Personal Responsibility toward the Natural World

Introduction

The natural world or nature represents the physical world and the living elements found within it. In its broadest sense, nature entails all the living and inanimate things that exist within the physical world. All the elements of the natural world, whether living or inanimate, significantly depend on each other. Of all the living things, man crucially depends on the elements of nature for his survival. On the same account, we have the responsibility to ensure that the natural world remains intact so as to benefit from it. One of the major elements of the natural world that are beneficial to humanity is the natural resources (Dyke 45). Natural resources are essentially derived from the environment; which is a crucial aspect of the natural world. Most of the resources that occur naturally are necessary for survival.

Basing on this argument, we therefore, have a responsibility towards the natural world, more specifically towards the natural resources deemed vital for survival. Some of the resources supplied by the natural world that are useful to us include natural gas, coal, oil, land, food supplies from plants and many more. Animals are also part of the natural world which should not be forgotten, they provide diverse resources, which are vital, in keeping us alive. The responsibility to take care of these resources is due to the fact they essential for our sustenance (Dyke 46). Natural resources represent the building blocks for which human life relies on (Hunter 89). This essay argues basing the reasons why we should have personal responsibility towards the natural world.

By virtue of the fact that we benefit a lot from the natural world, it is our responsibility of ensuring the nature coexists in a manner that human activities will not inhibit natural processes. It is therefore, people's responsibility to take appropriate measures in order to protect the natural world for our advantage. Conserving the natural environment is a form of rewarding ourselves rather than rewarding nature. A well protected natural environment comes to our advantage (Hunter 56). We have to protect the source of livelihood, and this mean making proper use and taking appropriate care of the natural resources.  One of the chief reasons, why we have a responsibility towards the natural world that is within reach and control of mankind is that the natural resources bound to depletion.

No matter how we use the resources, one day they will run out, the question is how soon. We must therefore, protect the little available natural resources so as to avoid their depletion in the near future. Making abundant use does not necessarily involve a limited use of the resources, rather attempting to find alternatives to already diminishing resources (Missy and Alan 301). We should be environmentally responsible to ensure there is a continuous supply of natural resources. Our responsibility to resources that are subject to depletion is efficient and correct use and use of substitutes in scenarios where they can be used to preserve the depleting resources (Dyke 125).

One of the significant elements of the natural world is biodiversity; it is a significant natural resource to us plays a significant role in the ecosystem. Removal of biodiversity has serious impacts to mankind. Biodiversity loss is usually as a result of human activities, which to some extent can be avoided. Practices such as intensive land use and industrialization do not provide an effective approach to use of natural resources. It is unfortunate that biodiversity is usually viewed as conservation issue, instead of viewing it from a natural resource point of view. Biodiversity provides the frameworks for the existence natural resources which are from the animate elements of the natural world. Preservation of the elements of biodiversity is therefore, our responsibility through avoiding human practices, which inhibit the, growth of biodiversity.

Another indispensable natural resource, which we have, the responsibility over is soil. Soil plays a pivotal role in ecological functions. If used in an appropriate manner, soil offers a number of benefits to mankind such as creation of habitat and biodiversity. Just like any other natural resource, soil can be said to nonrenewable, meaning that its misuse lowers its potential in the future to sustain human life on earth (Hunter 24). Most of activities which cause soil degradation are human based such as waste dumping, intensive agriculture and increased urbanization. Such practices can be avoided or reduced so that the capability of soil to support human life is not significantly affected. Proper land use means that all other natural resources that depend on soil will also improve and therefore, increasing the ways in which natural resources support our existence. We should therefore have the responsibility of ensuring that soil is not misused like other nonrenewable natural resources (Hunter 25).

Conclusion

The major focus of our responsibility to towards the natural world is avoiding the depletion of natural resources. It is a fact the some natural resources are subject to depletion, while others are subject to degradation. In either case, we have a responsibility of ensuring that either of the cases does not happen on natural resources. We as the beneficiaries of the natural environment preservation, protection and management, it is therefore, our responsibility to ensure that the natural resources which play a vital role in sustaining human life on earth be used in an appropriate manner.