Terra, an informal astronomical name of our home, is the
only known planet in the universe blessed with all it takes to sustain
humanity. In recent times, Earth (with its resources) has being under attack by
a rise in threats capable of wrecking this awe-inspiring planet. From
environmental destruction, to resource depletion, wars and conflicts, poverty,
diseases, crime and terrorism, hunger and malnutrition, natural disasters,
unemployment, corruption, injustice, prejudice — ableism, bigotry, racism,
sexism, etc; the list is seemingly endless. Although I’ll basically want to
talk about the solutions we can hold out to resolving these problems, I believe
this discussion would be incomplete if I failed to briefly state the causes of
the menaces listed above.
Research has shown that societal disasters like poverty,
crime; natural ones like earthquakes, famine are caused by human activities
such as corruption, overcrowding, deforestation, and more pertinently — greed.
Hunger, for instance, is said to be linked to uneven distribution of food, not
insufficient production. Experts say that people die of hunger in a world of
plenty! Inflation, with its consequential effects (currency devaluation, high
standards of living), has the rise in government deficits as its prime source.
Even the more recent economic downturn is a relative to increased deficits. The
greenhouse effect, popularly known as global warming, is an outcome of
pollution caused by carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and methane.
Summarily, the ozone layer, which shields Earth from harmful rays and
over-heating, is being depleted by these gases. The resultant effects of rising
temperatures are intensified floods, droughts, storms, and spread of disease
carrying vectors. Its main cause: human operations that entail burning of oil
and coal. Truth be told, human activities are the principal sources of most of
these threats.
But how will someone, who is unaware of this fact, know
that his/her unlimited fossil fuel emission is changing our climate? This is
where the key to unlocking a world of reduced menaces — education — is needed.
Parents and guardians should instill, by actions, the love for neighbor and
environment in the minds of their children and wards. Subjects aimed at
restoring the environment, assisting in the fight against crime, wars,
conflicts, and terrorism — by preaching peace and morality which are the
central themes of humanity — should be introduced in the curricula in schools.
Also, education is a veritable tool in combating poverty through the
acquisition of practical skills; generating more jobs; ending prejudice against
minority groups and abuse of women by teaching tolerance of persons of
different genders, cultures, and ethnicities; preventing and controlling
diseases; curbing natural disasters caused by human activities. The media,
non-governmental organizations, private institutions, and individuals are also
needed in this regard to help sensitize the public on the need to safeguard the
environment via adverts, seminars, and generous donations.
What about us? How can we help prevent Earth’s ongoing
destruction? In addition to getting ourselves educated on the ways to preserve
our environment, we can take actions tailor-made to reduce deficits, empower
people, raise wages, penalize corrupt persons, strengthen families, make health
care services reasonably priced, support security, balance the boundaries
between the rich and the poor, mandate limits on fossil fuel emissions, find
safer ways to generate power, introduce environmentally friendly technologies
like bio-degradation, encourage reforestation, etc.
Okay, so the measures highlighted in the preceding
paragraph seem like what ‘the Government’ should do; we say we are the
Government, right? I bet this is one of the times when we try to work out the
difference in what we mean when we say we are the Government, from ‘the
Government’. Just kidding! On a serious note, what should we all do? We
should decide to go as organic, or 'green', as possible when it comes to what
we eat, use, and produce; we should help clean our environment up; we should
help plant trees — even if it means rolling up our sleeves and getting our
hands messy in the process; we should do our bit to take care of the needy; we
should use our skills to effect the changes we will love to see; we should
educate others on ways to look after their finances, health, lives, and Earth;
we should treat people as we will love to be peacefully — I suppose — treated;
we should ask God, by praying, to help take care of the dangers we cannot
control.
Think there is more we should — or can — do?
I'll think about one.
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