Valentine’s day: a day to love the planet

People believe ‘love hurts’ but when it comes to our impact on the planet, we say it doesn’t have to hurt at all.

A big part of experiencing love is dependency; what you and another do for each other. These tasks vary from big to small and often take place without even having to be asked. Well imagine the Earth is your Valentine this year. Why is our planet particularly alluring: beauty, maturity, diversity, fun, functionality, practicality? For the small things - the unspoken, the implicit, the discrete - the list is even more dense. Pollination of crops, cleaning air, control of climate, oxygen production, mental and physical well-being and, control of disease, to name only a few.

Broadly speaking, the activities mentioned above fall into 4 categories: provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting. They are increasingly referred to as ‘the ecosystem services’ and not only do they provide the fundamental essentials to sustain life, but economically speaking their contribution to the functioning of society looms near unfathomable (125-140 trillion USD per year[1]). Yet today, many ecosystem services are in decline because humans demand more from the Earth than it is able to supply. Estimates suggest we need 1.7 Earths to maintain current living standards and unless things change, this will increase to 3 by the year 2050.[2]

Consumption cannot be unlimited on a planet that itself has limitations and we must preserve the ecosystems on which life depend. It is important that we are conscious of the damage that everyday consumption inflicts on the Earth. What have become routine and fleeting symbols of appreciation on Valentine’s day (and mother’s day, father’s day, birthdays, anniversaries…) for instance - such as buying flowers or picking up a box of chocolates – can, when multiplied  by the millions of individuals making the same gesture, have larger and more lasting impacts on the environment than might seem conceivable.

Yet, conservation of nature is a global challenge. On top of what we can do as individuals, governments and businesses can act too. Ecosystem services underpin our economic systems and so it might make sense for nature to be considered in policy, regulation and in finance and economic decision-making too. Investments can be made in nature-based solutions; to conserve and restore ecosystems and to account for the voiceless services which, under a ‘public property’ philosophy, have been exploited and on which many have profited. Quantifying and putting a price on ecosystem services is a sizable task. Some argue it should not be done at all. But, understanding the monetary value of environmental degradation and converging to the ‘economic’ language of governments and businesses (so to speak) might facilitate discussion for realizable solutions. A notable instance of this, is improved knowledge around nature-based solutions for climate change and findings that present the financial benefit of these. The World Resources Institute, for example, estimates that restoring degraded forests generates 7–30 USD in economic benefits for every dollar invested.[3]

Human activity is altering the balance and beauty of the planet’s ecosystems but this also means that humans (communities, governments and businesses) are at the heart of solution too. On a personal level, we are empowered to influence through our everyday actions and today we must change how we show love. Reassess what constitutes a thoughtful gift: leave a note under someone’s pillow; take a walk out in nature or rustle up a plant-based meal from seasonal produce. Importantly, we should remember that the Earth enables every single thing we do, and deserves not to be in an ill-fated relationship of unrequited love but rather one based on reciprocal nurturing.

[1] OECD. Biodiversity: Finance and the Economic and Business Case for Action, 2019.

[2] Data for 2017. Global Footprint Network. National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts, 2021 Edition.

[3] The World Resources Institute. Roots of Prosperity: The Economics and Finance of Restoring Land, 2017.