What are we doing? Seriously, what are we doing to the environment?
We as humans, the so called most intelligent and evolved species ever born on this earth, I seriously doubt. We call this earth our home and what we’re doing is deteriorating it. We address earth as our MOTHER and we are doing nothing but exploiting and polluting it. Is this what we are supposed to do? I believe we humans are the meanest and the most selfish creatures that have ever lived on this earth. All we know is to take and take and take and never give back.
I find it difficult to walk outside, not just walk but step out because it’s too damn hot, even at 6:30 in the morning I see air-conditioners still running. Whatever be the time, it’s burning outside. What we don’t realize is that turning on the ACs is not the solution because they let out all the CFCs. Now see this, on an average a house has two ACs, and there are millions of houses, a mall has central air-conditioning, meaning it can’t be turned off at all because as the number of people increase inside, it’s suffocating to breathe, and there are hundreds of malls, which again let out the “hot air”. Just stand in front of the AC, no not inside the room, stand outside, at the back of the AC from where it lets out the air, hot isn’t it? Okay, and now take the emissions from cars too. A million cars in the capital itself and people not willing to take public transport (or maybe some genuinely can’t) and also the SUVs, and now combine them all. Hot air from air conditioners in the houses plus the malls and the cars, too much isn’t it. Now see it on a large scale. The entire world doing the same thing as you are, everyday for many hours and from several years. Massive amount of heat generated, right? I just read in the morning that China and US are the major contributors of green house gas to the environment, and India is heading towards breaking all records in reproducing!
But it doesn’t end here, don’t forget the large numbers of factories and industries coming up, they let out all sorts of wastes- air pollution, water pollution, landfills, even noise pollution! So basically what exactly is a pollutant? It’s something which is impure and unfit for the health of our dear environment and which makes it more and more sick. People bathe, clean, wash, dump in the water bodies. But that’s not it, according to Hindu ritual, ashes of the dead are also “dumped” in Holy Ganga, why? Let’s not get deep into it, don’t want to invite arguments on this ground.
A major part of our lives- doesn’t degrade – plastic. What harm does it cause? It doesn’t degrade meaning if you dump it deep inside the land it’ll not lose its original form and will stay intact as it was before. So it’s not healthy, it’s like you eat something you can’t digest. What will happen? You’ll throw up right? We have been using plastics for quite a long time now and it has done the damage it had to. we see plastics all over the place- on the road, in the parks, on footpath- basically everywhere but inside the bin. Do we lack the basic understanding to not litter? Yes we do. We can crib and complain about how imperfect out city/country is but we can’t get up and take steps for it. and honestly, individual baby steps won’t help, I’ve been doing that for years now- doesn’t do squat! When the government has provides us with 2 bins (not just 1) then why do we throw waste on the road? One ass will throw a wrapper and others will follow thinking it’s the place to throw it. By the time the tenth person would make his mind to carry the wrapper to the nearby bin, a huge pile would accumulate that he’d say “Chuck it, how does it anyway matter? It’s already trash out here”. Happens with us. All of us. These are city and so called urban and “educated” janta I’m talking about.
That’s not it. Remember when you got up in the morning, did you let the tap run while brushing or did you turn it off? If you turned it off, then you’re a responsible citizen, but if you didn’t then you need to wake up, dude! Take a bath with a bucket and mug (okay not every day but every alternate day maybe?) instead of the shower. Repair leaky taps, don’t let the water run through taps when not in use. Do not waste drinking water. This is all junior level science that we studied but hardly implemented (I’m saying generally)
Do you know that not a single being in Africa has access to safe and clean drinking water? They have layers of mud in the bottle they drink from. We all should be thankful for the RO systems in our homes, more than that we should be thankful for getting water available to waste! But I’m not getting too deep into that because then I’ll have to talk about poverty, and exploitation of resources too!
I have major issues with the entertainment industry (including TV, films, events, serials, reality shows). In a way it’s another world, that is double the consumption than there should be. There are AC sets obviously, travelling – so extra consumption of petrol/diesel, extra sets (wood) etc. and what are we getting in return? Okay, enjoyment but at the cost of the environment. Is it really worth it? You decide.
I know it’s hot outside, but understand that the more you’ll keep sitting in the AC room to escape from the heat the more it’s going to contribute towards increasing the level of heat, it’s a vicious circle you see. That’s why delayed monsoon, droughts, natural imbalance- storms, are happening quite frequently. We all must have seen the movie 2012, one day it’ll come true- because we are destroying our home ourselves.
The population increase has dual effects- first, clearing out the forests for building homes, which leads to a) lesser forest area b) displaced animals and birds and also for furniture and stuff. Now second effect is reduced amounts of oxygen and increasing carbon dioxide levels. Increasing population meaning increasing needs for everything – food, shelter, oxygen, clothing and luxuries
All this is okay, yes, it is (well to some extent). But where we are going wrong is – NOT replenishing. We’re not planting enough trees than we are cutting. So there are only ten pluses “+” for a thousand minuses “-“. You get it? It’s like drinking water from a bottle and not filling it again. One day it is going to finish, right? Maybe we’ll not get to witness that day but the coming generations would! And hey, do you know cocoa comes from trees? Another reason to plant more trees!
I know it’s really easy to talk about it and write a long article sitting in an AC room (the irony!) but what matters is what we do about it. If we’re not giving our mother earth anything in return then it’s not too far when she’ll not have anything to offer us. What will we do then? I’m not going to suggest steps because we have common sense for that and for others there is internet! I’m writing this for people to wake up! Really, it’s time now. We need to stand up and do something about it because really we can’t be candle marching and protesting against this. We need to do something RIGHT NOW. Because tomorrow will be too late!
Okay, I’m not stretching it any longer, bye. And, wake up!
