Greener tomorrow - Is it too late?

Lionel Wijesiri

Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, only then will you find that money cannot be eaten. (Cree Indian Prophecy Quotation... Cree are one of the largest group of indigenous peoples of North America.

Albert Einstein once said, ‘Everything that surrounds us is our environment’. Long before he made this statement our people have understood it even better. They have known that the environment consists of the entire biotic and non-biotic components of the earth and by their interaction the harmony of terrestrial life is sustained.

That is why, planting, nurturing, preserving and conserving plants and trees was a deep rooted practice with social significance in Sri Lanka. Long ago in some communities, it is said that a silent prayer was chanted and forgiveness was sought from the tree before cutting it.

World Environment Day, which we commemorated a few days ago, projects the modern humankind’s devotion towards the environment. It is fortunate that, at least now, we have realized the folly of our deeds.

Nature’s cry has been heard and concerns have been expressed at global forums. However, global concerns may have been expressed but if individuals continue to degrade the environment, these will be of no use.

Environmental Education is a subject that has now been included in the academic curriculum of all schools and universities. But the question remains as to how many of us implement some of the ideas we learn in daily life?

There is a young man in our locality who will soon be awarded a degree in Environmental Education; but I see him dumping a plastic bag full of garbage at the dumping ground near the big old ‘mara’ tree of our locality everyday. When I asked him to stop this practice, he coolly replied, “What’s the use? Everybody’s doing it. Let these ideas be confined to books.”

Hence, we can well imagine what the majority of Sri Lanka will say about the protection of the environment if educated persons react in this manner. But people must be made aware of their acts towards the destruction of the environment.

There are innumerable instances of trees being cut down regularly for the purpose of residential construction but people do not think about the consequences of such destruction. We should educate the constructors of such buildings about the harm being caused to the environment and if they cooperate, a different plan can be suggested.

We may be powerless to handle these situations individually but, if we form ourselves into interest groups, we can make them aware about the impact of such practices - soil erosion, floods, oxygen depletion, temperature rise, ozone depletion and ultimately global warming. Hundreds of places with lush forestry with mountainous streams in the past are now depleted.

All this is the result of indiscriminate deforestation. We have destroyed the ecosystems, leaving vast areas as barren deserts, besides causing soil, air, water, and noise pollution, and causing genetic defects in living organisms.

For small island states like ours, the level of emissions cut is critical, as scientific evidence suggest that a significant reduction is needed way beyond the “5.2 percent below aggregate levels in 1990” that was set in Kyoto to be achieved by 2012.

At least a 45 percent global reduction by 2020 is required to ensure that states like ours are habitable for generations to come.

To achieve such a reduction requires a rethink of our generation, and use of energy, among other fundamental activities that define the way we live in the earth.

Therefore the UN’s call in this year’s theme is particularly relevant for small island states like ours.

The achievement of unity requires compromise and giving way to others. In the case of climate change, unity calls for developed countries to not look at large emerging economies as we set targets. Similarly, large emerging economies must be prepared to sacrifice their “right to pollute a little longer in order to catch up with developed countries”.

We need a national program including a GHG Inventory project, reforestation and wetland restoration project, the development of a climate change policy, the implementation of a carbon neutral strategy, and the use of solar lighting for street lamps, as a step toward implementing renewable energy use in the nation. More can be planned on renewable energy development and use in Sri Lanka in the near future.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s national vision highlights unity, as it declares that we are a ‘united resilient people’. If we unite, and come together for common causes, we will persist and we shall succeed. As a nation we have succeeded in embedding the environment in our development program through the work of the CEA.