A few years ago, I came across the poem, The Lost Generation, by Jonathan Reed. For those of you that have not read it yet, here it is:
The Lost Generation
Jonathan Reed
I am part of a lost generation.
And I refuse to believe that
I can change the world.
I realize this may be a shock, but
“Happiness comes from within”
Is a lie, and
“Money will make me happy”
So in thirty years, I will tell my children
They are not the most important thing in my life.
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
Work
Is more important than
Family
I tell you this:
Once upon a time
Families stayed together
But this will not be true in my era.
This is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
Thirty years from now, I will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of my divorce.
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making.
In the future,
Environmental destruction will be the norm.
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this Earth.
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic.
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.
Sounds pretty negative, right?
This poem brings to light a few things that are relevant to us today. I'd like to zero-in on the part of the poem that focuses on the Earth.
What are we doing for our Earth and our mankind? Are we helping? Are we hurting? Climate Change is a problem. According to NASA, the sea level rose about 6.7 inches across the globe in the last century. The rate in the last decade itself is nearly double that of the century. The oceans are warming. The ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are melting. All this is due to human activity, such as the increase in the use of greenhouse gases.
This climate change and slow warming of the Earth will not only affect the environment, but will continue to deeply and negatively affect its inhabitants. According to World Bank, in Bangladesh, "40% of productive land is projected to be lost in the southern region of Bangladesh for a 65 cm sea level rise" (almost 26 whole inches!) by 2080. In addition, almost 20 million people in the coastal areas of Bangladesh are presently exposed to poor water quality. These numbers will continue to rise if we do not do something.
People and places around the world will be severely affected if we do not take action now. This climate change will not only hurt the earth, but will also destroy land, houses, water quality, and the availability of resources. The poverty levels will increase significantly as well.
All of these things are facts.
Now, take a moment and scroll back up to the poem. Read the poem again, but not top down. Read the poem from the bottom up.
This is nothing less than a paradigm shift. This is a complete change in the way we approach things. The way we can, in fact, "be the change." We can positively impact the environment if we raise awareness about what is happening all around us. We can fight for ourselves and the generations to come. This poem leaves a profound impact; it can bring you distress or it can bring you hope. It all depends on your perspective.
I can change the word
And I refuse to believe that
I am part of a lost generation.
Thank you.
