A few years ago, over six miles beneath the surface and 200 miles from the nearest land, a team of scientists explored the ocean’s deepest trench. Inside the creatures that live there, they found tiny pieces of plastic.

Microplastics have been found everywhere from the Arctic ice to the Pyrenees mountains. In less than a century, our creation has infiltrated all corners of the planet.

Nature is a complex, balanced system that’s constantly in motion. Ocean currents exchange water between the equator and the poles. Trade winds, like nature’s couriers, transport vital nutrients from the Sahara to the Amazon. Intricate networks and delicate relationships keep Earth habitable for a diversity of life forms. And we’re part of it.

The things we take, make, and throw away can leave a devastating mark on our world, yet harm isn’t our only legacy. For generations, many Indigenous communities have developed practices to nurture local ecosystems. Emerging technologies allow us to choose sustainability on a grand scale. In our deeply interconnected world, our choices — both harmful and helpful — change everything.