I know that this is a few days past, I did it on purpose.
Why, you might ask? Well, because I believe we should "have a date with the planet" all year long, not just on a special day when we are bombarded by the media to do so. I don't have reservations toward assigning a day to bring to light particular issues. However, I do have a problem with how we eagerly get our "green on" on times like Earth Day, World Environment Day, ect. But then, easily slip back in our ways and forget all the reasons why it is important that we make a commune effort to preserve our home.
I'm not one to push political agendas. Honestly, politics make me shudder in disdain most of the time. I, however, firmly believe that it is past time we start looking really closely at the way we spend and waste our resources.
Yes, the natural resources, that was gifted to us, are here for to enjoy and use but many are not replaceable and once they are gone, they are gone for good. Sustainability and conservation are becoming more and more important as the earth slowly turns into a red planet instead of a green or blue one. The saddest part is that 80% of our natural resources are consumed by only 20% of the world population. Places like Dubai, where natural resource is nonexistent, consume more than a whole entire continent, without any established initiatives to offset consumption or pollution.
There are many statistics that are supporting the fact that it is time for us to wake up and make changes. Numbers such as how humanity managed to deplete millions of years of natural growth in less than a century depict our new reality. Clean water is becoming a commodity in many parts of the world. Grains are produced at exponential rates yet we are in the midst of a global food crisis. The majority of our agricultural endeavour is geared toward livestock feed and bio fuel. While said livestock live in confined and crowded spaces without seeing a single blade of grass. Thousands of marine species are dying at exponential rates in our oceans because of polluted waste crowding the marine floors. Landfills are slowly becoming the new landscapes of our world. The glaciers are rapidly melting, raising the ocean's water level at an equal pace. So much so that places like New Orleans, which reside below sea level, will soon become distant memories. How can we turn a blind eye to these images? How can we accept that our children will live in a world where 200 million climate refugees will become a natural part of their lives by the year 2050 (that is in our lifetime!). I refuse to believe that we will stand by and not respond to our world's desperate call. It scares me to even imagine the new earth our children will come to know and live in. It is time to stop basking in our pessimism, shed our creed loyalties, and come together to find ways to preserve what is left. Yes, numbers and statistics can be translated in many ways, but the facts painting our new landscapes are not images that we can avert our eyes from or erase. They are clear calls for humanity to take actions for we are the chosen stewards of our world.
Sustainability is possible. Humanity has rapidly evolved over the past century with new technologies. Commodities become more and more available in our modern societies. But at what price? How high do the stakes need to rise before we decide to take actions? I am not advocating for us to revert back to the stone ages. However, we need to be mindful of our consumption and seek some means to conserve the small part of our natural treasure that still remains. If we can create computers so small that they can fit in the palms of our hands yet connect us despite millions of miles of distance. I believe we can find ways to provide clean water to every human population, to have ways where we work along with nature's evolution rather than against it, and to prevent hunger.
If you have a moment, check out: Home at http://youtube.com/homeproject
It premiered on World Environment Day (June 5th) and will be available for free in many different languages/subtitles until June 15th. Home is the beautiful story of our planet, showcasing it's natural marvel and the sheer miracle of its existence.
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1 comment:
I agree - people who think they only have to think of the environment one day a year are just kidding themselves. Its something we have to do constantly!
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