Hello, My dear Fellow Earthians,
“A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with A Single Step”. Not my words, but the words of an ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. So, where am I heading for exactly? Well, for starters to a sustainable Earth, coz, I am sure as an average citizen in a country that equivocates between empathy and indifference, I will never be on the list of Earthians being transmigrated to Mars. I need the Earth while the Earth doesn’t, I am just a speck of dust, just another human life waiting to turn to dust. But this isn’t just about me, right? We all belong here, but soon it may not be the case.
The Earth has and is constantly suffering at our hands. We name our actions as development, depict it in terms of growth financial, infrastructural, etc. So, development is necessary, but for how long and how much? It’s time we considered the alternatives. Earth with buildings and industries all around with people walking around in oxygen masks? Is that what we are aiming for? The situation has not been in our favour for quite some time now, but the current scenario calls for immediate action. Come on, the Antarctic is turning green [1], and that’s definitely not normal.
What exactly can we do right? I stay in an apartment, can’t plant trees, Can I? Okay let’s blame the government instead, after all the cutting of forest is a crime that is being sanctioned by the higher-ups, right? And, yes this isn’t just about my country! [2, 3, 4, 5] Deforestation, is a real threat to global sustainability. This however requires us to stand up for the cause, become a whistle-blower, a vigilante [6], and alert likeminded people to join in. Individually our voices may not fall on the deaf ears, but as a collective, we can at least create vibrations enough to be noticed. After all, “united we stand, divided we fall.”
The world has become cleaner, healthier they say. The decrease in pollution level and average Carbon emissions is something that we can be proud of, but will that last? What happens when the effects of the pandemic wane away? Are we going to abandon our vehicles, will we genuinely grab on to the concept of car-pooling or is cycling going to be the next big trend? These are the things that we necessarily must ponder upon.
The problem doesn’t end there. The ecological balance has been disrupted. There are oil spills [7], massive plastic piles all across the globe [8, 9], polluting water, blocking earth’s vitality, and affecting wildlife. While we have witnessed the hints in the form of animals wreaking havoc, it is just the tip of the iceberg as they say. Each year hundreds of animals are displaced by the so-called urbanization and industrialization, and where do they go? While a huge majority in the country today empathizes the death of an Elephant, this is yet one of the many in the list of cruelty we all knowingly or unknowingly set in motion. The ways in which we do so does not need much elaboration, or does it? It only happened so, that the media decided to hype this incident over the others. Did you know that the Visakhapatnam gas leak killed 32 animals? [10] The increase in poaching during the lockdown has been alarming [11, 12, 13], and this is not because of the unavailability of food or as a necessity.
So, what must we do?
Actionable Solutions!
As individuals with limited social outreach, we may not be able to change policies or overthrow miscreant groups, but there are actions that we can take. The ‘R’s being ever so powerful if put to use.
REFUSE. REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE.
Start from our homes. Carrying a shopping bag is the smallest step that any of us can take, gradually analyse the need for packaged products. While carrying jars or containers may not work always, try to use reusable bags for dry components. Dispose of vegetable waste less frequently and reduce the numbers of black bags as it may not necessarily be of the recyclable standard. The best way would be to compost if you are into gardening. Say no to bottles, try to reduce the consumption of commodities sold in plastic bottles, while this may seem tough, it isn’t impossible. Use reusable bottles, spoons, forks, straws instead of those made of single-use plastic. Plastic is a huge threat and the sooner we act, the sooner we may be able to find a permanent solution. Energy consumption, use of renewable alternatives, and solutions like car-pooling or use of public transportation, etc. are steps that every individual can take.
It may be a journey of a thousand miles, but sustainability begins with a small step. This World Environment Day lets pledge to do our part before participating in the blame game.
This is Satrangee Parachute, wishing on a star for a better world, a better tomorrow.
References:
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-16018-w
- https://sabrangindia.in/article/odisha-forest-department-cuts-down-traditional-trees-destroys-livelihood-forest-workers
- https://news.mongabay.com/2020/05/amazon-fires-may-be-worse-in-2020-as-deforestation-and-land-grabbing-spikes/
- https://www.mid-day.com/articles/activist-writes-to-cm-over-aarey-colonys-vanishing-green-cover/22770243
- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/climate/deforestation-climate-change.html
- https://www.globalforestwatch.org/
- https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/04/russia-oil-spill-in-the-arctic-circle-state-of-emergency-declared.html
- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-thailand-plastic/plastic-piles-up-in-thailand-as-pandemic-efforts-sideline-pollution-fight-idUSKBN22N12W
- https://earthjournalism.net/stories/plastic-trash-runs-down-the-solo-river-to-pollute-the-java-sea
- https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2020/may/09/visakhapatnam-gas-leak-kills-32-animals-199-treated-says-animal-husbandry-department-2141035.html
- https://scroll.in/article/963797/coronavirus-with-south-asia-in-lockdown-poachers-are-brazenly-killing-endangered-animals-and-birds
- https://kathmandupost.com/gandaki-province/2020/05/18/surge-in-wildlife-deaths-in-gorkha-worries-forest-officials
- https://www.wionews.com/world/south-africa-dehorns-dozens-of-rhinos-to-prevent-lockdown-poaching-surge-303519
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200528161052.htm
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/28/climate-crisis-world-forests-shorter-younger-study