What roles do governments play in preserving a nature- balanced world?


All have a role to play. Urban planners a hundred years ago planned cities around nature. It’s not a new idea; we’ve just forgotten.


Nature can offer cost-effective solutions to some of the problems cash- strapped governments face. For ex- ample, it costs a lot to tear up a canyon and put in a new stormwater system, but a lot less to develop a system that takes advantage of the natural water- shed.


People often think about na- ture as somewhere else, like a state park or wilderness area, yet you point out the need to re-imagine our own yards and neighborhoods. What can we do to enhance the local habitats that ulti- mately sustain us?


We often overlook the nature where we live, work and play. In 2008, for the first time in history, more people on Earth, were living in urban, rather than rural, areas. That means if we are going to have meaningful experiences with nature, we are going to have to rethink nature within cities. Looking forward, conservation measures alone won’t be enough to get us where we need to be. We need to start re-creating nature in order to protect the biodiversity that all crea- tures need, humans included. We can start in our backyards by replacing lawns with flowers and native plants that will bring back sustainable migra- tion routes for birds and butterflies. Acting on The Nature Principle is an optimistic way of looking at the future. It’s not just about survival; it’s creating a way of life that is profoundly all-around better for all of us.


April Thompson is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C. Connect at AprilWrites.com.


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