“According
to the former CEO and now chairman of the largest food product manufacturer in
the world, corporations should own every drop of water on the planet and you’re
not getting any unless you pay up”
This statement was
made by Peter Brabeck-Letmathe who was the CEO of Nestle from 2005 to 2008. He
is now the CEO of Formula I racing. During his tenure as CEO he garnered a
“Black Planet Award” in 2007, it is bestowed on individuals dedicated to the
destruction of the planet; He was also accused of proliferating contaminated
baby food, monopolising water resources and tolerating child labour.
I’m so disturbed,
troubled, ashamed and felt unfair when I felt the arrogance in their approach
towards our basic human right ‘water’. It’s all the more annoying and painful
to realize that we are the only beings on this earth who pay to live on this
earth. How hurtful I feel at the thought of this!
Well, if water is not
here for all of us, then perhaps air should be owned by major corporations as
well. With the current scenario of Green house gases depleting the ozone layer
with the ever increasing emission of harmful and unwanted gases, we run into
the risk of buying purified air from business giants. We may have to pay toll
to enter into certain areas which provides you fresh air.
When God created the
world, HE thought man would be his highest form of creation, formed in his
likeness. But when did Man start losing the state of grace? Who had poisoned
his essence of being good? Were there any manufacturing errors in God’s
creation? When did man tag everything with a price?
I was reminded of the
existentialist Jean Paul Sartre’s famous quote from his play No Exit “Hell is other people”. Probably giant
corporations begin to feel that way that none of the natural resources should
be utilized freely but branded and sold. Every person who feels that they are
part of this Universe and feel one with the nature is looked upon as hell.
We need a mass social
awakening! It’s time to wake up to the reality. It’s time that we start
preserving our one and only abode Earth. We think we maintain Eco-balance. We
think we try not to deplete ozone layers. All that we do is nothing but a
favor we do for ourselves. We are not different from nature but are strand of
the same universe. Who the hell gives you the authority to price tag our
existence?
I would like to
re-post the letter of a tribal leader Chief Seathl who wrote this historical
letter to the then American President Franklin Pierce in 1854. I would like to
redirect the letter to all the business mongers who look at the earth as a big
commodity to be sold. Here is the excerpt:
“How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth
of the land? The idea is strange to us. Every part of the earth is sacred to my
people. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons and daughters of the
earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever
he does to the web, he does to himself. This earth is precious to God the
creator and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator.”
What else we could
say more than this emotion packed words of this tribal leader? All that we did
so far is to imbalance the earth of its Eco system. Have we ever realized that
it is our duty and responsibility to maintain this only abode called earth? I
would like everyone to get into the healthy discomfort of feeling guilty for
just spending the earth and not approximated ourselves with the millions and
millions of young children who would be walking over this planet in the years
to come. What have we left for them? Is there anything that I contributed to
their future? When I was young, there were trees and jungles to look around but
today what am I leaving behind? Concrete Jungles!?!
I would like to
conclude this long lamentation of mine to take care of our only earth by
quoting the lyrics from a beautiful song:
Every tiny star that twinkles in the night sky!
Every drop of morning dew!
Every spark of fire that blazes in the furnace!
Every captivating view!
Every rainbow in the sky! Every pretty butterfly
tells the fascinating news to those who dare to hope: And the message is God
still loves the world including you and I.
While the journey ahead
is long and uncertain, yet (y) our step towards preservation of our precious
earth is very crucial and most needed.
There are number of
ways to conserve water and everything begins with you.
ü When
washing dishes, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill a sink with wash
water and the basin with rinse water.
ü Run
your washing machines when you have enough clothes to wash and never use it for
one or two clothes. Thus we could save gallons of water in a month.
ü Wash
your vegetables and fruits in a bowl of water rather than using a running tap.
ü Use
the vegetable and fruits rinsed water to water the plants instead pouring it
down.
ü Use
broom to clean your veranda rather than having a hose to clean it up with
water.
ü Use
the bucket to take bath rather than having a showerhead.
ü Look
for water efficient models.
ü When
you clean the fish tank, let the nutrient rich water go to the plants.
ü Turn
off faucets after each use.
ü Turn
off the water while brushing your teeth and save gallons of water.
கருத்துகள் இல்லை:
கருத்துரையிடுக