The world is an interesting and dynamic place. One the one hand there are plant and animal species that have taken hundreds if not thousands of years to evolve and adapt to a specific landscape and climate like those found only in the Galapagos Islands and on the other we have animals like cockroaches, ticks and mesquite trees that not only spread… they also destroy the natural balance of ecosystems they encounter.
In many ways people are the ultimate non-native species. We spread to every continent, even the most inhospitable regions of planet earth (and now other planets), creating our own desired ecosystem. This concept may feel a bit uncomfortable as a human reader but as thoughtful consumers we actually have an opportunity to positively impact the environments we cultivate, hence the title, be the change you want to see!
For most people in the United States mesquite doesn’t mean invasive species, it means barbecue flavor! Instead of wasting the energy that has gone into growing these thorny, durable bushes that cows can’t even digest without taking damage, people found a way to find benefit by using themas firewood. Recently in an article posted at the New York Times, lionfish were positioned in a similar way.
This poisonous and spiny species of fish, popular with aquarium connoisseurs, is harming native species of reef fish in Florida and the Caribbean. Instead of trying to wastefully seek out and destroy this fish or passively allow it to upset an already balanced ecosystem, scientists are proposing we acquire a taste for them and make lunch! That’s right, as with other seafood delicacies the lionfish could soon be appearing on more and more plates at high end restaurants and what’s really cool is that it could be positioned as sustainable!
Instead of feeling bad about those shrimp or salmon you’re eating (and enjoying) why not put your dollars and appetite to work for a positive cause. This new directed sustainable minded eating phenomenon, fueled by awareness, could become the voice of the next “green” generation. The one that grew up hearing about how every hour a football field of rainforest was being slashed and burned and demanded their parents recycle and buy hybrid cars, can begin shaping ecosystems in a positive way by altering their tastes… literally!
