Why is environmental protection important? If you are looking for a clear answer to this question, then you have come to the right place! Since 1994, environmental protection has been enshrined as a German national objective in Article 20a of the Basic Law. Nevertheless, we humans are struggling today with countless and self-provoked ecological challenges, such as the climate changethe plastic waste in the oceans or the air pollution.
Every day, through our personal behavior, we are either part of the cause of these problems - or part of the solution. After all, everyone can initiate or support measures to preserve our natural environment and protect the air, soil, water, animals and plants. There are plenty of motivating benefits and reasons to do so.
Why should we all care about the environment? In this article, I would like to introduce you to my personal motives for working to protect our planet through my daily actions. Let's go!
10 reasons: Why is environmental protection so important?
Unfortunately, our Western society lives in a way that is fundamentally harmful to the environment, i.e. at the expense of nature. We are the reason why environmental protection is necessary in the first place. No other living being on the planet mistreats nature as destructively as we humans do.
But Fortunately, we are capable of learning and can improve and learn from our daily actions, live more sustainably. Simply use the following reasons to make yourself aware of why environmental protection is important. They are guaranteed to give you even more motivation and energy to stand up for nature.
1. Environmental Protection is Important Because it Saves Human Lives
World hungerglobal warming, increasing natural disasters, dangerous viruses, contaminated air, water and soil, pesticide use in the fields, species extinction, crop failures - We must not believe that we are the only living beings on a sick planet to remain healthy. In nature, everything is connected. This is shown not least by the Corona pandemic, from which we must learn.
Environmental protection is homeland protection and is so important because it helps to create livelihoods rather than destroying them. It helps to ensure that vital natural resources are permanently available to us.
Notice: Ultimately, of course, ecological problems also lead to people fleeing their home country. Everything you need to know about Climate and environmental refugees I will be happy to explain in the linked article.
2. environmental protection is important because it creates new, sustainable jobs
Environmental protection is often pushed into the background due to economic interests. Yet it is already an essential part of our economy and also ensures that it continues to prosper in the long term. Around 2.9 million people in Germany already work in environmental protection. With 6.5 percent of all employees, this sector is a major factor in our labor market.₁
And the opportunities for employees and the self-employed continue to increase. This is only logical - after all, you can't build a sustainable economy on the crumbling pillars of environmentally harmful activities. I am a good example of this myselfas I can now devote myself full-time to my CareElite environmental protection project every day.
Why protect the environment? Because it is the future - and it can be the only future.
Incidentally, one component of this project is the sustainable job portal - be sure to take a look if you are looking for a career change. You'll find environmentally friendly jobs with real added value for you, nature and our society. Whether you're an eco-farmer, a marketing manager for an animal welfare organization or an engineer for wind turbines - there's something for everyone.
3. environmental protection is important because it conserves (limited) natural resources
The Earth overload day is steadily approaching the beginning of the year. It is the day of the year on which we humans have consumed more renewable resources than the earth can reproduce in the entire year. The realization: If everyone in the world were so careless with natural resources, we would need three earths.₂
For example, we waste Natural resourcesby consuming a lot of meat. To produce one kilo of beefmore than 15,000 liters of water are needed for watering, cleaning stables and growing fodder. This is in addition to up to 25 kilograms of grain.₃
And to produce one animal calorie, seven plant calories are needed.₄ So if we simply ate the plants ourselves, for example, no one in the world would have to go hungry - despite increasing world population.
Use the following articles to find out more about the reasons why a plant-based diet is so important for environmental protection:
Tip: What else you can do to conserve natural resources in everyday lifeI will be happy to explain in the linked blog article.
4. environmental protection is important because it also protects animals
Cheap meat in the supermarket is only so cheap because someone else is paying the price for us. In addition to the environment and our fellow human beings, animals in particular suffer from our everyday (consumer) behavior in this example.
One, because we lock cows, pigs and dozens of other farm animals in dark, cramped cagesfatten them up, impregnate and exploit them, separate them from their children and stuff them with antibiotics so that they survive these ordeals. The Factory farming for our gustatory pleasure is a cruel habit that future generations will look upon with disgust. It is certainly one of the Things that are actually absolutely out of date these days.
On the other hand, however, by deprive wild animals of their habitat. This happens, for example, when we cut down rainforests to create arable land and pastures - or spray insect-killing pesticides on our fields. Yet we are dependent on insects. Around a third of our food would not exist without bees, which pollinate and grow plants.₅
Environmental protection is therefore also so important because it protects animals and ultimately also ourselves. We also have a ethical responsibility towards other living beings and nature.
Like to use the following, further articleto learn more:
- The best animal welfare organizations
- Do animals have emotions and feelings?
- Stopping insect extinction - what everyone can do
- Documentaries about factory farming
- Animal welfare made easy in everyday life
5. environmental protection is important because it means positive change
Environmental protection means consideration for other living beings. Not only for animals and plants, but also for other people. By paying attention, discussing, learning from and listening to each other, we improve our life together a little more every day.
World hunger, Cruelty to animals or the Water shortage would no longer exist today if everyone started with themselves and acted responsibly. But our Fortunately, society is constantly changing for the bettereven if it may not always seem that way when we open the newspaper.
Tip: To get a clearer view of the positive changes in the world, I can recommend the Book "Factfufulness" highly recommend!
6. environmental protection is important because it combats the environmental problems of our time
Positive change naturally also relates to the biggest environmental problems of our time, which we People themselves caused have. We discharge wastewater from factories into the rivers whose water we need to irrigate fields and for drinking. And to produce one liter of cow's milk, we simultaneously produce 3 liters of antibiotic- and nitrate-containing liquid manure₆, which we use to over-fertilize our fields.
Whether in the fight against Soil erosion, the water shortage, the Plastic waste in the environment or climate change: environmental protection is also so important because through our careless behavior we We ourselves are sawing at the branch that we actually like to sit on.
7. Environmental Protection is Important to Prevent Natural Disasters
Storms, droughts and floods are on the rise. Worldwide, the number of Climate-related extreme weather and natural disasters tripled since 1980.₇ They destroy entire livelihoods and, not least, jeopardize our long-term food security.
So environmental protection is also so important in order to protect people and to have food and water available in the long term. The more we put ourselves above nature, the more frequently and severely we will be hit by natural disasters in the future. We have to realize that we are only a part of nature and not nature itself.
What is actually the Difference between weather and climate? In the linked blog article, I have taken a closer look at both definitions. Feel free to have a look.
8. Environmental Protection is Important Because it is Respectful and Smart
"Environmental protection is not masculine" I once heard. So it's manly to destroy the environment? Of course not. It's neither masculine nor feminine. Environmental protection is simply smart and underlines a forward-looking, compassionate and respectful characterwho follows his or her own moral compass.
Appreciating Mother Nature shows that you value her importance for our future and our own descendants. Last but not least, environmental protection also serves to preserve cultural values and the enjoyment of unique, natural beauty.
9. environmental protection is important because it is fun and serves our development
We hike in the mountains, cycle through the forests, swim in lakes, sunbathe on the beach and enjoy the majestic sight of whales jumping in the sea - we love nature! Through direct or indirect Environmental destruction paradoxically, we deprive ourselves of the very things we long for.
"It's too much effort to live sustainably" is unfortunately one of the excuses I often hear. Mostly from people who believe that you can only be one of two things: either "environmentally friendly" or "polluting". In the process, the company's own Environmental awareness a continuous development process with the most diverse levels of environmentally conscious behavior.
Every rain starts with a drop. And once you have started yourself and realizes how easy it is to make a big impact for the preservation of our planetthe Environmental protection in everyday life to be really fun. Be it the Avoiding plastic waste or the regular Cycling.
10. environmental protection is important because we are all role models for our children & grandchildren
Why else is environmental protection important? If you are not yet convinced of the importance of protecting our natureyou should be after this reason at the latest.
Environmental protection means taking responsibility. Responsibility for yourself - but of course also for your children and grandchildren, who may or must stay on this planet much longer than you. It's up to you to decide whether this will be fun or horror.
Tip: Be sure to check out my detailed article Environmental protection with children in which you learn how to promote your children's awareness of nature through play.
Environmental Protection is Important Because We Only Have One Planet
Environmental protection means protecting our earth and changing our negative impact on this wonderful planet for the better in the short and long term. This is our moral responsibility - also towards future generations.
"Ultimately humanity is one, and this small planet is our only home. If we're to protect this home of ours, each of us needs to experience a vivid sense of universal altruism and compassion."
Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama (more at Environmental Protection and Sustainability Quotes)
You have just learned some good reasons for protecting the environment. If you would like to make your everyday life more environmentally friendly in the future after all this - perhaps new - information, I would like to offer you the following further contributions to the heart:
- Waste prevention for beginners
- Living more climate-friendly - the best tips
- The biggest environmental sins in everyday life
- Stopping world hunger - tips for your everyday life
- Sustainable cooking - it's that easy!
Do you have any questions about the article or can you think of any other benefits of environmental protection? Then feel free to write me a comment. Personally, it was really good for me to remind myself of my own motives for an environmentally friendly everyday life with this article.
Stay sustainable,
PS: Also with my Book "Sustainable living for beginners" I would like to give you lots more tips for a more environmentally conscious everyday life. Have fun reading!
References:
₁ Federal Environment Agency: Employment and environmental protection (as at: 25.05.2023), available at https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/daten/umwelt-wirtschaft/beschaeftigung-umweltschutz. [28.09.2023].
₂ Germanwatch e.V.: Earth Overshoot Day (as of 22.07.2019), available at https://www.germanwatch.org/de/overshoot. [28.09.2023].
₃ Federal Environment Agency): Hidden water (as of 22.03.2017), available at https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/verstecktes-wasser. [28.09.2023].
₄ Federal Environment Agency: Climate-friendly nutrition - meat-reduced, vegetarian or vegan (as at: 25.07.2023), available at https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/umwelttipps-fuer-den-alltag/essen-trinken/klima-umweltfreundliche-ernaehrung#gewusst-wie. [28.09.2023].
₅ SCHWARTAUER WERKE GmbH & Co. KGaA: The influence of bees on our daily diet, available at http://www.bee-careful.com/de/initiative/der-einfluss-von-bienen-auf-unsere-taegliche-ernae. [28.09.2023].
₆ PETA Germany e.V.: (2018): Liquid manure pollutes drinking water and increases water costs (as of February 2018), available at https://www.peta.de/guelle. [28.09.2023].
₇ National Geographic: 7 facts about climate change. https://www.nationalgeographic.de/7-fakten-zum-klimawandel. [28.09.2023].
