Why discuss ecology as it relates to the environment?

We all live on the same world, and we all affect the ecosystem as we use resources and release waste products every day. As a whole, people are becoming more and more aware of the impact that they have on the earth, and what they can do to mitigate the damage they might cause. There is a multitude of eco-friendly organizations that are working to improve our world and increase the sustainability of our lives.

Two of the most prevalent concerns in our world today are climate change and decreasing biodiversity. We’ve all heard about these concerns on the news: the melting polar ice caps, now-extinct species, loss of habitat, etc. As we go through this module and learn more about these concerns, think about how you can act in simple ways to help preserve and restore our environment.