Almost the entire globe is grappling with issues connected to environmental crises after decades of criminal carelessness and the exploitation of earth’s resources to fulfill the needs and greed of the powerful and the capitalists. Now that the damage is done, every state is coming up with new solutions to reverse the tide. Some are suggesting a transition to fossil fuel-free economies, while others are funding initiatives to increase the growth of forests and trees to restore balance. Some propose effective planning to reduce rising temperatures. However, no one is paying heed to curbing and containing human behavior towards the environment in general and preparing future generations to use the earth and its resources as essential commodities for survival, treating them as precious gifts bestowed by nature. Nations like Pakistan are attempting to bring about new legislation and a criminal code of conduct to penalize those who cause unnecessary damage to nature. While these efforts may help curtail rising temperatures, pollution, and depleting resources, without a positive and healthy attitude towards nature, the goal of saving the environment for future generations cannot be realized.
Efforts to minimize damage to the environment must begin at home and extend to our educational institutions. At home, parents need to develop a positive and healthy attitude towards nature and become role models for their children by instilling habits of neatness, cleanliness, and using resources only as needed, not for waste. Parents should teach their children about environmental protection by adding greenery and fostering a love for water conservation. They may instruct them to stop anyone who is willingly or unknowingly wasting essential resources.
Nations like Pakistan are attempting to bring about new legislation and a criminal code of conduct to penalize those who cause unnecessary damage to nature.
The next significant initiative must begin at the primary and tertiary levels of education, as young minds at this stage are very receptive, and the habits acquired during this period become integral to one’s conscious and unconscious behavior. If policymakers want a real change in attitude towards nature for the greater good of humanity, the syllabi must include awareness about the importance of a healthy environment and the development of habits that can preserve resources and reduce waste. Children could undertake small tasks to keep the environment neat and clean by avoiding the waste of water and food, along with other essentials necessary for a good life. If this approach is adopted, we will be able to raise a generation in just two decades that carries a missionary spirit to preserve their environment and develops a resilient attitude against damage caused by profit-driven individuals. This new generation will also be deeply and sincerely interested in innovative technologies and research that can help restore our planet as a happy, healthy home for humanity, fostering cooperation between man and nature rather than competition.
The next significant efforts can take place at the graduation level, i.e., at universities and colleges. Here, students must undertake projects designed not only to spread awareness but also to create safe environmental zones, recycle earth’s resources, preserve water, and judiciously use transportation facilities to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Practical, fact-based research projects may be assigned to students across disciplines to discover how each field of study can contribute to restoring and rejuvenating Mother Nature for the betterment of humanity. Students can explore which new technologies can be introduced and what innovative methods can help minimize environmental damage while maximizing resource utilization. These and other measures can lead to a fundamental change in our attitude towards nature and foster significant shifts in our thinking, aiding in restoring the balance between nature and humanity.
However, alongside these measures, we must prevent the devastation of nature for profit and the accumulation of wealth. Humanity must convince itself that the earth can sustain life for a long time only when we make our best efforts to help nature survive for us. It is undeniable that it remains possible to create a balanced approach between human needs for natural resources and the replenishment of those resources. For example, if we cut down trees for various uses, we must plant an equal number of trees to maintain a perfect balance. A similar attitude should apply to all other aspects of nature to restore the much-needed equilibrium between nature and humanity.
The writer is a professor of English at Government Emerson University, Multan. He can be reached at zeadogar@hotmail.com and Tweets @Profzee