TED Talk Speech “In spite of two centuries of doomsaying, humanity is enjoying unprecedented prosperity. There are environmental problems, certainly, but they can be solved”(Source W). As humans we put most of our attention on negative aspects of the environment, but what are we missing? We have turned a blind eye to all the things humans have done right to improve the quality of the environment. Never has this fact been more evident than now. From the forests all the way to symbiotic relationships between animals and humans we have facilitated the improvement of the environment and it’s creatures. “The forests of developed countries are now regenerating as fast as they are being cleared, or nearly so”(Source W). Forest regeneration has become of ample concern to many different groups in the U.S. and all over the world. An illustration on how people are taking action to help our forests are: 2.2 million tree seedlings being planted in Coeur D’alene, Idaho to replace trees that have been cut for logging purposes. There are other similar cases such as this one happening all over the world including Latvia and Brandenburg.

Successful forest regeneration under a changing climate has become accessible with human interference. “A large-scale network of seed orchards, nurseries, and trial sites has been established in Latvia since the 1960s. It is aiming for the genetic and physiological improvement of tree species such as Silver birch, Scots pine, Norway spruce, and Black alder with respect to growth, quality, and – in light of climate change –resilience to drought and/or pests” (Futureforest). Results reveal that these tactics notably improved the growth and quality of European forests. These possibilities wouldn’t be feasible without human action. While forests are admirable by themselves they are even commendable when there are animals that live in them. To protect animals in water and out we have environmental policies. Two predominant policies include The Endangered Species Act and The Marine Mammal Protection Act. These programs facilitate the security of those species that need our help to stay alive.

The Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973. It prohibits the sale, possession or harm of animals that are listed as endangered or threatened.The penalty for violating the act is a maximum $100,000 or a one-year jail sentence. A few examples of animals that are on the endangered species list include sea turtles, black-footed ferrets, spotted owls and sea otters.The Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed in 1972 to protect all marine mammals, including species such as whales, dolphins, seals and sea lions. The law was extended in 2007 to include polar bears as a protected species. Individuals who are in violation of the Act will be issued a maximum $20,000 fine or a year's imprisonment. Both of these policies have had profound effects on the treatment of animals in and out of water.
For those animals that have lost their natural habitat due to human activities there is a solution. Habitat rehabilitation is happening all over the world for a variety of species that are in need. A recent case of habitat rehabilitation is the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary which has opened it’s doors to a new population of free-ranging Asiatic Lions.