Between 1750 and 2000, the world’s human population increased more than sevenfold, from about 790 million to 6 billion. By 2040, that number is expected to reach 9 billion.
The impact of such growth on the face of the planet and the species with whom we share it has been profound. As we are now beginning to understand, our growth and increasing demand for resources threatens the ability of Earth to sustain us.
Imagine for a moment you had the means to do something about it. Johan Eliasch, banker, film producer and executive of Head sports equipment does — and has.
In 2006, Eliasch purchased 400,000 acres of Amazon rainforest in Brazil. The idea was simple. If he owned the land, he could put a stop to the logging and deforestation — at least on his “small” parcel of the endangered forest that provides 20 percent of the world’s oxygen and influences Earth’s weather patterns.
But he didn’t stop there. He encouraged others to purchase land as well. The charity he co-founded, Cool Earth, provides an opportunity for anyone to sponsor as little as an acre.
Despite his good intentions, Eliasch’s efforts have not gone without controversy. Local residents, once employed by the logging industry, are left without work when the logging stops, hindering needed economic growth in developing nations.
The challenge is to find ways to help communities earn more from standing forests than they would have from cutting them down, and to help them through the transition from one economy to another.
From the BBC, a glimpse into the moral dilemma brought on by the best of intentions.
