These are strange times indeed. Children today are bombarded with phrases such as global warming, carbon footprint and deforestation. These scary terms were totally alien a hundred years ago, but we only have ourselves to blame for their importance now. I ask you a simple question “What kind of future are you leaving for children and youth like me?”
Every day, every minute we are writing an epitaph for a lake, or a wetland or a forest. The mighty river Ganges which once flowed, pristine and pure, from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, is now a cesspool of filth. The roaring Yangste River has forgotten its original trail thanks to the numerous dams and barrages which it encounters.
The Himalayas, shorn of their glacial cover, look like dull pieces of chalk. The historic Dodo is now rejoicing at the thought that it may soon have tigers, lions and pandas for company. The Caspian Sea is now more of a lake than a sea. Caviar may soon be just a word in the dictionary, given the rate at which sturgeons are being fished out.
Every day, while millions go hungry, we let tons of food rot in warehouses. Thousands of children walk miles in the scorching heat to collect a bucket of brackish water because the world does not take note while the rivers dry up.
The questions that arise are: by the time my child goes to school, how many more such species, lakes, forests, rivers will disappear? What kind of environment will the future generations inherit? Isn’t now time ripe to institute ombudspersons for our future generations so that we can prevent reoccurence of environmental disasters? The question that we ask is when, instead of why.
In the words of Robert Swan, “The Greatest Threat to Our Planet Is the Belief That Someone Else Will Save It”. I implore you to take action and turn back the clock before it is too late. We urge you not to ignore us. Listen to us, involve us, allow us to help you in framing the policies that will deliver the future we want.
In the the words of Mother Teresa – “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
Thank you.
I am inspired by the substance and presentation of the Message above…true, each one to his/her own…while we enjoy natural luxuries, the duty to conserve them also rests on each one of us. Keep it up, little girl!
Thanks for your encouraging words which will surely motivate Kehkashan to scale greater heights.
In every country thousands of people are trying to make a change, ask Governments to up stricter laws, people go to the streets to demonstrate for a change in our behaviour and attitudes – but as long as the Governments do not have the guts to force the industries worldwide to stop damaging our planet in every imaginable way – not much will happen. Often when I have spoken in front of an audience on environmental issues (in my case mainly re water, waste, soil – these are my expertise’s) I start with a video I found many years ago. During this video is its so quiet you could hear a needle fall – but what changes has it brought? I like to share this video with you –