Future of Our Planet: Our Responsibilities

When God made it, it was fine, perfect and beautiful. We, as His vicegerents, were made to inherit it and appointed its managers. Our forefathers utilised it and were benefited from its bounties. It was during those good old days when we were few and far between. Afterwards, our numbers steadily increased and our knowledge…

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June 23, 2022

When God made it, it was fine, perfect and beautiful. We, as His vicegerents, were made to inherit it and appointed its managers. Our forefathers utilised it and were benefited from its bounties. It was during those good old days when we were few and far between. Afterwards, our numbers steadily increased and our knowledge also expounded. Unfortunately we did not use this abundant knowledge to do justice to the earth.

Now, after about ten thousand years of our recorded history, in this so-called age of enlightenment, the earth and its affairs are in a big mess. Because of our Godless ways of life and boundless greed we indulged in over exploitation of earth resources and lost sense of sustainable and responsible development. We did not think of our responsibility as trustees of earth and its resources. We even forgot our future generations and their interests. This endangered not only our own life but the future of this planet, which accommodates the most honoured and the best creation of God, the human beings.

The important question is how to strike a balance between our ever increasing material requirements and depleting and degenerating natural resources, and also how to control our limitless greed and achieve balanced, sustainable and eco-friendly development. If we fail to achieve it, our progress nay our very future may be in the gravest danger. If we do not mend our ways, we may end our days for ever. If we most foolishly destroy ourselves, God may send some other creation to manage our planet. Because He is more concerned than us about His earth.

The dangers the earth is facing increased after the advent of the Industrial Revolution, resultant increased production, rise of inhuman capitalism and run away consumerism. It is a period in which man has lost sight of his status as a trustee of nature and has become mere consumer who is forced to consume in ever increasing quantities whatever is produced by greedy capitalists driven by blind profit motives.

This crisis of values has given rise to a plethora of problems: climate is changing at global and regional levels, global warming is ringing danger bells, sea level all over the world is rising threatening lives of crores of people who are living on the sea shores. Ecological balance is greatly disturbed, every year a number of species are becoming extinct. Ever increasing levels of air pollution, noise pollution, thermal pollution and water pollution are leading to gradual genetic pollution of plant, animal and human life. Decreasing forest cover is causing desertification endangering flood security. Water resources are depleting while requirement of water for agriculture and industrial needs is on the increase. It is feared that water crisis may cause wars between nations.

It is high time intellectuals of the world closed ranks and joined hands to stem the rot and restore the order to save the planet. Nature has to be accepted as the best gift of God to humanity and its basic characteristics are to be safeguarded. Besides this nature should be preserved in its pristine purity as it is the best sign of God. Man being the trustee of nature should utilise it for his benefit without harming it and without breaking any law of God.

In this regard use of hazardous chemicals and toxins should be restricted, use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) which leads which leads to damage of ozone layer should be restrained. Natural and organic farming should be encouraged. Use of DDT and harmful pesticides should be banned. Toxic industrial wastes should be properly disposed off. Sustained efforts in these fields will certainly lead towards restoring ecological balance.