Human beings are the only species whose intelligence allows us to be above the rest, but when it comes to preservation and care of the environment we become the main source of destruction and predation. Animals by nature hunt for food, their survival depends on it, but we do it for fun, greed, hobbies and ignorance. We have grown up in a culture that feeds the desire for power, one that is measured by the riches and eccentricities one has.

In the past, man worked the land as a means of sustenance, so much value was placed on it that tribute was paid to gods and deities in gratitude for the harvests, animal and even human sacrifices were part of rituals that served as offerings to these gods. The land was everything, and as such it was cared for, valued and respected. Although we have advanced over the years in our cultures, religions, development of technologies, etc., it is unfortunate that the value of the land has been lost, and I am not referring to the economic valuation, I am referring to the value of what it represents for humanity.

What would happen if your house is destroyed? Maybe your finances would allow you to buy another one and you would have a place to continue living. But what if the planet is destroyed, would your finances allow you to buy a new one? You probably consider that I exaggerate and that it will never happen, destroying the planet is not a one day thing, it will never happen, I die first before the earth is destroyed, in short, you can argue a thousand arguments. And you are right, at least you will not see the destruction but your future generations will, it will be the inheritance you leave to your descendants and that is why both you and I must act in this present to avoid a discouraging future for those to come.

There are millions of us on the planet, what you do or don't do won't make a difference! You may well have this thought, erroneous but respectable. I ask you: If you have to choose between living or dying, what do you choose? Whatever your answer is, it will bring consequences to your life, life or death depends on you, your decision will affect family and friends, many will suffer and many others may rejoice. Keep in mind that we live in society and our actions have an impact on our environment, every action we do can influence in a good or bad way to those around us, then, if you contribute to the care and preservation of the planet, be sure that others will follow your example, and these in turn will influence other people and so on.

Having read all of the above, I invite you to join me in answering the following questions, perhaps my answers will coincide with yours, or if not, they will help you to reflect a little on what you have done or not done so far to contribute to the care of our planet.

Currently, I maintain my routines and habits acquired since my adolescence, I am very cautious with the excessive waste of water. I control consumption in a rudimentary way, to bathe I fill a 10 liter bucket and thus avoid opening the shower every moment; to brush my teeth I fill a glass with water and do not spend more than necessary; to flush the toilet I keep a 50 liter container that I supply weekly, every time I wash my clothes I make sure to reuse the water for that purpose, in times of rain, I fill it with water from it. I keep my electricity consumption to a minimum, even though in my country the service is very cheap, I avoid keeping lights on unnecessarily, I charge my cell phone once a day making sure to disconnect the charger once finished, only the refrigerator remains connected throughout the day, the rest of the electrical appliances are always disconnected, and even more, because of the constant power failures that are experienced daily.

On the other hand, I have reduced the consumption of red and white meats by half, previously I consumed between 4 and 5 kilos per month, now I have reduced it to only 2 kilos for health reasons. Something that I started recently, since I joined #hive, has been recycling, I have dedicated myself to making crafts using cardboard and plastic bottles that I collected from my neighbors and from a franchise of the Farmatodo store that provides me with these whenever I need them. Although I haven't published much about it due to time constraints, but I will be doing it soon. You can follow the links below to see a sample of my work.

Undoubtedly we are the only ones responsible for the negative impact generated to the environment, technological and industrial development only strengthen and increase global warming. The progress and evolution of humanity cannot be stopped, but the path followed without considering the effects and consequences to Mother Earth is not ideal, the excessive use of natural resources is causing the deterioration and depletion of them, overexploitation generates impoverishment of these, and yet, the human objective prevails over the destruction of the environment.

This does not mean that I am against development, but we can achieve it by seeking a balance between environment and society, in the end, progress and economy will be useless if we do not have a planet to inhabit.

Personally, I am certain that the laws of my country regarding the protection and care of the environment are correct, even without knowing the laws of any other country in the world, I can express the same opinion. The problem is not in the law, rule or measure that is taken, it is in the application and/or execution of the same, or failing that, in the non-application. To make it more understandable, article 43 of the Organic Law of the Environment (Venezuela), on the right to appeal, states:

Every person has the right and the duty to denounce before the competent authorities, any fact that threatens a healthy, safe and ecologically balanced environment.

This article commits us as Venezuelan citizens to watch over the integrity of the environment, but it is common to see that the complaints are filed away. In a country where corruption is evident, the money obtained from irregularities is worth more than the law that is supposed to watch over the rights of the population, and the environment is no exception. In conclusion, a country that does not watch over and guarantee the basic rights of its population, much less is it capable of guaranteeing the care and protection of the environment.

Having read my answers to these three questions, I hope I have awakened in you the need to apply and/or promote the necessary changes so that from today, you become an ally of mother earth, its care and protection. If you were already doing it, I congratulate you, continue with it and try to involve others to follow your example. I hope you share with me some of your experiences in the comments of this publication.

This is my entry for the Earth Day Celebration Challenge I invite Hive account@lolysacc to join the initiative.