During parties where you meet a lot of new people (weddings, dinners…), whenever the subject of ecology comes around the table, it’s like a taboo subject such as gay marriage, people who are with or against and everyone sharing their arguments. However we got somewhere with gay marriage faster in some nations, which is great of course, but everything related to social and economics is always more comprehended and rapidly applied by voting laws, except ecology.
When I came home last night from a dinner, I still couldn’t believe we were having this kind of conversation in 2015, and more especially after the COP 21 that no one really followed closely. It was like the Comic Con for environmentalists when it should have been like a G20 meeting that everyone follows closely.
Why is that? Because it touches people’s comfort? Or Mother Nature that we strive to be detached from when it’s where we all come from?
Let’s bring some logical and objective responses to people who don’t believe in climate change and pollution consequences.
We all believe in scientists to some extent, when they come up with a new vaccine everyone is delighted and gets a shot immediately, but when they come with environmental studies that took years to achieve, suddenly people turn their back. Well it is science after all, right? Why are we choosing what part of science is interesting to us and what part is not? Think about it.
When scientists predicted more than 50 years ago how would be the planet today, so few took these studies seriously. Bottom line is, some predictions came true even EARLIER than predicted. Examples are numerous, a small research can give you tons of answers about these subject examples: global warming, climate change, water and air pollution, high mortality rates related to pollution consequences, climate migrants, sea levels rising, ice melting in the Arctic, animal species extinction (including very important ones that had a major role in the ecosystem sustainability), etc, etc…
We know that the Amazonian rain forest are part of our lungs on this planet, and we know how it’s being ravaged every day for purposes such as having palm oil in our chocolate spread and cookies. I am not being dramatic but what is the difference with a mass suicide now, really?
Now this is more frightening, don’t go away and read this if your survival and your children’s lives interest you: if we achieve a temperature rise of 6°C, phytoplankton won’t be able to produce oxygen. You know these tiny water organisms that are what whales and other aquatic animals feed on, well here’s probably something you didn’t know like me, they kind of deliver 50% of our oxygen on Earth.
Yes 50%. So what happens when they stop producing breathable air?
Well as you can imagine, most of us will get asphyxiated, like on top of the Mount Everest where you cannot survive for more than a few minutes without an oxygen mask.
Isn’t it dramatic? Is our top-notch comfort so primordial that we should die of it? Is having a big steak on our plates everyday is worth this trouble? (*Second main reason for global warming is livestock.)
For how long are scientists going to ring the alarm? For how long are devoted environmentalist who are trying to do the best for humanity are going to be laughed at? Just for how long? It’s already been more than 50 years. In the course of the Earth and humanity’s histories, we never had such drastic and dramatic changes. Dinosaurs extinction is still a mystery, but as you can see, the story of Earth continued, only dinosaurs disappeared. Do we have the same fate?
Think of ecology as an insurance company, no more no less. You want to insure your life, your health, your children’s future. And you act accordingly. Why is it still difficult to comprehend?
Last but not least. When we knew about well-renowned scientists approached by oil companies to write skeptical climate papers, we finally have it caught on tape and broadcasted in prime time on French television. At last! Know that even if there are famous professors and scientists taking part of a larger scheme for the sole purpose of interest and financial benefit, most of them are passionate and striving to bring a better future. And we should hear these scientists more closely.
Remember the French scientific team that conducted a secret study on GMOs to demonstrate how they create diseases, especially cancer. Why did they keep it hidden for 2 years? Because multinational companies such as Nestlé, Danone or Procter & Gamble won’t let them pursue these studies.
Aren’t we inclined to know what happens to our health when we consume GMO products? Well these companies did official studies, but never more than 2 months, simply because the consequences appear later. So they didn’t want to pursue them in order to never have these consequences appear. And that’s how their business including GMO products can continue, topped with our blessing.
Why are we letting these companies play with our lives, health and planet? How many more arguments do we need to make people change their mind? We are all Pinocchio, going willingly to this marvelous land of amusement that hides a bigger scheme to trap us and make us all submitted donkeys to leading men. Such a symbolic story that never grows old. We were told this story as children to protect us during this vulnerable period of time in our lives, but when we grow up we completely fell into it.
So, are we going to let governments and multinational companies make us do what they want us to do? Or are we going to grab our lives and our futures and prevent the killing of humanity in a few centuries? (Again I’m not being dramatic, I insist on this point.)
Watch a movie called “Demain” (“Tomorrow”), showing you how everyone can change and insure the preservation of a Human-Earth harmony. It’s not just a tale, it shows real initiatives by people, cities, communities that are positive for everyone, showing you that environment is linked to human condition and there is absolutely nothing negative (on the contrary) about wanting to preserve and protect nature, wildlife and us, humans.
We are linked to Nature, there’s no escape from it and NO SHAME in saying so. It’s not a hippie thing either as a lot of people say, let’s stop deconstructing reality here. We can play city girl/boy as much as we want to, but let’s not forget this vital point.
We need oxygen, food, physical and spiritual well-being. We need trees, grass, forests, parks, wildlife, agriculture… That means we need a well-functioning ecosystem to live on Earth, simply.
It’s not difficult I assure you. We did it for centuries, we can still do it, it’s not too late yet.
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Featured image source: The Leap
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