30 Protec ting Natural Resources for All
Restoring the web of life
In the web of life, when a living thing dies, it affects many others, including
people. In the story in Chapter 1, when the people of Manglaralto lost their
forest, they also lost food sources and income. When the storms struck, they
lost their homes as well. When they started replanting trees, the villagers
found they were doing more than preventing erosion or producing honey. Their
work to restore the land to a state of health brought back many plants and
animals important to the health of their communities.
The soil grows crops
Fertilizer
feeds
the soil
Animal manure
can be turned
into fertilizer
Farmers who farm
sustainably use the
nutrient cycle to
maintain rich soil.
Crops
become
food
Food
becomes
animal
manure
Working with nature
In nature, nothing is wasted because
everything has a use or a purpose.
One way nature reuses resources
without waste is by working in
circles, or cycles.
Unfortunately, natural cycles
have been disrupted by people and
industry, and this has led to serious
environmental health problems.
One example of what happens
when natural cycles are disrupted
is global warming (see page 33).
Clouds make rain, sending water to the earth...
Water evaporates to form clouds....
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012