In 2020, we fell asleep in a world and woke up in another. Hugs and kisses suddenly have become weapons and not visiting parents and friends an ‘act of love’.
Suddenly you realize that power, beauty, and money are worthless and can’t get you the oxygen you’re fighting for. The world continues to live. It’s only putting humans into cages.
I think nature is sending us a message! And the message is loud and clear… ‘You are not necessary… the air, Earth, water & sky without you are fine. Remember that you are my guests, not my masters’, truly reflected by an unknown author.
Human species are causing great calamity and are being cruel to this planet of ours with the real problem being our consciousness.
The human species need not forget and should remember that nature has a history of discarding the species that do not support it.
Deforestation needs to be halted everywhere immediately. If the man is to survive, he must radically change his attitude towards the environment and must make his peace with nature and begin to make amends for the damage he has already done to the forests, land, air and water.
Be grateful and thankful to the ‘nature’ which allows you to breathe the air freely without paying for it. It’s only when you land up in a hospital and have to use the ventilator to breathe in air (and you pay), that you realize even breathing oxygen with a ventilator costs money.
I hope the grown-ups in charge wake up and immediately halt deforestation everywhere! I hope they stop cutting the forests and protect the environment! I hope they defend the forests for the animals and people living there!
In recent times we have witnessed unprecedented protests in many parts of India, including our State. Protests were witnessed as Goa planned infrastructure projects in protected forests and citizens fought to 'Save Mollem' and to save biodiversity hotspots in the State.
The pride of having reached the moon is cancelled out by the humiliation of having gone so far towards making a mess of our native planet.
Our leaders need to do their jobs and protect our planet. The stimulation of greed is leading to massive tree felling attributed to infrastructure projects, industrial and housing projects, road widening, highway expansion. This greed threatens to rob future generations by using up irreplaceable resources and is a threat to the health and life of people now alive. We have literally poisoned our world, despite warning each other for years.
Today, deforestation and lack of proper approach towards environment contain such basic contradictions that instead of becoming an instrument of human health and happiness, it’s becoming a cause of human concern and focuses the attention on the desperate need of setting right the current unfortunate trends.
Trees are essential to humans, animals and the environment. Without trees, there is no environment for life on earth. Trees give us fresh, clean air to breathe. Forests are vital to the health of our planet and we depend on forests for our survival. Yet, despite our dependence upon forests, we are still allowing them to disappear. Every living creature is affected by the health of the world’s tree population, as trees are the stabilizers of the planet's ecosystem.
Start planting trees again and making forests: The Tree Festival, popularly known as ‘Van Mahotsav’ is a weeklong festival celebrated from July 1 to 7 during which millions of trees are planted. It was started to create awareness in the minds of the people for the conservation of forests. Van Mahotsav is celebrated as a festival of life. It is a crusade to serve Mother Earth.
Van Mahotsav aims at diverting attention towards the big issue, which undoubtedly is increasing deforestation. The week-long celebration is dedicated to Mother Earth in order to protect our life support system on the planet. Afforestation drives are conducted. With monsoons, saplings are planted and the festival is the celebration and creation of new life. The main aim of the festival is to create enthusiasm and awareness amongst the masses.
If mankind is to survive, there is an urgent need for the protection of our generation together with the conservation of the limited natural resources of our planet for future generations. The kind of religion that is needed must make each human being deeply aware that the life force of a single person is more important than the material of this world and the equally important principle that both life and the dignity that is inherent in it can be supported only in ‘Harmony with Nature’.
We have to act and restore the rich, healthy and wonderful world the way we inherited it. If we are looking truly for a more peaceful and joyful world and if we intend to create a beautiful world for our children, then the transformation has to happen now and here. All we need is the will to do it.
Remember, this is the only ‘home’ we have. If we wish to survive, we must learn to use it more wisely. Rhetoric and emotional outbursts are not enough, because this is a subject of constant public concern and the concern represents crises of social values. We cannot hide from our responsibilities by saying that our contribution is too small to matter. It is our neglect that is fatal “ not someone else’s.
As it is, the pride of having reached the moon is cancelled out by the humiliation of having gone so far towards making a mess of our own native planet, which has today led to putting humans in cages.
