About Protecting our environment

Global warming has only been taken seriously recently. It is indeed a good sign though whether or not the countries participating will be able to come out with something concrete and sincerely put it into practice is another matter. Nature has its own way of protecting the earth. For examples trees can grow readily on land and also in the seas. But the humans destroy these trees or prevent other trees from having the chance to grow.

Forest destruction

Extraction of timber can be excused if proper care is taken to see that other trees have the chance to grow. The trees we need can actually be planted. They grow readily and within ten years would be useful for commercial purposes. Wanton destruction of trees by burning and other means are most objectionable and no one can do anything except the governments of the countries concerned. Another cause of destruction is by mentally unsound people (arsonists). During the dry seasons, these people enjoy seeing huge fires and they set alight the forest and other agricultural lands (not their own lands) for fun. Some companies also burn the areas they want to grow crops because this is the cheapest way of preparing lands for cultivation. Other culprits are those employing slash and burn methods used by regional farmers, ranchers and miners.


Effluent

In most countries, the effluent that is drained into public places, drains, rivers, seas etc must not contain more than 15 ppm of oil. It is very expensive to stick to this target. But the resulting fines would definitely be more expensive.

Your company may be able to get away with it at the moment because of the existing corrupt governments. But how do you make sure the next government will be just as corrupt? Don’t you think an incorruptible government may be elected next? By then, the fines will be many times more expensive than the expenses you have to spend on treating the effluent properly before dumping it into the sea.

(Shouldn’t the governments reward people who come forward to report abused cases?)

According to a Smithsonian Institution report, in 1995 alone, 363 millions gallons of used oils ended up in the oceans as run-of from land, municipal or industrial areas. In a polluted river, the water is smelly and discoloured. When oil enters a slow moving river, it forms a rainbow-coloured film over the surface. This layer prevents oxygen from entering the water, killing the animals in the river. Even birds are affected. The feathers of water birds can be contaminated and when they preen, the oil enters the gut, thus killing them.

It does not take a specialist to confirm a biologically dead river. Just stand at the river mouth, facing the sea. Can you see trees or creatures three hundred meters from your left and right?

Oil pollution disrupts sea and shore life for thousands of miles in Asia. The beautiful coral reefs and mangroves, once existed at those areas are gone. Didn’t they have a chance to exist too?


In September last year, 378 000 volunteers from Ocean Conservancy, scoured 33 000 miles of shorelines and collected 6 million pounds of debris, from Bahrain to Bangladesh, and in 45 U.S. States, from Southern California to Maine. Why didn't they include South-East Asia in the project?


A healthy earth will surely result in more healthy humans. How many more years do we have to wait to see some concrete projects being put into practice?