Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
we can foster a love of nature because it is where we experience nature. There,
among the streets and buildings, ecologically aware citizens bring local and
scientii c knowledge to bear on pressing social and environmental issues. Do-
ing so not only helps the animals now, but also may be essential to those of the
future that will require that
Homo urbanus
value nature at a distance, despite
living in the city. Those wishing to meet the future with a more civic conser-
vation ethic should be guided by a tenth commandment:
10. Enjoy and bond with nature where you live, work, and play!
As we work to connect humans and nature, we have an opportunity to right a
substantial environmental injustice. The urban poor have long suf ered the
worst of the city's pollution, noise, and grime. Their homes are packed into
the most degraded portions of the city, where vegetation is sparse and birds
are rare. Beyond the slums, even neighborhoods of low-income, single-family
residences are biologically impoverished. In contrast, nearby al uent neigh-
borhoods are cloaked in ornate vegetation that supports a rich diversity of
birds. The unjust distribution of biological wealth within a city is a global
phenomenon, as Dr. Will Turner and his colleagues discovered in cities in the
United States, Japan, Italy, and Germany. In all these places, a vast majority of
all urban residents live in neighborhoods that harbor fewer bird species than
are found on average throughout the city. Turner surmised that “most of
Earth's human population lives in biological poverty” and worried what this
global separation of humanity from nature might mean. I share this concern,
but also see a path forward.
Rather than forsaking the degraded lands where most people live, those
with a mind toward conservation could engage citizens and civic leaders to
improve their ecological condition. Restoring native vegetation to marginal
