A last warning

A last warning

You must have come across groups of people fighting in the name of religion and invoking their deities. But how many of you have seen people rallying for the environment with the same fervor? Why are we not giving the environment the same importance as religion? Why don’t political parties promise to plant 1,000 trees instead of distributing money?

The appreciation for trees and nature seems confined to a short period each year. Many people, cocooned in air-conditioned rooms, don’t feel the immediate need to care for the environment. The urgency of need is often only felt in times of scarcity. With abundant food and comfortable living conditions, the necessity of a healthy environment fades from our priorities.

Nature does not respond to human pleas or economic incentives. Our immediate demands will be futile when we truly face environmental crises.

Despite the dire situation, advertising billboards promoting consumerism overshadow messages about sustainability. Economic benefits drive most of our actions, leaving efforts like planting a neem tree undervalued.

While it may seem daunting to plant a tree for every individual, aiming for one tree per joint family is a practical start. We have been quick to blame the government for heatwaves, but how many trees have we planted ourselves? Was it for the environment, or economic gain?

Our survival depends on action, not blame. Planting trees is essential, not just for economic gain, but for our future. If we struggled with the coronavirus, how will we withstand temperatures above 60 degrees? Blaming concrete structures won’t help.

Let’s act now. Plant a tree. Not for profit, but for the planet.

**Bindesh Kumar Jha**