I am pretty sure that 90% of you are aware of the fact that this world is going to end if we don’t take care of it.
This is not me trying to threaten you. This is not me trying to brainwash you. This is a fact. And you cannot deny this. Global warming, pollution, artificial intelligence, nuclear wars, I could go on and on writing about how these events can end our world. However, there are tens of websites that are going to tell you about this. My aim is to convey one message.
It can happen. This world can end.
And if it does, I don’t want to die regretting.
I want time to cease with my heart fulfilled.
I would want to know that we did our best.
We failed. But at least we all tried.
And I know that all you would prefer this.
I don’t know if I am a good fortune teller, but there are some things that I know. And I know that if each and every one of us make an effort, take baby steps, we can make this world a better place, that can live longer.
Firstly, about plastic. How many plastic bags do you throw away every year? Plastic is not biodegradable i.e. it cannot decompose into the earth, even after a thousand years. Many people throw plastic bags into the seas and oceans without any second thoughts. Plastic is made from substances called polymers.
Have you ever thought about the fish who chew the plastic bags and eat them, thinking they are food such as jellyfish, and are choked? Or are infected by a harmful disease? Or are drowned by plastics?
100,000 marine creatures are killed every year by the entanglement of plastic, and these are the ones found.
1,000,000 seabirds ( approximately ) die every year from plastic too.
What if you were a fish, and you find some material that
looks like jellyfish, and eating it, only to experience utter pain as you struggle between the worlds of life and death?
Then, there is recycling. How many of you throw away things that can be reused? Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We all certainly know what these three words mean. How many of us actually go by them?
There is some waste that cannot be reused again, and then they are burnt, sending poisonous fumes into the air, causing the ozone layer to weaken.
Do you throw away plastic water bottles, food waste, paper, and things that can be recycled? Instead of increasing the waste, you can reuse things. Use food waste as fertilisers for your gardens. Use glass and mirror shards as decor in your room. Use the dried up leaves for your fire. I am giving you just a few in hundreds of ideas. There is much more you can do. Just put your heart into it. That is all I’m asking you to do for this world.
Recycling is one of the best ways to reduce waste and thus pollution too.
It is a way to make the dead things seem alive.
A very important thing that we should do. Plant trees. We all know that paper is made by cutting trees. Huge trees.
Let’s say that there is this 50 year old tree which is chopped down to make paper. This tree has taken in 50 years of carbon dioxide and given out 50 years of oxygen. When we cut it down all the absorbed gas is released leading to a rise in the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
In return, to cover up, we plant 5 more trees. Which we all know will take 10 more years to absorb all the carbon dioxide again. True.
However, what if we all planted 1 tree on our birthday? There are around 17.7 million birthdays every day. Which means at least 6 billion trees every year!
Just a small sapling and 5 minutes of a year. What is the harm? It is for a good cause after all.
If you are reading this right now, I want you to send this to any 5 of your friends. Tell them that this is worth it.
Now I know that not many of us see the world changing if we change. I do, however.
Another very important thing is to control ourselves, our emotions.
I heard of this story about a man who refused to give someone else money. The other person tackled him and almost choked him to death. This is what we are becoming. A few of us. But personalties are like virus. They inspire people, even in bad ways, causing changes. If we don’t stop, our future is not going to last long. Like Mahatma Gandhi said,
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”
Think of yourself like a corked bottle. Do not let your feelings be pent up inside, or you will explode one day, and go up in flames.( metaphor:)
Focus on making friends and not enemies. You need people to stand by your side, and not against you. Against is just going to start fights and useless quarrels which we insist on looking in to.
Look at the bigger picture. We do things for a better tomorrow. For the next gneration.
And the last of all. I want you to believe. To believe that you are going to be able to do this.
To pledge that you will do whatever you can to save this earth.
To believe that if this world is on the verge of ending, you are going to muster all your strength defending it.
Because this earth is our birthplace.
And as long as we are alive, it shall be kept alive too.
It can happen. Maybe tomorrow, an asteroid can boom into earth. Whatever happens is unpredictable. But don’t be so worried that you will die with regret filling your heart. Because you will die with pride of our planet.
Written by
Milomi.
Milomi's world 