Ecosystem Restoration + Mending Our Relationship with Nature The Joy Report - Intersectional Environmentalist
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- Society & Culture
On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing ecosystem restoration and its importance in protecting and providing for people + balancing the earth’s natural resource cycles. Centuries of irresponsible human actions have caused massive-scale environmental degradation and biodiversity loss that is contributing to current environmental harm experienced by people and the planet. Ecosystem restoration work not only has the power to protect people and preserve our planet, but it has the potential to mend cultural and historical relationships with nature.
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guayaki Yerba Mate.
Episode Transcript“Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me, Arielle King, an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education. This podcast aims to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.”
Episode AgendaIn this episode, we’re discussing ecosystem restoration and it’s role in protecting and providing for people and planet.
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guayaki Yerba Mate – yes the one in the yellow can & bottle! Guayaki is more than just a yerba mate brand - they're focused on personal, social, ecological and cultural regeneration through their commitment to regenerative practices, such as partnerships with Indigenous South American communities to grow yerba mate and steward rainforests. Yerba mate is a naturally caffeinated drink that comes in a variety of formats from loose leaf to cans to bottles. Guayaki’s mate is all organic, non-GMO and sure to make you come to life with all the goodness packed inside. Visit their website linked in this episode's show notes to learn more and find it near you.
Topic Background InfoThere has never been a more crucial time to restore our ecosystems. Centuries of irresponsible human actions have caused massive-scale environmental degradation and biodiversity loss that is contributing to current environmental harm experienced by people and the planet. We are seeing this first hand all over the world, and those who have contributed least to the degradation— namely BIPOC, low-income, and other marginalized communities— are experiencing the impacts first and worst.
Ecologists in the early 20th century believed that ecological harm could be reversed if harmful practices ended. However, by the 1960s, ecologists were beginning to write about the idea that an ecosystem can be so damaged that it loses the ability to repair itself. Decades later, the news and IPCC reports are making it very clear that we are very close to reaching that point, and with recent discoveries that rainwater is now unsafe to drink due to forever chemicals like PFAS, some might argue that we’re already there. That’s why we must prioritize the preservation and restoration of ecosystems that have been destroyed and can no longer regenerate themselves.
So what is ecosystem restoration?
Ecosystem restoration is the act of giving nature the ability to replenish the Earth. Our planet has the ability to heal itself and restore balance through the water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles which distribute and balance essential nutrients to all living organisms. These complex, yet perfectly working cycles create the well-balanced ecosystems we live and thrive in. Native pla
On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing ecosystem restoration and its importance in protecting and providing for people + balancing the earth’s natural resource cycles. Centuries of irresponsible human actions have caused massive-scale environmental degradation and biodiversity loss that is contributing to current environmental harm experienced by people and the planet. Ecosystem restoration work not only has the power to protect people and preserve our planet, but it has the potential to mend cultural and historical relationships with nature.
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guayaki Yerba Mate.
Episode Transcript“Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me, Arielle King, an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education. This podcast aims to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.”
Episode AgendaIn this episode, we’re discussing ecosystem restoration and it’s role in protecting and providing for people and planet.
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guayaki Yerba Mate – yes the one in the yellow can & bottle! Guayaki is more than just a yerba mate brand - they're focused on personal, social, ecological and cultural regeneration through their commitment to regenerative practices, such as partnerships with Indigenous South American communities to grow yerba mate and steward rainforests. Yerba mate is a naturally caffeinated drink that comes in a variety of formats from loose leaf to cans to bottles. Guayaki’s mate is all organic, non-GMO and sure to make you come to life with all the goodness packed inside. Visit their website linked in this episode's show notes to learn more and find it near you.
Topic Background InfoThere has never been a more crucial time to restore our ecosystems. Centuries of irresponsible human actions have caused massive-scale environmental degradation and biodiversity loss that is contributing to current environmental harm experienced by people and the planet. We are seeing this first hand all over the world, and those who have contributed least to the degradation— namely BIPOC, low-income, and other marginalized communities— are experiencing the impacts first and worst.
Ecologists in the early 20th century believed that ecological harm could be reversed if harmful practices ended. However, by the 1960s, ecologists were beginning to write about the idea that an ecosystem can be so damaged that it loses the ability to repair itself. Decades later, the news and IPCC reports are making it very clear that we are very close to reaching that point, and with recent discoveries that rainwater is now unsafe to drink due to forever chemicals like PFAS, some might argue that we’re already there. That’s why we must prioritize the preservation and restoration of ecosystems that have been destroyed and can no longer regenerate themselves.
So what is ecosystem restoration?
Ecosystem restoration is the act of giving nature the ability to replenish the Earth. Our planet has the ability to heal itself and restore balance through the water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles which distribute and balance essential nutrients to all living organisms. These complex, yet perfectly working cycles create the well-balanced ecosystems we live and thrive in. Native pla