Flowers or Bins
Walking down the main road of my town today, I witnessed one of the most shocking acts against the protection of the environment. A man, educated, got out of a van and threw a bit of paper in one of the flower pots around. Next to the flower pot, was, of course, a dust bin. Outraged, I went on my way, trying nevertheless to gather what had spurred the man to throw his litter in a flower pot instead of using a bin.
The environment, as you are most probably aware, is precious. We need it for the air we breathe in everyday and for the one we breathe out as well. Flowers beautify our surroundings and trees help rain to fill up our reserves of water. Already, the felling of trees for uses like paper or for the purposes of construction has caused the population of forests in the world to be around 39% only.
Plants, needy for the conditioning of the air, are also the main acting agents against global warming. Earth's mean surface temperature has increased. Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain that it is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, hence, pollution and of course, deforestation.
Hence, why couldn’t that adult man see the importance of not polluting his environment? Besides, the legislations of the country have made it clear that the environment is being catered to. To G-T to Ta–C is seen beautifully written on buses everywhere. Is it just a slogan meant to be remembered but not to be taken into consideration?
Mother Earth, surely, is desolate. As Blake wrote in his poem, Earth’s “locks” must surely be “covered with grey despair.” Her children, I would add, the ones to whom she gives a home, are of no care. Certainly, blind to her plight, selfishly seeing only through their own sight. If plants could talk, I do wonder, what would we have heard from them?
Commentaires
Thk you for your comments. I appreciate a lot. As it is, I feel outraged at the question of pollution. People nowadays are so educated yet some part of them remain blind to the state of the world. Of course, to distinguish between a gardener and a person having some high job is something so simple! Obviously I could not ask him why he did not use the bin as mentioned in my text, I went on my way.
If all of us chose to mind our own business, there would be no environmentalists, no animal conservatists and no people sensitive to the issue of pollution. We are no longer primitive having begot the inheritance of education from our fore fathers. So, it is quite obvious that such an act would have me exploding :)
I do really understand your feeling on this 19th last but I unfortunately, as you say,some chose their own business.Nevertheless keep it up.
ERRATUM:
I wanted to write the following:but unfortunately, as you say, some chose to mind their own business.
Thk you :)
Anoucheka, I infer that you did not ask the man why he did what he did.
If plants could talk......................We can also say what answer would we have delivered to them.
I do not necessarily see this as environmental pollution. May be the man was a keen gardener who was throwing the paper as mulch for the garden beds. You should know that paper and pieces of timber or leaves make excellent mulch for the plants. These are very beneficial for plants as it helps to reduce moisture loss and as they decay they release nutrients. So sometimes people who don't know much about gardening should refrain from jumping to conclusions and falsely accuse a very responsible gardener from what you have described. As they say, all is not what it seems to be and people would be well advised to mind their own business.
Madame Jean Louis
What is the difference between garden beds and flower pot on the road ?
Some time ago, I witnessed something opposite.
A 4x4 slowed down on the main road of RHill, and a lady, of White race, alighted. While she did so, a piece of crumpled paper, visibly a piece of rubbish fell out. The lady noticed it, and while the door was still open, she quickly picked up the rubbish, THREW IT IN THE VEHICLE, before the driver moved away! But at any cost, she DID NOT LEAVE IT ON THE ROAD!
This scene is rare. I mentioned 'White', and I don't know if she was a Mauritian or a foreigner, yet it showed her civism. Much is said against the 'White' race in general during electoral campaigns, but there are certain values that ought to pertain to the whole human race, and we have to admit and praise it when we encounter it.
Could agree more. We should all learn from good acts, coming from anywhere.
so, what is the moral of the story? Whether the 4X4 caused less pollution than the piece of paper would have done does not change the equation regardless of the skin colour of the pollutant!
Hi Virekitourne, thanks for your reaction.
There is a difference between polluting an environment and doing a civic action. If according to your reasoning we ought to stop using 4x4 or for that matter any fuel-powered vehicle, i respect your opinion. But to answer your question, the 4x4 is more polluting to the environment than the piece of paper for it is biodegradable. Yet, to refrain from leaving a piece of paper on the road even if it was unintentional, that is a civic action!
The author of the article mentioned one incident; but what about the loads of plastics that are dumped here and there, including our public beaches?
As for the skin colour, I never mean that non-white skinned people are uncivic. But there are certain trends that are striking to the eye. Ask anyone who has travelled to compare Europe and a non-European country. Or let's compare Reunion with Mauritius. One could argue: it's a question of means, but what has civism got to do with riches? On the contrary, here, even rich people can be uncivic!
Along another line, let's compare a few working environments as regards cleanliness and tidiness:
(i) A public state hospital and a private clinic
(ii) A state-run school and a private school
(iii) A government office, and an a private sector office.