Hope for the future

Kritika
Maharaja Man Singh Vidyalaya
India

We all know there is something fundamentally wrong with the workings of the Earth. It is not 'evil' Mother Nature cursing us all, but human activity in the last 50 years, which has upset the balance of the Earth. We have taken more and more of the natural resources without a thought to the consequences. We have polluted the skies and the oceans, which has killed countless, beautiful animals in the process. As long as we continue to be apathetic and switch off to this greed and injustice, we are most certainly contributing to our own demise.

The rising demands of humans have caused the depletion of many valuable resources. For example, overuse of soil has caused it to become badly degraded in many areas. Similarly, widespread deforestation and the killing of birds and animals have endangered many plant and animal species. As a result, some of them have become extinct and are lost forever. The quality of air, water and land resources have also been badly affected due to the misuse or overuse of resources. If sincere attempts are not made by every individual to stop misusing these resources, all of them will be lost to humankind sooner than we think.

We should simplify our lifestyle. Lead a green life full of joy, doing the best you can to minimise your impact upon the Earth. Emphasise quality of consumption over quantity. It is not necessary for every individual to have several of everything that is available. But a musician will need beautiful instruments and a carpenter their tools. Consume what you need in order to be you and indulge in areas that are important to you, but do not consume just as a way to provide meaning to your life. Try to live near your workplace and then walk or cycle to get there. Grow things such as food and native flowers and trees.

Here are some examples that can protect our natural resources: boycott products from companies that produce CFCs, as they destroy the ozone layer; carpool or walk to reduce carbon dioxide pollution in the air; do not use ivory or animals furs, as animals are killed for such luxuries and; shop for durable, long-lasting products. Buy in bulk, as this saves not only on packaging that you would eventually have to dispose of, but also tremendously reduces the amount of industrial waste generated to make the packaging. Buy products with recycled contents. Policies must also be encouraged that aim to slow down the growth of the human population.

Bright 'greens' are the only hope we have for a just, equitable and sustainable future. We are the hope for the Earth and all her humanity.

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