© Sylvia Stults
The sands of time have rendered fear
Blue skies on high no longer clear
Stars were bright whence they came
Now dimmed, obscured, pollution's haze
Crystal clear our waters gleamed
Fish abundant, rivers streamed
Ocean floors sandy white
Now littered, brown, pollution's plight
Trees towered high above
Trunks baring professed love
Birds chirping from sites unseen
Gone, paper joined pollution's team
One can't blame pollution alone
As they say, you reap what you've sown
So let us plant a better seed
Tear out old roots, cultivate, weed
Protect what has been given for free
Our waters, skies, wildlife and trees
For once they're gone, don't you say
Consider yourself warned of that fatal day
Today, Climate change is one of the major harms Mother Earth is mercilessly subjected to. The disastrous consequences of it are seemingly endless despite she having encountered a range of them until now, from rapidly losing biodiversity to food scarcity. And there could be numerous such undesirable consequences which will prove to be furthermore catastrophic, and yes far worse than this pandemic which has already claimed and put at risk millions of human lives. However, although our window of time is quite narrow, we still can reverse climate change but not if our activities continue unchecked and uncontrolled. Pollution, Deforestation, Emission from power plants, Industrial agriculture, Chlorofluorocarbons, Global warming are a few of the many reasons that have caused climate change. As the situation worsens the many more threats we will have to withstand are droughts and heat waves, hurricanes, diseases, rise in sea levels, extinction of plant and animal species, threats to global food security and so on.
To put a brake on this, here are some of the few changes we can initiate in our day-to-day activities:
Drive fuel-efficient vehicles and/or carpool or use public transport to commute
Harvest rainwater; Save and recycle water
Invest in energy-efficient appliances
Go plastic-free or reduce, reuse and recycle plastic
Prevent emissions
Practice safe disposal of food, dry and e-waste
Plant more trees
Make your gardens bird-, bee- and butterfly-friendly
Encourage and practice organic farming
Say Yes to eco-friendly, sustainable fashion
Buy and gift eco-friendly toys to children
Rate and review your take-away joints taking into account eco-friendly packaging
Choose hotels and resorts invested in sustainable and responsible hospitality
And the list can go on and on and on... But I will leave it to you to be mindful of your actions, for every action counts. LET US PLEDGE TO GO GREEN-ER!