For instance, the Earth provides free water for drinking and crop irrigation. But climate change is reducing snowpack in mountain regions around the world, threatening the water supply of millions of people, particularly in parts of Asia and the American West. Desalinating enough water for the city of Los Angeles would make a 10 percent increase in electric bills look like nothing.
Furthermore, drought conditions in California will cause 1 million acres of the nation’s most fertile land to go unplanted this year, costing the agriculture industry at least $2 billion. And since the region provides 50 percent of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, we’ll all be covering that cost at our local grocery stores.
But these costs aren’t just limited to climate change. Overfishing will likely wipe out the breeding population of Atlantic blue fin tuna in about three years, yet the fishing season resumed last week without a quota change. A suspension of fishing now, though costly, could mean the difference in saving the species as a managed source of food and revenue for the future or letting it vanish altogether.
Natural resources like these underpin every industry. The sooner we begin balancing the health of the planet with the health of our economy, the less expensive it will be in the long run.
In some regards, it was easier to join the movement in 1970, because the environmental issues of the day were much more visible. Today, unless you live in an Appalachian community affected by mountaintop removal coal mining, the issues probably aren't right in your face. You might know about climate change, topsoil depletion, toxics in the environment and the ongoing mass extinction of biodiversity, but making next month’s rent or mortgage is always going to be a more immediate problem.
Nonetheless, it’s time to act boldly. Because capping carbon dioxide emissions and generating clean energy is only the first step in reassessing the value we gain from a healthy planet. We must begin paying to preserve these benefits now, because once they are gone, we won’t be able to buy them back at any cost. And then the idea of celebrating Earth Day will seem like a cruel joke.
++++
Bart King is News Editor of SustainableBusiness.com. This column is available for syndication.
Contact bart@sustainablebusiness.com.
