" I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees!" - Amidst the quarantine, there is hope for climate action
Hope you are reading this in the best of your health. Staying home is staying safe!
I will be honest, and tell you that the first two weeks were, kind of, rough. I felt anxious and I could not find the motivation to write or do any creative work. But I used that time to slow down and relax, with my family, enjoy some books and movies.
As I sat by the window, on the 7th day of quarantine, I looked at the same view - that of hills and a famous temple atop the same. Usually, it was only the top of the hill that was clearly visible. To my surprise, this time, I could see the foot of the hill too. The air was so clear, it was like experiencing it in Ultra HD. I looked around and saw some more houses, which were never seen from that distance. The infamous virus may have contracted CO2 emissions from the usual pollutants, but temporarily. This is only a result of suspending travel and other human activities that lead to emissions of greenhouse gases and CO2.
I, almost immediately, wanted to post about it, like the rest of the world. But I took a step back and thought to myself, whether it would seem insenstive to draw attention to or touch upon this issue, while being empathetic towards the pandemic.
So, NO, I am not being inconsiderate while writing this post about the environmental changes, and neither am I rejoicing the fact. I am only trying to show you, rather reiterate the fact that each one of us can make so much difference if we act in a union. The reason I chose this name 'MELIORIST' for my blog is because I believe, mankind, in togetherness, can make this world a better place, but only if we CHOOSE to!
We all need to be like Lorax but are choosing the Once-ler way of life. It is NOW, that we speak for the trees! We need to be the living Loraxes!
Afforestation not only sucks-in the greenhouse gases but is also responsible for balancing the biodiversity. It contains and preserves our wildlife and invariably supports human life. According to a report from National Geographic, between 1990 - 2016, we lost around 502,000 square miles of forest. That is, according to the World Bank, an area larger than South Africa. We are loosing 3.5 to 7 billion trees every year ever since.
The greenhouse gases, as compared to our typical pollutants, pose an enduring threat, as they tend to stay in the environment indefinitely, while pollution affects momentarily. The presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere dictates climate change. Subsequently, deforestation can be a horrendous lead to a pandemic caused by infectious viruses like the current virus.
Detaining fossil-fuel burners like cars and flights have caused the precipitous decline in the CO2 emission rate, over the past few days. Now imagine, if we could work on controlling it hereon? Scientists have given us a solution. We already know the answer - Afforestation! It is like, when you can't solve a problem, your mother gives you a hint or the first line to the answer and you are expected to complete the rest. Same. We have been given a cue, now we need to do the needful. And what better time than now to work your way to a sustainable and environment friendly lifetsyle. I am not saying, ditch your car or your favourite food, switch your lifestyle overnight, I am only requesting you to reflect upon your actions, now that you have the time to. Start small. Take baby steps. One change at a time.
What to do?
We need to do things that avoid the downward spiral on the social and economic front. The bigger solutions to balance both the economy and the nature could take up a couple of years, maybe a decade. Finding and investing heavily in a cleaner source of energy, working on electric transport options, etc. will require all of us ( the government and people ) to work together. We need visionary leaders who understand climate action and are ready to act on it. But pay heed to the warnings from our scientists. While the government plays a huge role in reducing the impact of hazardous outcomes/pandemics, they should be prepared to tackle, it is not futile to make individual or community efforts in the same direction. This time has taught us a great deal about minimalism, about being happy with less and the very fact that we can, indeed, manage with less, especially if it fuels a bigger purpose.
Support afforestation groups.
If you have the resources/land, plant it yourself.
Use ECOSIA - a search engine, that plants a tree for every search.
Choose sustainable products.
Plant a tree.
Choose vegetables over meat and dairy only for the mere fact that it consumes less energy resources.
Plant a tree.
Buy cruelty-free products.
Plant a tree.
Walk short distances or carpool with friends whenever possible.
Plant a tree.
Ditch plastic products.
Plant more trees.
Phew!
I think I feel okay now, wrote my heart out!
I hope you have some take-away from this write-up! Remember, you just have to start!
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr.Seuss
Stay home and stay safe.
Thank you for reading!
XO
Kimaya