From Village to Globe

There was a heated discussion about the construction of a road in the village. There were two parties; one was supporting and the other was opposing. Supporters claimed that there should be a road so that we can connect to market more easily , life will be easier, the other one was claiming that there is a problem in transporting building material to the construction site as he was building a new home, another said that he had to pay high rents because their children were living in a city hostel due to transport problems and many more.

But the opponents had only one reason to support their argument and it was their land. As they were farmers and they were reliant on agriculture. But unfortunately they were in a minority and the Government started the project. It was a one year project but the road isn’t cemented yet,almost ten years have passed. Children still go to school on foot. The buildings are still constructed by transporting material on shoulders. The only thing which was ruined was the land of farmers. The only one who suffered was the farmer.

This is not the story of a village but it is a global issue. People think only for short term benefits.They don’t take into account the long term hazards.

I am not against any type of progress or technology but the problem is that in the name of progress and development we lose what we already have. We think for only one generation and mostly for ourselves. We diminished forests for agriculture, then agriculture for industry and now technology. Now we are polluting our environment by activities which cause ozone depletion, acid rain, radioactivity, gaseous emissions and climate change. In the race of technology developed countries made their lifestyle happier and easier but in contrast to the underdeveloped countries are in a miserable condition. Pollution has no boundaries. Pollution from developed countries affects the whole world but developed countries have better health facilities as well. Thus, again the poor is affected. We destroyed the natural habitat of many animals. Every year a lot of treaties are signed. These include conservation, sustainability,poverty reduction and environmental protection but their progress is like the village road. Over exploitation of resources, mismanagement and unconcerned behavior lead to environmental degradation.

Don’t be selfish. Be sustainable and leave things better for future generations. Facilities are of no use if you can’t breathe in air. We replaced forests with agriculture, industry and technology but don’t forget there isn’t a second planet like earth. We humans are the most sensible creatures of the universe and we are the main polluters of environment.

Think a while! It is difficult to reshape but try to at least conserve.

 

By:  Aisha Mushtaq

Tags: article, From Village to Globe, opinion

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