Earth- Our second home
We all tend to keep our houses so clean and up to date, we pour in all our efforts to make it liveable so that we can attach ourselves to it and feel at home. This planet where we humans have been living for some thousand years, shouldn’t we feel connected to it too? After all, it is also our home, right? Then why is there such little effort to protect it or conserve its environment forgetting that it is the reason we are able to sustain here and breathe? People today are becoming so cautious of their digital footprint but only a few are concerned about the increase in the carbon footprint that we humans are the cause of. This planet, which we also used to calling our mother Earth since we were in kindergarten, has given us everything, from water to drink, trees and plants for fruits, and vegetables, a safe place for wildlife, to important commercial resources like gold, diamond, and coal. Everything has always been given to us before we even ask, it has always been there for us to discover but at this moment, there is a major depletion in the quantity and quality of these resources. Why is that?
Resources are depleting for many reasons including overpopulation and overutilisation being at the top followed by deforestation, pollution and loss of biodiversity.
Overpopulation
The population has crossed 8 billion and it is a sign that we need to rethink how the resources will be equally distributed in the present and the coming future. Just like how a pizza is divided according to the number of people, the food overall will have to be divided within this vast population, we all know hunger is an issue that has existed since we remember and with these numbers increasing, it is just going to be worse.
Overutilisation
Overfishing, using fossil fuels as if they’re unlimited, exploiting trees for wood and many other resources. We are just trying to take nature for granted for everything it’s giving to us by using it non-judiciously.
Deforestation
In order to get the land formultiple projects and more houses for people, forests are being cleared at a faster pace than ever before. It is somehow becoming very easy for us humans to push the forest towards their non-existence for our development.
Industrialisation
More and more industrial plants are being set up every year for various businesses. But, these plants tend to spread a lot of pollution like the hazardous smoke coming out of them and the chemicals released along with the other waste in the water bodies, resulting in affecting the other species who are part of this environment.
Human beings come and go and Earth has been watching it since the beginning but just imagine now we are on the other end and have to face the fact that we are stepping ahead towards giving this planet slow death. We still have some time left, we can still make things better, the environment especially.
There are very simple little things that even if every individual starts doing on a personal level, the situation will gradually begin to shift towards the positive side.
- Plant trees more and more…
Doesn’t matter how many times it has been said but planting trees tops this list because it is something we all know how trees maintain a balance in this environment and how much we need them.
- Sustainability
It is the key to the door to a better and cleaner planet. The past few years have seen a rise in businesses opting for the sustainable path to do their job, which is commendable but again this is just the start. It needs to be consistent for real change to occur.
- Recycle/Reuse/Reduce
Buy only those products which can be either reused or recycled in the future after their first use. Try and avoid using things which cannot be used the second time.
Also, more focus should be on the level of our consumption, we really need to reduce it, for example buying clothes every two weeks is not healthy, because the more the demand more the supply and production.
- Water
Try and save water as much as possible both in quantity and quality. It is an integral part of the sustenance of the environment as well as humans.
Our mother needs us more than anyone right now. Let’s take a step back and think thrice before taking the next forward.
