This image is mine
Our earth is a blessing. The earth provides us with so much, but sadly, we often fail to repay its kindness. One thing about humans is that we take without giving. It is so easy for us to destroy things, but it is very hard to rebuild. We are a selfish species, ravaging the planet while failing to replenish what we've stolen. We do this without thinking of the consequences.
I'm a big fan of cartoons, and one thing people don't understand is that cartoons are not just colorful images on the screen. No, they are not meant for kids alone. During the olden days, fables were used to teach children valuable lessons. Now, cartoons have replaced fables. They (and other genres of literature ) are like modern day fables that teach us valuable lessons. This topic reminds me of Moana, one of my favorite cartoons. In the movie, Tefiti is a powerful goddess who creates and gives life to plants, and animals. Unfortunately, her heart (powers) was stolen by Maui, a demi God which caused drought and darkness across the ocean.
Now, this cartoon can be linked to Earth and human beings. One of the ways we can relate the cartoon, Moana, to the world we live in today is how the earth is so giving, yet people are destroying it. Just like Tefiti, our planet provides us with air, resources, and other beautiful things. However, we repay the kindness negatively through actions like pollution (water, land, and other types of solutions), deforestation, and so on. When it comes to our environment and the way we take care of it, I actually do not have so many personal experiences. Environmental care is not something we eagerly practice over here. More than 70 percent of the population is nonchalant about it.
It is really disheartening that our schools and communities don’t prioritize environmental awareness. I'm currently in my third year at the university, and, sadly, the topic of cleaning the planet or celebrating World Earth’s Day has never been mentioned. This shows how indifferent people are towards cleaning the planet or environmental issues. Today is Earth's Day and no one is saying anything about it. Just like every other day, people are going about their business, polluting and destroying the earth.
Although I don’t see myself as an environmental activist, I have once thought of trying to be one, but I find myself without the motivation to do so. It is difficult and challenging to stand up against something when so many people are against it. I understand that it is a problem that we all should be tackling, but it can be particularly challenging in my environment.
The last time I did something to take care of my environment was way back in my secondary school days. At that time, my school principal was all about discipline and cleanliness. He would get really angry if he saw any dirt around him, and most people would often get into trouble when he found the school environment dirty.
I remember the details like it happened yesterday. It was a Friday, and my school principal declared that day a lecture-free day. It was a day for us to clean our environment. We were divided into groups, and all teachers were on board to supervise and make sure we did a good job. We started off by cleaning the school environment. Then, we took our cleaning to the next level by going outside the school.
I was in my second year in senior school, so my classmates and the senior prefects were in charge of cleaning the gutters. The gutters weren't so dirty, just filled with papers, and nylons. So, we cleared them out and burnt everything up.
That was the last time I ever participated in any cleaning activities. Life got busy, and I got busier. It's never too late to make a difference. Start somewhere.
This is my submission to the Inleo prompt suggestion for the month of April. The topic is: let's talk about our planet, it's conservation, celebrations, personal and institutional actions that can help it!
Check the calendar out:
