Amongst all the other problems that the COVID-crisis has forced humanity to deal with, environmental issues hold the top spot.
According to The Guardian, ‘Climate crisis could shrink the G7 countries’ economies twice as much as COVID-19′.
Global warming and the destruction of the ecosystem have remained a topic of discussion and action for decades now. What allows it to maintain its priority is our lack of understanding.
For years, we have tried to reverse the effects of increased carbon footprints, ozone depletion, global warming, deforestation, and many other alarming advancements. But we fail to observe that the pace of development is too fast, while the time to reverse the horrors ticked away years ago.
Development in this age is nothing but quick ways of making money based on the unnecessary demands of consumers. Companies and factories, governments, and high-powered officials are busy hogging at resources to create wealth, not paying heed to the immense consequences which slowly burden the world.
The coronavirus pandemic is a startling example of years of neglect towards nature and the wounds we have caused to it. As inhabitants of this world, especially the youth, who will carry humankind into the future, we should start realising and repenting.
This year, on World Environment Day, the UN released an article ‘Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.’ It talks of the start of the movement #GenerationRestoration, taking into account the actions we must proceed with to save our planet.
One of the striking parts of the release was the mention of investing in nature.
Economically speaking, the field of climate change problems and ecosystem restoration are untapped gold mines. According to GreenBiz (online news portal), in 2014, the recycling industry employed more than 1.1 million people and generated over $236 billion in gross annual revenues.
Corporates and entrepreneurs should be wading through this field which will benefit both their profit and humanity. Innovations and developments that are not harmful to nature or help it in any way are more profitable ventures for the long run.
‘Saving the planet’ feels like a liability to most of the population, a task for the people with power. What can we do?
I believe we can do a lot. The youth can bring about an immense change for the young generation and the future with just the thought of saving our world.
Turning over to sustainable products, cutting out plastic from daily use, developing and introducing new ventures into the fields of environmental restoration, and the list goes on.
Planting drives, bio-degradable products, recycling, or upcycling have become trends amongst the youth population. But trends come and go. To make an impact, this should be infused into our lifestyle. If we make a habit of living in support of nature and introduce small changes in our daily routine, we could save the earth in time.
We are in a cycle of creating unfavourable conditions and trying to find solutions for them. What we should be doing is innovating and developing a world that will co-exist with nature.
