Where we are

We are currently causing significant damage to our surrounding world every year. It is estimated that about 60% of benefits that the global ecosystem provides to support life on Earth are being degraded or used unsustainably. Not only is this damaging natural ecosystems, but it is also having effects on human health.

Rates of extinction are an estimated 1000 times higher than the background rate, showing a current lack of success in repairing damage to natural spaces. It is estimated that environmental damage and species loss cost the world $2-5 trillion a year because of a decrease in clean water, healthy soil, flood protection, soil erosion protection, natural medicines, a number of other services that we lose as we damage natural ecosystems. The only way to try to recoup this is by trying to repair the damage we have done.

There has been some focus on repairing this damage, but this has mostly been limited to a few situations. We are working to replant forests to help slow the effects of Climate Change. We are also working to restore areas after singular events such as natural disasters (like tsunamis and hurricanes) and things such as oil spills. Finally, we are working to clean up some areas that have had significant damage over a long period of time. In the US, we have Superfund sites, where significant damage to the natural environment has occurred over a long time, but currently most of these sites focus on making sites safe for human living, not restoring natural ecosystems.