I didn’t know that what I did was called protecting the earth, I just hated to see the trees go. I remember going out to scream at those guys that used to cut down the trees close to our house because they had harvested the matured ones but needed more to make money. But these trees are not grown enough. They are just babies, I said to them.
I used to think that the trees have families like I do but came to learn that they may not have a family like other living things, but it’s just important that they are there, to protect the earth from gases that could’ve choked lots of other things on earth. Also, the beauty they add to the earth for just been there cannot be over emphasized.
There used to be a river where I tried to learn swimming. I could only go three times because I got there the fourth time to see hundreds of fishes by the riverbank. Some greedy humans had applied chemicals to catch a lot of fish for sale. How inhumane? I got angry at this point because they did not just hurt the water organisms alone, but they hurt their fellow humans for money. I told them that for a long time, they may be unable to fish in that river because the generation of fishes that could’ve produced more had been cruelly killed.
Earth is our only home, even though there are movements to check out other habitable planets, our current and only home must be protected at all costs.
Imagine that for every litter you carelessly threw on the floor, the earth takes it and throws it back at you (I heard of a particular ocean in Nigeria that does this), just how many scars would be on your body by now? Now, that is what we do to mother earth when we carelessly throw around dirt without any conscious effort to clean and make it better.
Even though the earth cannot talk, we currently feel the impact of our careless actions on the heat wave, and the climate change that’s currently dealing with us across the world. I know a lot of farmers that lost huge amounts of their money because of climate change, and if conscious efforts are not made to further protect the earth, it could get worse.
What have I done on my part to make it better?
- I joined the ‘plant a tree campaign’ in support of the Lagos state government initiative to beautify the environment and create a purified atmosphere in the state known for its congested state.
- I don’t know how to recycle and reuse plastics and nylons, but I ensure to tell people about organizations that do that very well.
- I try to volunteer for clean up services in my community on weekends especially.
- I educate other people on the need to protect mother earth, because protecting the earth means protecting the lives on it.
- I tell others how healthy it is to plant trees around the house and maintain a cleaner environment.
This is my entry to the #Aprilinleo prompt challenge with a focus on “Earth Day, Ecology, Conservation”.
All images are mine.