Depletion of Mother Earth

Depletion of Mother Earth

Mother earth has been kind to all of us, yet we have treated Her extremely shabbily. For centuries we have exploited all Her resources in the belief that they were unlimited. We have destroyed Her creatures without any mercy and killed them wantonly – often for sport – so much so that many of them are now extinct. Her forests have been wiped out in many parts of the world and Her rivers and seas polluted with toxic materials – killing large numbers of Her fish and marine animals and plants.

  

There is certainly order in the world. The planets move around the sun in precise orbits; the earth turns on its axis accurately; the moon orbits around the earth; these are just a few ways. The list is infinite. From the vibration of atoms, to the orbiting of planets, there is order in the universe. How then do devastating natural disasters occur? Immediate thought about them does seem to reveal that natural disasters are freaks of nature. It does not seem sensible to see weather running berserk. Rain, which has been helping nature in its cycle, suddenly sows havoc. There are floods; thousands of plants, animals and humans perish. It looks as if a usually kind and gentle person suddenly becomes violent and kills for sport.

There are of course countless studies which show how floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts and typhoons occur. Scientists who spend lifetimes studying the phenomena are able to analyze the causes. By causes all we really know is what leads to them. We know that there is a fire below the earth, that at certain points the fire bursts forth and we have a volcanic eruption. We even know that the fire is a leftover from the fire that first began burning when the earth was formed. With a lot more study, scientists have even been able to predict the extent of a coming volcanic eruption. There is even a way to say that an eruption is imminent. Without" a doubt, it is useful to know all this. In countries where the technology is available, lives can be saved through timely evacuation.

What is not as far known is how the eruption can be prevented. Nature is just too powerful for any study to be possible in this area - at least so far. The same can be said for the other type of disasters including: floods, typhoons and earthquakes. Research stops short of prevention. Meanwhile the slaughter continues. All of man's defenses are too weak against nature. Perhaps it is nature's way of telling us that we are still rather puny when compared with the vast powers of nature. It is often speculated that natural disasters are nature's way of keeping the human population in check. Perhaps this is too much to assume. But it cannot be dismissed straightaway.

Are any of these disasters caused by man? Well, we can see that man is not the cause of volcanic disasters, earthquakes, but perhaps we do in some way because weather related disasters such as droughts, floods and typhoons. We all know that weather is being affected by the clearing of forests on earth. This is within our control. Hence some disasters can be controlled. All we can do is hope that a day will come when we can control all natural disasters. Till then we have to remain at the mercy of nature.

Then suddenly a few enlightened souls realized the harm that we were doing. Scientists and nature lovers from throughout the world have put their minds together to save the earth. The harm that has been done to the earth is extensive and in many areas, irreversible. But all is not lost yet. A few organizations have been formed worldwide to heal the earth and to save whatever we can for future generations.

There is now awareness among people throughout the world that the earth is ailing and needs everyone’s efforts to recover. The greatest hope in this area is from children who are beginning to see that there is a joint responsibility to save the earth. All because of intense education in the area, people are beginning to see that forests must be saved. They are beginning to feel that all life is sacred and related. There are limits being imposed by governments to save the forests and the rivers. Laws are being parsed in many countries to protect animals and plants.

Many dangerous chemicals which cause the depletion of the ozone layer are now being boycotted by people throughout the world and manufactures are being forced to look for alternatives. Already there are breakthroughs in several areas and we see a general easing off in the use of harmful substances. There is also a general awakening on how to recycle and how to cut wastes. These are indeed good signs.

In spite of the tremendous amount of activity in the save the earth movement everywhere, there is still a lot more to be done. We cannot do everything at once and we see that learning is indeed a slow process. Yet the efforts are commendable. The success of the entire movement and effort in the various directions depends very much on future generations and how strictly they implement the safeguards that have been proposed. There is nothing that we can do except keep showing our love for the Great Mother Earth and hope that She can recover from Her wounds. This is all we can do while waiting for the results of all the attempts we have made to educate people everywhere.