Imagine for a moment that you are a passenger on a speeding train. You hear from other passengers that the train is headed for disaster because a bridge somewhere ahead is out. You look out the window, but you cannot see the broken bridge for yourself. Other passengers say that there is nothing to worry about; the others are mistaken. What can you do? What will you do?

Now, think about where we are headed environmentally. We hear from scientists and others that we are speeding towards an environmental catastrophe. Things like habitat destruction, pollution, species extinction, and global warming foretell of a calamitous future for the environment and for the human species if nothing is done. Others think the dangers are overstated and that, in any event, “Mother Nature” can take care of herself. What can you do? What will you do?  

Taylor Leopold

Do you believe that, like the passenger on the train, you can do nothing because it is up to the conductor to recognize and mitigate the danger? If you try to act, wouldn’t this be similar to interfering with the operation of the train, which could lead to your arrest by security? Even if you somehow managed to put the brakes on, wouldn’t this be like pulling the emergency stop cord, leading to possible derailment and injury not only to yourself and to others on the train, but to anything else nearby? And what if it turns out that there really was nothing to worry about?

If you are like me, you no doubt believe what the scientists say when they tell us that we are headed for a disastrous future. And again, if you are like me, you feel the need to do something, anything, to slow down our dangerous trajectory and find a different direction to head in. We each do our little bituse public transit, buy locally, waste less, recycle more, and seek greater efficiencyto lessen our footprint on Mother Nature. But, is this enough? Even if we find more ways individually to lessen our negative impact on the environment, can each meagre action really make a difference and “save” Mother Earth?

This brings to mind the question of what is it, this Mother Nature, and how exactly can we save it? Mother Nature, the term that refers to all living inhabitants on Earth, has somehow been expelled from our human experience. Today, when we think of nature or the word “natural,” we think of anything other than human or human creation. Phrases such as “going for a nature walk” and “natural medicines” demonstrate how our language exemplifies this divide. For most of us living in urban settings, the natural environment is hardly a part of our daily experience or discourse. Ironically though, as separated as we may feel, we are still nonetheless part of that environment, affecting it and in turn, being affected. Because other parts of the environment and Mother Nature cannot speak for themselves, it is up to us to speak on their behalf.

Alex knickerbocker

Like the passenger on the train, we need to voice our concerns and take action. Before doing so, however, we must consider the consequences on not just ourselves, but on the other passengers of the train and Mother Earth’s many species and ecosystems. This will allow us to modify our trajectory so that we can protect them as well.

All too often, we don’t realize the impact that our actions have on the environment because we don’t see their consequences. For some of us, perhaps we don’t even take action, thinking that we can’t make a difference because we cannot see immediate results. However, even small actions can make a difference in the grand scheme of things. After all, if environmentalist Rachel Carson can change our perception on pesticide usage with her book, Silent Spring, then we can definitely affect the environment positively by investigating issues and raising awareness about them.

Ron F.

The first step forward towards speaking on behalf of Mother Nature requires understanding of other species. We need to know what other species need, want, and enjoy before we can speak on their behalf. Once an understanding is developed, then we must communicate this information to others. Using online forums and attending environmental seminars are some ways that we can speak up so that others listen and take action.

No one person can do it all, so it’s important that we recognize the need to collaborate with one other. If we all work together on top of continuing to incite change through our own actions, people would have a better idea of the impact that they have on the environment. Only this way can we give a much-needed voice to Mother Earth.

By Katerina Eyre

Please note that opinions expressed are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the views and values of The Blank Page.