Environmental Consciousness

"The ultimate test of man's conscience is perhaps his willingness to sacrifice something for future generations from whom a word of thanks will not be heard." ~ Gaylord Nelson

Environmental consciousness in its core refers to ‘awareness’. It is the growth and development of our knowledge, understanding, and conscience regarding what the environment does, how are we affecting it, how has it degraded, and why and how can we be its saviors.

Humans are the antagonists in the act of environmental degradation, but what makes them do all of this?

Needs, perhaps could be a reason for that. But what needs are humans trying to satisfy? The forest, the nature are all good in providing human beings with their basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing as forest dwellers used a long time ago and still do. But is that what is harming the ecosystem? The answer to the question is a straight ‘no’. Forest dwellers worship nature and protect nature as they share a ‘give and take’ relationship with nature and feel responsible for its protection. The Bishnois and many other tribes traded their lives to save forests.

So, the needs that do harm the environment are the selfish human needs that are coated with tons of greed. All of this is for the sake of development, personal and national.

Most importantly, people still lack awareness no matter how many laws the Government makes or how many campaigns, organizations, or plans are launched.

Psychological data says that when people try to act in environmentally friendly ways, they often in fact do further harm to the environment. They might purchase some extra groceries because the groceries are “eco-labeled”; think that they can justify taking the airplane abroad for vacation because they have been taking the bicycle to work; and think that they can skip recycling their waste because they started having meat-free Mondays. People need to contribute fully and for that, they need a proper understanding of what they are doing.

With rapid technological evolution and scientific findings, our aesthetic, spiritual and ethical values have seen a drastic demolition and shift in gravity. Humans impact the physical environment in many ways: overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, industrialization, urbanization and deforestation. Changes like these have triggered climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water. Anthropogenic impact on environment includes global warming, mass extinction, biodiversity loss, ecological crisis, ecological collapse. The biotic components of the environment, which also includes the exotic flora and fauna, apart from the smarty humans is facing dreaded consequences of human actions. Poaching and illegal trade of wildlife still continues even after laws being enacted.

Now these terms won't have an effect until and unless people know, understand and feel them. Our ancestors preserved our nature. So will the educated and aware masses. But as it is rightly said-"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”, the people with haphazard knowledge about our environment cause the maximum harm to it.

It is a feeling for the fast deteriorating miler, both natural and man-made, that pricks the conscience of some who take upon themselves the rigorous but moral responsibility of creating an awareness among the people, to preserve the delicate balance in the entire ecosystems that has been disturbed beyond repair, and recognition in many cases.

Since the problem of environmental degradation is global, a concerted effort needs to be launched to infuse ‘environment- constructive consciousness’ among all before it's too late.

 But how do we do that?

• Awareness drives need to be launched town-wise, city-wise, village-wise starting from the corners of the world to educate people about the environment.

• Acts, plays, dramas, nukkad nataks should be adopted as means to spread awareness.

• Facts on the environment, its draining natural resources, and protection methodologies should be shown on TV in local languages so that they can reach people. Media, movies, videos, and various sources of entertainment should aim at pricking the conscience of its audience by portraying nature in its bare yet wounded form that the human race has put it in.

• Awards, cash prizes, and incentives should be given to people who work towards conserving mother nature.

• Charity begins at home, so environmental awareness needs to get started right from home, from having a small garden to connecting to nature on various levels of emotions and feelings.

• Environmental studies should be made compulsory right from the preliminary level.

• Teach and educate people, to have a deeper insight into correlations between their behavior and the fitness of the environment.

• They need to be shown the harsh reality of how this would affect their personal lives and their selfishness will make them meet their doom. It is because when personal interests are put online people become desperate.

The nucleus lies in the word ecosystem. When one talks about ecosystems, one refers to co-dependency and mutual relationship between 'all' living organisms and the physical environment. People urgently need to get that thing clear in their minds that one can't dominate the other in nature. It is a cycle and we're all its mere components. Nature is a terrific giver but at the same time, it is a terrifying taker, whose evidence can be traced now and then in the forms of natural calamities.

 We are because nature is.