Erle C. Ellis, Department of Geography & Environmental Systems, University of Maryland, United States

“If you want to value nature, you have to value it in the way we shaped it, not just the wild nature.” (Photo: Erle C. Ellis)

Erle C. Ellis, Department of Geography & Environmental Systems, University of Maryland, United States

“If you want to value nature, you have to value it in the way we shaped it, not just the wild nature.” (Photo: Erle C. Ellis)

Would the Earth be better off without us?

In my opinion, that is a meaningless question. Earth does not have opinions, people do. And this negativity about humans is a huge barrier to managing the biosphere in a way that provides the most benefits to humans and other species.

Humans have reshaped ecosystems, not destroyed them. Are you living in an uninhabitable area? Instead of valuing only the wild nature “out there,” we need to value the domesticated nature right around us. This is now what most of nature is, and our focus needs to adjust to this and make the best of it.

via The Earth We Created | Urbanization | Allianz Knowledge.

Anthropogenic biome maps – Encyclopedia of Earth.