Presenting

WEB OF LIFE So how does the eradication of animals lead to the eradication of human life on the planet? It all boils down to balance. e natural world exists in a web of life called an ecosystem, and that's just what it is—a system…a machine. As with most machines, there are a lot of moving parts involved: is wheel affects the turning of that cog, and the rotation of that cog propels a bigger spoke. A powerful display of this interconnectedness is the result of the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 after their extinction seven decades earlier. Once wolves were released in the park over a period of about two years, dramatic changes were observed in the overall makeup of the area—in the other animals, vegetation and even lakes and rivers. Over time, the predatory creatures helped weed out the weaker members of the invasive deer population, keeping the herds stronger and healthier. ey also altered the deer's daily habitat, forcing them to stick to more protected areas of the park, which in turn allowed the grasses and other plant life to thrive in the open areas and along the banks of the water sources. is renewed abundance of vegetation attracted birds and other critters back into the environment. Among them were beavers, whose dam-building behavior modified the makeup of the bodies of water found there. is extraordinary phenomenon in Yellowstone continues to be observed, studied and broadcast to this day. Scientists, environmentalists and naturalists had never seen anything like it. Wheels, cogs and spokes—all were in motion together, causing the revitalization and complete transformation of one of our country's venerated natural treasures. SUMMIT FOR SURVIVAL ere's no question that the list of problems we face is daunting. It's almost overwhelming enough to cause us to throw up our hands in defeat and say "well…we're already on the path to destruction…I guess there's nothing that can be done about it now." But if that were true, countries around the globe wouldn't be banding together to forge startlingly optimistic agreements in an attempt to turn things around, even if only incrementally and oh-so-slowly. Efforts are being made to not necessarily reverse the damage that has been done—that would be unrealistic—but rather to inhibit its momentum. e 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference involved the participation of the European Union and 195 nations. e objective was to achieve a binding and universal agreement on climate. Since that time, a number of important strides have been made. Again… these may be baby steps in the global scheme of things, but they spell progress nonetheless. We have to start somewhere, and the news that heavy hitters like China, India and even the U.S. are part of the conversation is heartening at the very least. Participants in the summit's resultant Paris Agreement are legally bound to continue to attend future summit meetings, make public pledges to tackle the global warming issue and then follow up by publishing their plans on a U.N.-sponsored website. e goal was to have on board at least 55 parties to the convention, accounting for at least an estimated 55% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. On October 5, 2016, that requirement was achieved. So far, plans put forth by both China and the U.S., the world's two largest polluters, are very aggressive (and, arguably overly optimistic). Likewise, a group of 47 countries including Ethiopia and Bangladesh—many of whom are the most vulnerable to the devastating impact of climate change—have released a much- publicized pledge to get all their energy from renewable sources before the year 2050. Now that the conversation has begun…it's time to turn words into action. By 2020, participants will have to submit their new climate plans. ereafter, at incremental stages, progress and success will be carefully tracked and reported. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Awareness and its partner, education, can move us toward improvement. Another Psihoyos film, "e Cove," is a documentary that exposed and scrutinized the effects of dolphin fishing in Japan. In 2010 it was awarded an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, accolades which helped catapult the issue into the spotlight and keep it there. Reportedly, at the time of the filming, about 23,000 dolphins were being hunted down and killed annually in Japan. at number has decreased to about 6,000 in recent years. is improvement is due in large part to those who witnessed and then actively responded to the horrors documented in "e Cove." 62 | GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com

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