“Unless someone like you cares a
whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
The world is plagued by an
infestation of the 'seven deadly sins manifested' in our society. These sins are
quite real and have had a detrimental impact on every individual. Whether you
believe in the spiritual concept of sin or not, the reality when we observe the
world and its behaviour is that it is driving down the road of ruin rather than
towards "Paradise City".
This post is not designed to be all
doom and gloom, but in the past month I simply had certain revelations (mainly pertaining to 'greed'):
Nowadays, the 'fruits' we are reaping
(or dust we are choking on) are a direct result of the previous generation(s).
They grew up and were educated according to what was 'right' in those days.
Perhaps it was ok for pregnant women not to smoke, for men not to cook, for
children to be obedient etc. There were different societal standards and
expectations.
Expectations are just unuttered
thoughts; feelings unexpressed; attitudes not carried out. Of course, several
expectations cannot be realized. For example, sunny weather is expected for
tomorrow. It doesn't have to be that way. There's little I can do to
necessarily influence something like that.
But when it comes to a community
(city or nation), expectations can become expect-actions.
The death (or decay) of a society can
be attributed to the inaction of the people that form its core. Whilst most of
us are idle bystanders to the daily events in the world, it appears we have also forgotten our collective impact on matters worth fighting for.
At the top of the list is the
protection of our planet. Again, whether you believe it or not, God placed us
in charge of His creation. We are to be stewards of paradise, not parasites of the
earth. Thinking long-term, rather than short-term. As custodians of nature, we are
called to intervene when parts of this glorious creation are being ruthlessly
destroyed & trashed.
What we are currently witnessing is
ecological rape and the slaughter of nature's innocence in epic proportions. Nobody feels or is held accountable for this! Hundreds of petitions might be launched, yet the ones
responsible for carrying out the 'demolishment plans' are ultimately never convicted.
It is us – as an entire society –
that have to recognize the danger of the previous generations turning nature's
treasures to ash. We might expect there to be an improvement in the decades to
come...but once certain resources are gone, they are GONE. There will not be
some miraculous rising of the ecological phoenix.
You kill a tree, you kill the fruits
for the generation to come. You kill a tree, you sometimes kill an ancient
guardian of humanity, a fellow ally...a gentle giant worthy of protection, for
it protects us from so many harsh consequences.
Coming back to the beginning: it is
more than our outlook that has to change. Buying organic, local food doesn't
make me a saint. It is just a vital first step. Dealing with the topic of
conscious consumerism is fundamental for our generation. Being taught early on
to respect nature and its many riches; to warn children of the real threats
facing our species; to instill in them an attitude of preservation rather than
exploitation; to show them how to treat food and other raw materials...that is
the key to a bright future.
They cannot only be taught the
concept of death. They have to see it for themselves. Not just the birds and
the bees and the flowers and trees...but the consequences to our greed and the
dangers we face. Children have to be shown what happens when they do not uphold
a specific moral code...what happens, in particular, when they succumb to greed
(in all areas of life).
It was only when I was 18 that I came
across Dr. Seuss. Not too late to appreciate and adapt his words and take heed of
people like the Once-ler ("The Lorax"). It was my teacher who truly
made me understand the desperate need for practical action to save what
precious little we still have. He spent many years taking on the illegal mining
in Goa and published a book on it ("Eat the Dust", Hartman de Souza) – a great example of someone not just talking
the talk.
As a society, we have a choice to
come together and not just talk about some idealistic changes, but moreover BE
and SEE THROUGH those changes.
This morning , I heard a report about the deforestation of rain forests in Colombia. It is utterly shocking and
devastating!
I do believe there was a time when we
humans were living in absolute harmony with our surroundings. We had a deep
understanding of our relationship with nature and it was inter-dependent.
Nature responded to our respect for it.
If you feel you cannot take a stand
or join a particular movement, then I would urge you to at least offer some
financial support to organizations that are really trying to make a difference.
Trees & forests are one thing.
Don't get me started on wild- and sea life. Senseless killing of wild animals
and sea creatures (or even killing for stupid reasons) is driving us towards
death: the extinction of one species has irreversible consequences on the
overall ecological order. That is an undeniable fact and should be heavily
engrained in every human's mind!
As individuals, we are responsible to
spread this message of protection and preservation...to lead by example, so
others can follow suit. As long as the last tree still stands, there is hope we
can pull through this and allow our planet to be revived.
Below, I am listing a few organizations
I feel are worth supporting:
-
Plant for the Planet (tree planting)
-
Sea Shepherd (marine preservation)
-
Wikipedia list of more organizations (by country)
Note: It's probably best to seek out
organizations close to home and try help out locally!
