It will be the biggest challenge our species will face. Can we humans provide for a dramatically increasing population, whilst sustaining the environment to meet the needs of future generations? The possibility for an optimistic future relies on a swift and significant reaction from the world’s population as a whole, with initiatives being implemented at local, national, regional and global scales. We could continue to deplete natural resources and pollute environments as we have done and hope that nature will take care of itself. The fact is, it will. Life will go on, and the earth will survive, but the question is: will we?

The view of human and natural systems being separate has long been thought to hold true. We must now recognise ourselves as a significant part of the natural environment, and as natural systems change we must also adapt. The positive and negative interactions we have with the environment are often subtle, going unnoticed.

It is now up to all of us, and particularly those living in more developed countries, to seriously address the major environmental problems that the planet is facing. Environmental problems are usually more complex and much more significant than they first appear. With so many natural systems interacting, many of which we cannot immediately see and so are totally unaware of, simple solutions are rare – the solutions may be as diverse as the environments they are intended to act upon.

A particular concern among youth groups is the availability and sustainability of natural resources. Many resources which originally were thought to be renewable are now appearing to be finite, and all too quickly. If we are not careful, fresh water, soil, land, forests and even air will become finite resources. However, with careful management and sustainable practices such resources could become truly renewable. Environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural practices must be implemented to cope with the inevitable increase in food demand, especially in countries and areas with little arable land.

The truly renewable energy sources, wind and solar energy, are largely untapped. As reserves of traditional forms of energy (such as coal, oil and gas) decrease, other forms of energy will become more economically viable. For countries such as Australia, the next 10–20 years will mark whether or not our living standards will get better or worse. If we fail to increase research, development and use of alternative fuel sources, both Australia’s and the world’s economies will be affected and living standards will go down.

This is perhaps a rather pessimistic view, and for significant and effective change we must be both optimistic and realistic. The only way we can begin to see how to make a difference now and for the future is to go out and experience the natural environment and encourage others, especially young people, to do the same.

One of the hardest concepts for the community to appreciate is that conservation can be beneficial now, as well as in the future; and that the modern view is not "green" vs "greedy", but more that environmental protection does not have to come at a great short or long-term cost to companies or the community.

If the wider community is willing to think laterally and always question decisions made by government and non-government organisations, we can begin the road to recovery. Governments and companies (especially transnational corporations) must be made more accountable for decisions related to environmental issues. The narrow-minded short-term profit-seeking devices employed by companies, and to a lesser extent governments, must start to be seen as detrimental to the social and natural environments.

All issues should be assessed at a variety of levels – from grass roots level to global approaches – as well as in terms of long-term consequences. When we say, "the problem’s too big, I can’t possibly do anything", we are accepting defeat. It is a daunting and impossible task for just a select few to accomplish environmental conservation, but as a community thinking globally and acting locally, the chance for an optimistic future with good living standards becomes within our reach.

Paul Keighley 
is a first-year student in the Bachelor of Environmental Science course at Sydney University.