People need to stop harming the planet just to meet their own selfish ends
KARACHI: The adverse impacts of climate change were once considered to be distant problems, but it seems that the problem is, in fact, not so far off. We certainly can’t deny the fact that nature has started walking on a different path. The seasons are no longer how they used to be; heavy rainfall is occurring at unexpected times, earthquakes are jolting the lives of people, and extreme heat, droughts and floods are causing havoc all over the world. Recently, Karachi has emerged as the city with the most polluted air. People are breathing in poison which is going to have many negative effects on their health; but one can’t stop breathing, can they?
We need to take some collective positive steps to deal with this problem. People need to stop harming the planet just to meet their own selfish ends. Forests are being shaved off just to earn money but what about the lives of the people? Factories and industries are churning out huge amounts of carbon dioxide from their chimneys, dissolving poison in the air, completely ignoring the adverse impact on health this can have. Rivers are being polluted by all kinds of waste material.
The problem we face may be big but we have got the solutions for it. Opting for solar and renewable energy sources is a good solution for dealing with climate change. Pakistan already faces an acute electricity shortage and tapping into solar energy can be a good solution for a lot of problems. Pakistan is a country which gets maximum sunshine but sadly, it is not making good use of it. Using solar energy and investing in clean energy sources will uplift our economy, create more jobs and of course, save our planet. Our leaders need to think seriously in this direction for it is high time that solutions be churned out instead of living in denial about climate change. The public should play its part too and get rid of the obsession with buying new cars. The use of public transport should be encouraged. People should be encouraged to adopt a sustainable lifestyle and prefer organic food and farming. More and more trees need to be planted to wash away carbon footprints from our environment. We must strive to save our planet. Let’s give a cleaner and greener future to the coming generation.
Lubaba Hasan
Published in The Express Tribune, May 9th, 2015.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
