What Has Been Our Response?
Carlos Adherbal Lorenz Netto
As most of you are aware, we, the 7.8 billion people who compose the so called “global population”, are currently living in the 21st century. Our society is not described by the word “global” as a mere coincidence; there is a definite purpose for this to have been chosen.
The globe, according to the dictionary, is the “celestial sphere” in which we, living creatures, live in. Precisely. “We”, not “you”. Unfortunately, this is not the idea that is cultivated in our heads, most of the times, as we grow up and start to strengthen our own selves and build up our personal characteristics which will soon define us as who we are and what we want people to think of us.
The people, however, are sick; and this sickness is not a biological virus that may result in an epidemic and catastrophic wide-spread that is uncontrollable. No. The matter here is not the coronavirus. The actual matter here is the selfishness inside of each and every one of us. The matter here is how we need to unite to save our home, before it is too late.
According to the World Health Organisation, the suicide rate throughout the world has increased to 10.5% in every 100,000 people per year, giving an approximate total of 10,500 people. That seems to be shocking enough for most of us, doesn’t it?
But, let’s stop and reflect for one second: According to the same organisation, global warming is responsible for 600,000 deaths each year, and now the shocking part is the fact that we, the ones responsible for it, are capable of ignoring it, due to several reasons, including the newest outbreak of newly discovered diseases, politics, the economy of the countries we live in, social problems, and several other factors.
However, the core principles of these concerns are the same: The uncertainty that these will all harm us, and not the others. In other words: selfishness. Perhaps, “green” is not a great colour after all for the majority of the world’s population.
The approach to be “sustainable” is something that must be exercised, and not imposed. The green revolution was a process in which the agricultural fields of poorer countries in America and the Middle-East increased due to the use of toxic chemicals, resulting in problems such as the climate change, which retailed in a vast range of pressure groups that have been acting since then.
These revolutions against these atrocities against the environment have had a great impact in our lives. Speaking from personal experience, besides the ordinary measures that we listen to every time (recycling, reusing, renovating, using LED lights, taking shorter baths and blah blah blah), things have now been better.
The use of electric cars have increased due to an improvement in the techniques used by companies such as Tesla, which have been highly pressured by the environmentalists. Young people are joining these environmentalist groups, including me, and it has definitely helped us to spread the message.