Introduction |
The world would be a different place if we cared more about the earth and everything that lives on it.
I want this speech to be more than a plea for the protection of the environment (which in itself is very important, of course) - I would like to widen the perspective a little bit. |
Body |
The fact that ecologically, everything is interconnected, is becoming more and more obvious. This means that “global awareness” is increasingly important. Every single person has to learn to take responsibility for his or her own actions.
From an ecological point of view this is all the more challenging since the consequences of one`s activities in this area do not become obvious immediately, and when they do show, they often affect countries and people far away from the original perpetrators, as it were. |
| Example |
Let me give a concrete example. I think that it is undeniable that, historically, it is the highly industrialized countries which are largely responsible for the present polution.
Although it is also true that in recent years they have made enormous efforts, both technically and financially, to improve the situation and much has been achieved.
Anyway, the people worst affected by the first effects of this polution, like a worrying change in the worldwide climate for instance, the global warming, are mostly the people of the poor countries. Just think of the devastating hurricanes and floods caused by the “el nino” effect along certain parts of the coast of South America. Or of the increasing drought in many parts of Africa. True, last year certain parts of Europe were also very badly affected by flooding, but rich countries like Germany are in a better position to deal with the damage than poor under-developed countries. |
| Moral |
I believe that it is absolute essential for the industrialized nations of the West to also experience the consequences of the climate change for themselves in order to be willing to change their behaviour.
Discontinuing a certain behaviour which I personally experience as harmful or detrimental to myself or the people I love is one thing. But doing the same when I haven`t actually felt the consequences or doing it for people I have never met, is quite a different matter. Everybody likes to live in comfort, I suppose, but it becomes a problem when, we do so at the expense of others. And this is where it becomes necessary to really care about the earth and everything living on it, meaning not only our natural environment but our fellow human beings as well. |
| More examples |
If I care about whether there are trees on this planet or not, whether they are healthy or not, whether all kind of plants and animal species have the kind of environment they need in order to exist, about whether other people suffer or not, then adjusting my behaviour becomes much more easy.
I am thinking, here, among other things, of the excessive use of cars. How many families nowadays have more than one, or even more than two cars which they sometimes use to cover even very short distances – simply because the car is waiting right outside their front door and it is so convenient to use it. The lack of consciousness in the way we use or rather waste energy and water in all areas of life is another case in point. Is it really necessary that every single household tool we use is electrical? Is it not quite feasible to be a bit more conscious of how much water we use or waste, even if there is plenty of water where we happen to live? |
| Summary | This is of course a vast area, with countless possible examples. Doesn`t it all come down to the question of whether I care about more than my own comfortable little world? |
| Consequences |
Let me focus a bit more on the consequences of our present wasteful, inconsiderate behaviour.
I already mentioned the change in climate, the measurable rise in temperature which leads to severe droughts in some parts of the world and to severe flooding in others. |
| Example |
As we all know, water is going to be a very serious problem in the future, one way or another.
Last Saturday I read in the newspaper that Argentina`s massive glaciers, one of the big freshwater reservoirs, are melting at a frightening speed. Scientists fear that if this continues they might disappear within the next 20 years!! Switzerland`s glaciers, by the way, are receding quite rapidly, too. The melting of ice will have devastating effects on the whole ecosystem of the world. Among other things the level of the oceans might rise by as much as 7m!! |
Conclusion |
If we do not take care now of the air we need to breathe, of the water we need to drink and to grow our food, of the plant life that makes it possible for us to survive and to enjoy this planet, of the animals that feed us or keep us company and last but not least of our fellow human beings all over the world, we may wake up one day and find that we have waited too long.
I think it is high time we changed our attitude and behaviour. After all we are one humanity in one world. So let us try and make this world a different, a better place. |