Today is June 5th of the year 2021.
This is the world environment day.
This day we acknowledge and recognize the importance of environment.
‘Ecosystem Restoration’ is the theme of the year, 2021.
But this year, the environment day falls in a situation of a fight between the world population on one side and the virus, Covid on the other side.
Nobody knows, how long would the war continue, one year, two years or more.
So far Covid took the life of 37,00000 of people all over the world.
Covid has influenced every walk of life of the people, which are visible. But this pandemic has also influenced the ecology of our mind and the physical environment around us.
The stress and dislocation created in our life by the virus has upset the mental equilibrium.
Natural calamities, like: cyclone, excessive heavy rain and sea shore erosion happened in India and other places still hang as the sword of Damocles over the life of innocent people.
So this celebration of the day becomes unforgettable in the midst of three-cornered encounter with the environment.
Fighting Covid deaths, massive vaccination and saving the life of the people from natural calamities are the three war-fronts at present with almost all governments in the world.
The theme “Restoration of the ecosystem’ shall be analyzed against the present scenario, where humans are struggling for their own survival.
So that, there are three questions for which there need restoration of the ecosystem?
Who should restore the ecosystem?
What are the aspects of the ecosystem to be restored?
How is the ecosystem to be restored?
These are the questions to be answered.
To answer these questions by ourselves, shall I tell you the story-part of a drama?
This drama was written by Neil Grant in 1935.
There was a bio-war among the nations using virus.
The virus destroyed not only the warring nations, but the whole mankind.
Only one human being was saved, Bill.
Then a group of animals, consisting of horse, dog etc. assembled on the stage.
The microbe, who was responsible for the total destruction comes to the stage.
There happens a debate, whether humans get restoration on to the earth.
All animals vehemently opposed the suggestion of restoration of humans.
The animals made a trail against the human race that has been wiped out then.
The human race was attacking one another and doing all evils against their own race and the environment.
They kill their brothers and sisters in battles. Human beings are cruel and uncivilized species. Animals are shame of the human beings.
But, only the dog had some soft corner for human beings.
Meanwhile an angel from heaven comes to the stage. At last the angel saves human from the trail of the animals with a request to give one more chance of restoration.
Let humans correct themselves.
That is the end of the drama.
There is a social theory that humans invite their own destruction. They challenge or misuse or break the order of the environment for their profit making.
It is firmly believed that the restoration process mainly depends on the how that human beings and nations are going to change the individual life and the societal life. Means, what changes they make in their economic activities, food style, clothing, construction and utilising energy sources.
For example, rather than depending on hydro, thermal or atomic generation of electricity, why solar power is not utilised for a clean and green energy source in different parts of the world.
What aspects of ecosystem are to be replaced?
The over utilisation of the present available resources is to be discouraged at any risk. Industrial development and agricultural development have squeezed the nature incessantly, thus the cry of nature for its survival is heard around in the form of famine, flood or even earth quake. That is why Greta Thunberg, the Norwegian environment activist, now 18 years old questioned the American President and world leaders in an International forum. She was only 15 years when she had an angry stare to Donald Trump in UN Assembly in September 2019. Through her speech and angry look she challenged the world leaders for their dull approach towards the issue of climate change and hazardous economic growth and development.
All these discussions point out the need for a safe and sustainable development for the modern world. Individual life of the citizens and the economic life of the nations should be policy-based one, so as stand for an ecosystem where misuse, overuse and mal-practice in enjoying the natural resources are avoided.
This note would be incomplete, if am not saying the quote of Mahatma Gandhi, who said in clear terms “ "The Earth has enough for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed." There is no other message better than this to give you when we think about the restoration of the ecosystem.
I wish you a thoughtful and happy Environment day.
