All life on this planet is totally dependent on its environment. We all have basic needs to survive. The most important are fresh air and clean water. We need to take care of what we have already enjoyed in order to have come this far, but it is no longer a question of our local considerations. The environment depends on global effects and we can no longer be complacent. Mankind has developed his skills in such a way that he is using up resources on a vast scale. For example, the Amazon rain forest is being destroyed at a very fast rate and first the logging takes away the vital trees that clean the air that we breath and then cattle are allowed to graze for beef exports or to grow soy that is used around the world in animal feed.
As we pollute our air by making greater amounts of carbon through the continuing use of fossil fuels, there needs to be huge areas of trees that disperse the carbon. Rain forests are critical to mitigating the effects of climate change, as they store vast amounts of carbon. As we increase the temperature around the world, so the ice melts and the sea levels rise. The lower lying land is soon covered with sea water and there will be less land for the demands of an increasing population around the world. We are polluting the worlds ocean with our plastic rubbish and causing the death of many of the species that live in the sea and provide us with cheap and environmental friendly food.
We expect a very high standard of living from all the gadgets and labor-saving devices that we find necessary in our busy lives. We need to have a number of gas guzzling vehicles for family use with only small mileages being the main point of having them for school runs and shopping at the supermarkets. They are luxury items which all add to the carbon print that we leave by our daily needs. We all have a part to play in safeguarding our environment, not just for us now, but for future generations to come. It will be for them to judge us as to how we tackled the problems of climate change and whether we did enough for them to have similar standards of affluent life to enjoy. We must start by cleaning up the mess and putting in place a sustainable alternative.
This planet was given to us to enjoy and be happy living together for the greater good. We all need to look at our lives and follow the rules for the best and the cleanest way of life for all who are here and for those to come after us. We cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand and hope that technology will find a way. It can and will help, but we need to start looking at the daily reality of what we do. There is too much greed being used in taking the resources of this world without assessing the consequences. Once they have been used up there is nothing that can replace them and in the short term, we will all suffer. We all must do our bit and have our say to encourage the cleanest and best uses of our resources around the world for a sustainable environment.
Wednesday, 5th May 2021
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