusing materials, and recycling helps protect oceans and keep other wild animals and places from harm. Donating a bit of money helps keep these areas clean and beautiful. Volunteering for organizations or just volunteering to pick up trash around your community can make a difference. Doing these simple things can really help save the environment and its wildlife.               There are many good, non-profit organizations that help protect the wilderness. Some organizations that help protect the wilderness are the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Taproot Foundation, Greenpeace, Sierra Club, Conservation International, etc. These organizations have done a lot over the years. For example, the Earth Island Institute is, “An organization founded by environmentalist David Brower that fosters the efforts of creative individuals by providing organizational support in developing projects for the conservation, preservation, and restoration of the global environment” (Group, 2018).

This graph shows how much total area wildlife organizations, governments, and groups have protected from 1872 to 2008 (Kideghesho and Msuya, 2012).

There are many ways that humans are hurting the environment. One way that humans are harming the earth is by polluting the air. Factories pollute the air by burning fossil fuels and other harmful things. A message from the United Nation states, “The estimations we have now tell us there are 3.5 million premature deaths every year caused by household air pollution, and 3.3 million deaths every year caused by outdoor air pollution” (Patterson).

References

• 10 Most Unique Natural Landscapes In The World. (2014, March 15). Retrieved from http://www.youramazingplaces.com/10-most-unique-natural-landscapes-in-the-world/
• Animals play an important role in many people’s lives and often help with therapy, rehab, etc. Learn more about the possible benefits of pet companionship. (2017, March 31). Retrieved from http://www.center4research.org/benefits-pets-human-health/
• Animals play an important role in many people’s lives and often help with therapy, rehab, etc. Learn more about the possible benefits of pet companionship. (2017, March 31). Retrieved from http://www.center4research.org/benefits-pets-human-health/
• EnviroAtlas Benefit Category: Clean Air. (2019, February 27). Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-benefit-category-clean-air
• Eschner, K. (2018, November 01). Humans have altered almost the entire planet-we need to save what’s left. Retrieved from https://www.popsci.com/preserve-wilderness
• Group, S. (n.d.). 8. Environmental Organizations. Retrieved from http://www.startguide.org/orgs/orgs08.html
• Kideghesho, J. R., & Msuya, T. S. (2012, August 08). Managing the Wildlife Protected Areas in the Face of Global Economic Recession, HIV/AIDS Pandemic, Political Instability and Climate Change: Experience of Tanzania. Retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/books/protected-area-management/managing-the-wildlife-protected-areas-in-the-face-of-global-economic-recession-hiv-aids-pandemic-pol
• McCarthy, N. (2018, August 06). Who Are America’s Vegans And Vegetarians? [Infographic]. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2018/08/06/who-are-americas-vegans-and-vegetarians-infographic/#b78fc64211c9
• McKie, R. (2012, September 22). Humans hunted for meat 2 million years ago. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/sep/23/human-hunting-evolution-2million-years
• Patterson, S. (n.d.). How Do Humans Affect the Environment? Retrieved from https://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/How_Do_Humans_Affect_the_Environment
• Recreational Benefits of Wilderness. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.wilderness.net/nwps/valuesRecreational
• Top 10 ways to save wildlife. (2018, July 19). Retrieved from https://share.america.gov/top-10-ways-save-wildlife/
• What We Do: Protect Water Sources. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pacificforest.org/what-were-doing/protect-water-resources/