Any place on earth is beautiful, even the desert, provided you have the eyes to appreciate that beauty. It would be unthinkable of a life without air, water, plants, animals, forests and the infinite number of gifts of nature that we all take for granted. However, this beauty is not meant for us alone. It is only to be used and cherished in our life and to be safely passed on to future generations. We are only temporary custodians. Man's greed is depleting this huge treasure trove at a rate that even nature cannot replenish. We do not know when to stop. Man has a very long tradition of expecting to get something for nothing.
The environmental crisis that we face today is a crisis of mind and spirit, not just wildlife, human made ugliness and pollution. We the youth of today are the elders of tomorrow and more importantly the leaders of tomorrow. So the first and the most important step is that we should know what the problems are and their consequences. Unless we study and analyze how can we attempt to solve it?
Without anyone of us realizing it, the third world war has already broken out. It is a war against nature. The threat from the skies is no longer missiles, but ozone layer depletion and global warming. Apart from these there are problems like overpopulation and widespread poverty in the developing world. Environmental Security is the prime concern. To solve these problems, we will have to think globally! Environmental issues do not recognize geographical boundaries. Global warming or atmospheric pollution will not stop at the Indo-Pakistan or Indo-China borders as the winds carries no passports. It affects all people in all countries and hence has to be discussed internationally. This is one of the few subjects on which each and every one of us needs to think as world citizens. And, sometimes national priority will have to be suppressed for the greater good.
The world is our home. When I say our, I mean all the citizens of the world. Get to know it well. Protect and nourish it. If an intruder enters you home, I am sure you would protect it with ferocity. Protect your larger home with the same ferocity. Do not allow short-sighted people to dictate environmental policy. When you have that most powerful weapons in you hands your VOTE use it wisely. Choose when you vote, those people with vision! For that, you need to have a vision. Vision comes from deep learning. Nature reveals its secrets only to people with deep learning and not to people who think superficially. Develop the habit of going deep into the subject and then you are in a position to solve problems concerned with it. My dear student friends, I know of no other subject as important as our environment and by extension, nature preservation that is so vitally important. This ensure our survival. Can you think of a more important role for a student? I can't
Thank you !!!
(Delivered by Jaya Raj Kumar R in a Competition in 2013)
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