Thursday, September 27, 2007

A Call to End Environmental Abuse

There is much debate these days regarding the infallibility of man-made climate change. Real or not, its significant enough to have heads of states, from countries known to be top contributors to earth's pollution, come together and discuss goals and scenarios regarding climate change (see Climate Change Talks). Political grandstanding? Perhaps.

Here's the thing though - there may be debate as to whether man's pollution absolutely causes global warming, but there's no debate that we can do something to end environmental abuse.

It starts with very simple questions.
In the first place, do we really want to live in a dirty environment?
Do we want the smell of industrial smoke choking our lungs day in and day out?
Do we want our children drinking and swimming in contaminated water?
Do we really want to take part in the extinction of entire species of wildlife?
Do we even care?

Its not easy to recognize the problem when you're living it up in a posh community. Nevertheless, there are people being inflicted with deadly disease brought about by environmental abuse. Death is sure to follow man-induced calamities such as mudslides and deliberate forest fires. Toxic wastes seep into lives of whole populations from Calcutta to California. These things do happen whether we acknowledge them squarely or simply ignore them, lounging about in the backyard soaking in the sun.

Enjoy your tan while you can. Maybe you haven't heard that there's a large hole in the ozone layer that wasn't there before the industrial revolution.

The degradation of the environment is global and you've got no one else to blame than the dominant species in the planet. And no it's not the bugs. Insects aren't largely responsible for denuded rainforests nor oceanic oil spills.

Modern man is left in charge of the planet. Go ask any corporate person and they will tell you, when a business is on a decline, the manager better shape up or ship out. That's us.

We don't need country leaders to talk behind our backs about what's next on the environment agenda. Earth management is about prioritizing the sustainability of the planet. We are all tasked to be stewards of the world.

Do we reuse, reduce and recycle?
Do we patronize alternative eco-friendly businesses instead of "brand" bigwigs?
Do we plant trees?
And why are we yet so dependent on fossil-fuel based cars when we can already switch to clean electric technology?
Do we even bother to read-up on developing and practicing environmental sustainability?

Do we even care?

Like a child's building blocks, it is so much easier to topple this beautiful planet to decay than it is to rebuild what has been destroyed. The challenge is for us to end environmental abuse and adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle. And the challenge starts now.

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