AFON
Our planet enables us, so how should we repay it? – by Zarah Pattison
Welcome to our series of blog posts in the run up (originally) to the general election (7th May 2015). Over this month AFON members will share their own Visions for Nature: what they want the natural world to look like by 2050 and how they want to get there. Despite the election being over, we have decided to continue the series as more posts keep arriving from our members! We have created a hashtag on Twitter so why not join the conversation? What’s your #VisionforNature?
When I was about 10 years old I remember challenging people who called man-made objects beautiful. “How can you say that building is beautiful when it isn’t natural? Only nature is beautiful!” This was generally followed by a raised eyebrow or a dismissive pat on the head. Although my opinion back then may have been a bit eccentric (The SagradaFamíliain Barcelona is indeed beautiful), perhaps I shouldn’t have felt embarrassed for viewing nature before that of man’s achievements.
In between the ‘innocence’ of youth and becoming a ‘responsible’ adult, there seems to be this disconnect with our planet. Life takes over. You become more important to yourself. This is the generation of ‘Because you’re worth it’ thinking. We know our worth. We are told repeatedly to love and respect ourselves. We believe it. So why aren’t we taught to love and respect nature in the same way?
Our responsibility to our planet is to not only engage the younger generation, but also ourselves. We need to be as passionate about our planet as we want them to be. However, it is not only about appreciating nature’s beauty. We must educate people about daily processes such as how waste is dealt with, what happens to plastic when it enters landfill, how food ends up on our plates, the list goes on.
We must normalise caring about nature.
We must make respecting nature a habit.
We must educate people about how our planet allows us to survive and our unrelenting impact on it.
Nature is strong. It heals, take Chernobyl for example.But we can speed up this healing process by changing our own habits.It is very easy to say, ‘What is the point?’ or ‘There is so much to change, how will we ever repair the damage that has been done?’ There is always something that can be done. The bigger picture is always daunting. Start with the small things. No matter how small it may seem, everything can make a difference if enough people apply it.
By 2050 I would like to see everyone using reusable tea/coffee cups. Plastic bags in shops will be a thing of the past. Vastly reduced, or preferably a total lack of,packaging on fruit, veg and dried goods (pasta etc.) in supermarkets. Wearing clothes made from recycled plastic will be fashionable. Recycling will be habit and not chore. You may be thinking, ‘These are small steps, but we need big change now!’ But with small steps come big questions and education. Why are we doing this? What MORE can I do?
“I think we risk becoming the best informed society that has ever died of ignorance….” – Rubén Blades
Say no to ignorance about the impact we have on the environment. Education and action is the key to our Earths (and our own) salvation. After all we, as a species amongst many others, are all sharing the same resources in order to survive.