[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he earth is the only planet in the universe where LIFE exists. Our earth belongs to the clusters of stars known as Milky way galaxy, and it is in that small planet earth where life exists. In the year 1970 Senator Gaylord Nelson organized 22nd April as a day to promote ecology and respect for life on the planet as well as to encourage awareness of the growing problem of air, water and soil pollution. The 45thEarth Day 2015 with the theme “It’s our turn to lead” has the vision that this year could be the most exciting year in the environmental history. The hope is that there will be a greater awareness of the link between economic growth and sustainability that world leaders finally pass a binding climate change treaty, and that fossil fuels will give way to renewable energy solutions. This year, we are given the opportunity to lead the world in saving the Earth for tomorrow’s generation. Can you?Before 20th century the Earth is covered with abundant, dense forest making the Earth rich and beautiful. Humans freely breathe fresh air anywhere and everywhere, trees are found in abundance, animals enjoyed their lives, birds can whisper anywhere, fish can swim in and out, yet with the advancement of human mind, it has changed everything. We create machines that run day and night, we build towns and cities without fear, and we create chemicals that pollute our lands. Science and Technology is being mastered by every human, every vision of ours is on that Science and Technology, and modern lifestyle had changed minds of men from rural to urban.
In this modern world, due to our greed, we enjoy, we play, we invent, we create, we eat, we drink, we invest and we waste too, we do a lot and think little, which causes the Earth to suffer. The inventions of Science and technology proved to be appealing that we could not control its usage; the energy we consume each day is so limited that it will last only for about 50 years or so from now. In the last decade the scientist and economist had put a new goal; ‘A sustainable development goal’- defined by the Brundtland Commission as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” but have you thought about this seriously or have you acted? Until and unless every individual takes the responsibility, the goal cannot be achieved.
At what cost have we achieved development and progress, are all of our development frameworks sustainable? If we continue at the pace of what we do today and envision of turning forests into cities, there might not be even a tree for tomorrow’s generation. That fateful future, your children and my children will be told only a story of a tree. The technology we mastered today bring us to a world of confusion, our young generation are drifting further away, losing their roots and connection with nature that they have failed to see the beauty of nature and enjoying with it. We are becoming unsocial, I don’t know whether it is the popular technology culture or wrong directions by our Leaders or is it ‘we’ ourselves that we have become unsocial.
Since last decade we have already experience so many unwanted environmental and natural problems, such as Climate Change, Ozone layer depletion, Green house Effect, Acid rain and many more and our Earth is suffering only because of our irresponsible actions. This year is not the first year that we observe ‘Earth Day’. The world observed the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 to mark the anniversary of what many considered the birth of ‘the modern environment movement’ in 1970. In the past years, so many conservation, protection, preservation programs etc had been undertaken, government has been expending lots of finances and human resource to save the Earth, all most every nation has put many legislation to save the earth, yet present laws have failed to meet the new challenges of changing climate and environment. This global issue has been widely discussed at International platforms represented by different organisations, thinkers and environmentalists around the world and they have taken many steps to save our planet Earth. This has led to many innovative steps towards saving our earth yet there are still bigger roles and tasks which remain undone. The worst affect of climate change is experienced by the rural populace, the backlash of industrial pollution and destruction impacts the rural since they entirely depend on agriculture and other land and climate allied activities for their livelihood. That does not mean that the urban cities are not impacted, today we feel the ever rise in temperatures and the vast pollution of air and water which are the basics for human survival. But from all the problems we are facing today there is a solution for it, it is ‘We’ who can solve it, and it ‘Our’ turn to lead, but where and when shall we begin? The right place and time to begin is right ‘HERE’ and right ‘NOW’ so let us begin now and lead a good beginning.
It is not the time for us to wait and depend on the world leaders to solve the problems of the environment we are facing, neither a time to wait upon them to create awareness about environment, climate change and the effect the earth is facing. But it is our time to lead, to take action, to make aware to those who are still ignorant about the impacts and dangers of environment destruction, and it is in ‘Us’ to bring change in creating a rich and beautiful world, a earth safe and bountiful again. It is you and me who can bring this change, let us lead and we become the change we want to see. Let today’s generation lead tomorrows generation.
Kuzote Lohe, Class 10
Member Hoolock
Gibbon Eco Club,
North East Network,Chizami
