Essay on effects of encroachment
Answers
There are many reports on the various science shows being broadcast these days on how human habitation has destroyed many animals natural habitat, bringing cheetahs into Nairobi, monkeys into Manaus and elephants into the villages of India. As poverty and population growth continue to push man and wild animals into an uneasy co-existence, there are all kinds of new problems which emerge, including the spread of new diseases such as Ebola. Some relate it directly to the consumption of bush meat, but all agree that some of these new viral diseases are directly related to our poor stewardship of the natural environment. In this way, even climate change and diseases like Ebola are being talked about as different manifestations of the same problem…there are too many of us living on the planet, and we are destroying the delicate balance between nature and human settlement. The Empire Club will examine these interrelated environmental factors in two very important meetings this Fall, starting with an October 28thluncheon on Ebola and its impact on Canada and the world, as well as the dangers of not controlling this disease properly now that it has arrived in the West. On November 13th, three eminent speakers will look at the overall impact of climate change, and where this is leading us in economic and social terms. Interestingly, both issues were actually dealt with 13 years ago in a speech by the Hon. Maurice Strong entitled “Does the Environment Matter to Canada?” Many of the themes of this speech seem entirely contemporary, including Dr. Strong’s reference to population growth and its impact on the environment: