Dear Editor,
During this year’s celebration of Earth Day, we must as a nation reflect on the theme Our Power, Our Planet. We the people have the power to impact change and prevent the worst from happening to our future and the present of future generations.
In a world where consumption has grown beyond needs and into wants, where more is sought when less would be better, and where the consequences of excess prevent contentment with what we the people have today due to destructive behaviour, we must make the power of our daily actions shape the environment we personally experience.
We must decide to nurture our plants without pesticides and harmful fertilisers, so what we consume remains healthy and non-cancerous. We must decide to keep our personal environment clean so illness from bacteria, harmful vermin and diseases is less likely to occur. Our personal choices are powerful and will bring positive change to our part of the planet if the decisions we make each day are for the betterment of our planet and ultimately for the betterment of our own existence.
Turn off that light and fan when finished using it. Ride that bicycle when a car is not needed, power your home with a safe and reliable solar system when they become available. And most importantly, plant trees that help clean the air and provide the oxygen we breathe.
Your body will thank you for it and the animals that help keep life interesting will as well. Who hasn’t planted a garden only to find more beautiful plants added thanks to the birds? This is our planet and all its joys have not been revealed. We need not go to the moon to discover, while discovery has not been completed within the environment which we can easily reach that is also a part of our everyday life. It is our planet and it is our present. Enjoy the gift that we have been given and let not anyone take the joy of it away with destructive behaviour.
Happy Earth Day!