Download Protecting, preserving and improving the world around us

ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUNG EUROPEANS
IES LUIS BUÑUEL ( SPAIN)
Protecting, preserving and improving the world around us
The EU has some of the highest environment standards in the world, developed over
decades to address a wide range of issues. Today the main priorities are combating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and reducing health problems from pollution and
using natural resources more responsibly. While aimed at protecting the environment,
these goals can contribute to economic growth by fostering innovation and enterprise.
What the European Union does
At the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development, at Johannesburg in 2002, governments committed themselves to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by
2010. The European Union has been legislating and taking action since the 1970s to
safeguard biodiversity, and has taken an active role on the international scene. The EU
has also set itself the objective of halting the loss of biodiversity on its own territory by
2010. Today, nature and biodiversity are one of the priorities of the EU's sixth environment action programme 2002-12.
The European Union started to protect the environment many years ago, when international attention began to focus on the growing damage our lifestyle was inflicting on
the
natural
world
and
its
resources.
In 1979, the European Union adopted the Birds Directive on the conservation of wild
birds. It identifies 194 endangered species and sub-species for special care. Member
States must protect and preserve habitats and species that are of special interest. 200
types of habitat, over 200 animal species and nearly 500 plant species are identified as
requiring protection. Some creatures like the monk seal are singled out as in urgent need
of help. Each country is responsible for identifying and designating Special Areas of
Conservation (SACs) where these species can live safely. Management plans must
combine long-term nature preservation with people's economic and social activities, to
create a sustainable development strategy.
In 1992, the European Union adopted the Habitats Directive on the conservation of natural habitats and wild fauna and flora. Member States must protect and preserve habitats
and species that are of special interest. 200 types of habitat, over 200 animal species and
nearly 500 plant species are identified as requiring protection. Some creatures like the
monk seal are singled out as in urgent need of help. Each country is responsible for
identifying and designating Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) where these species
can live safely. Management plans must combine long-term nature preservation with
people's economic and social activities, to create a sustainable development strategy.
These areas are included in the Natura 2000 ecological network: a network of sites
where wildlife is protected and sustainable development encouraged. This network already covers 15% of European Union territory, which is equivalent to an area the size of
Germany.
The European Union has also ratified a number of international agreements to protect
nature. They include:
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The Ramsar Convention on the conservation of wetlands (1971)
The Helsinki Convention on the Baltic Sea (1974)
The Barcelona Convention on the Mediterranean (1976)
The Bonn Convention on migratory species (1979)
The Berne Convention on wildlife and habitats (1979)
The Convention on the protection of the Alps (1991)
The United Nations Convention on biological diversity (1993)
Implementing these Conventions is key to achieving sustainable development, as agreed
in Rio in 1992.
This was reinforced by the Maastricht Treaty of 1992, which stated that the European
Union must integrate environmental protection into everything it does. Indeed, important decisions regarding transport, energy and agriculture can no longer be taken
without examining what their impact on wildlife and the countryside will be. The Union's role is to support and coordinate initiatives, and check that governments are fulfilling their obligations.
Habitats in Europe
There are six different levels at which living things can be studied:
 A plant or animal that belongs to a particular species is an
individual.
 A population comprises individuals of the same or different
species, all of them living in the same area and presenting
distinctive demographic characteristics.
 The group of individuals of different species living together
in a defined site is called a community.
 An ecosystem is made up of living organisms, their physical
environment and all the ways they relate together in a particular space.
 Those broad types of ecosystems with similar distinctive characteristics around
the globe (e.g. forests, wetlands etc) are called biomes.
 The part of the Earth's crust, water and atmosphere where living organisms can
subsist is called biosphere. This includes from some centimeters (or even meters) below the surface of the land and sea's bottom to several kilometres up in
the atmosphere.
A habitat is the environment in which an animal or plant lives, generally defined in
terms of its vegetation and physical features.
In the European Union, about 2 500 types of habitat have been classified! They include
grasslands, lakes, rivers, mountains, desert tundra, dunes, cliffs and many more. People
have an impact on most of these habitats, although some - including specific forested
areas, peat bogs and marshlands - are still relatively untouched by human activity, but
this is becoming increasingly rare.
Endangered species
Over the last few decades, 64 European plants have become extinct (eight in the 1980s
and nine in the 1990s)! The first mammal to disappear in the new millennium was the
Pyrenean ibex. The last survivor of this subspecies, found in the Spanish alpine region,
died on 6 January 2001, despite efforts by the Spanish Government and the European
Union to save it.
Today, almost half (45%) the mammals in the European Union and more than one-third
(38%) of reptile, bird and fish species are endangered. Birds like the slender-billed curlew are so rare they could die out altogether. In addition, not only rare species are
threatened. Once-common birds such as the skylark and garden warbler, and marine
species like the monk seal are also at risk. In addition, 3 000 species of plant are endangered: 27 of them facing possible extinction.
Here are some of the most endangered animal species:
Mammals
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Lynx
Brown
bear
Monk
seal
Saima
seal
Harbour
porpoise
Birds
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Reptiles
and Insects
Amphibians
Audouin's
gull
Clovenfeathered
dove
Peregrine
Whitetailed eagle
Northern
bald ibis
Sao Miguel Bull
Finch
Imperial
eagle
Corncrake
Damage to natural habitats
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Loggerhead
sea
turtle
Hierro
giant lizard
Fire-bellied
toad
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Plants
Marsh
fritillary
butterfly
Corsican
swallowt
ail
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Lady's
slipper
orchid
A habitat is the environment in which an animal or plant lives, generally defined in
terms of vegetation and physical features. Birds like the Chough, for instance, feed on
insects mainly in areas used for extensive cattle and livestock rearing. Thus, the decline
in the population of some species is due to their natural habitats being damaged, or disappearing altogether.
For centuries, when towns and cities were limited in size, traditional farming methods
nurtured the countryside and allowed plants and animals to flourish. However, more
recently, intensive agricultural practices and the unchecked expansion of industry and
tourism have used up more and more land, driving out wildlife or confining it to smaller
areas.
Pollution and civil engineering projects, such as dams, have harmed many European
river ecosystems and estuaries. Around our coastlines, pollution and over-fishing threaten marine species. Some such as Monk seals and Turtles are sometimes killed by fishing
gear and are threatened by the degradation of our beaches and seaside.
Around Europe, heathlands, steppes and peat bogs have shrunk by 60-90%.
In Spain, France and Italy, 75% of dunes have disappeared since the beginning of the
last century.
Breaking up habitats also separates populations from one another. This is known as insularisation, and it eventually leads to extinction as inbreeding weakens the population.
Therefore, it is important to preserve not only species but also the habitats where they
live.
Finding solutions
There is no doubt that our lifestyle has dramatically changed the landscape of the European Union and increased the rate of extinction of species. We are now aware that human activity must respect the environment, not least because we ourselves need fresh
water, clean air and plentiful food to live on.
The European Union believes care for the environment can improve people’s quality of
life as well as boosting economic sectors such as forestry and tourism. Wildlife protection can coexist in partnership with social and economic interests, if we apply the principle of sustainable development – finding ways of improving our quality of life without
causing harm to environment.
As a step in this direction, the European Union is creating a network of sites, called
Natura 2000, which includes areas already identified under the Birds Directive and the
Habitats Directive. Protection of the environment and economic activities should go
side by side everywhere, even more importantly within these sites.
For example, The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism is currently being tested in
ten European pilot areas.
The enlargement of the European Union, to take in new members such as the Central
and Eastern European Countries (CEECs), will bring new challenges. These countries
will also have to adopt new standards to protect their natural heritage.
Sustainable Tourism Charter
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Respect the limits of carrying capacity.
Contribute to heritage conservation and enhancement.
Preserve natural resources.
Support the local economy.
Promote the involvement of local residents
Develop appropriate high-quality tourism.
Make protected areas accessible to everyone.
Develop new forms of employment.
Encourage behaviour that respects the environment.
Serve as a model for other economic sectors and influence their practices.