RIESTER

This is a cross-post from the RIESTER Foundation.

The goals of the RIESTER Foundation are of great personal interest to me. Through the books I read and the places I go, I am always interested in learning more about our planet, the human impact on our planet and ways to preserve and restore healthy ecosystems.

Last month I had the privilege of traveling to Patagonia, a place I’ve long wanted to see. With geographic features including remote and stunning rivers, lakes, glaciers and mountains, the region is a magnet for eco-tourists hoping to see a part of the planet with a low population density and breathtaking beauty. The trip had no connection to the RIESTER Foundation, however, nearly everything I saw reminded me of the importance of the work of the foundation.

Patagonia is threatened by humans and our need for more and more and more. Non-native beavers and minks are wreaking havoc to native flora and fauna. Large Chilean salmon farms are being devastated by disease due to unsanitary and overcrowded conditions. At the same time the salmon farms are overtaking formerly untouched fjords. Proposed new dams, with associated hydro-electricity projects, threaten to flood vast areas of streams and lakes that are among the most pristine in the world.

The need to STAND FOR LESS is often most obvious along human frontiers. The lands of Patagonia have already been altered by man, but Patagonia retains much of the wildness of the pre-modern era. Preserving and protecting natural ecosystems is vital for the survival of our species. (Read more about the importance of biodiversity.)

The Patagonia Times is an English-language online publication covering issues affecting one of the final frontiers of the Americas. We recommend that you add this excellent online resource to your reading list. It’s important to be well-versed in issues affecting our planet beyond our own backyards.

Chile's Cuernos del Paine, an iconic landmark of Patagonia.

Another version of this post appeared at STAND FOR LESS.