There are many epidemics facing our generation. War, disease, hunger, and political strife. With all that is going wrong with the world, it’s hard to focus on just one issue. However, I do believe there is one critical issue that our generation and so many others must focus on, and that is the environment.

The Environment Saves Lives

Several studies have shown the physical and emotional affects of the environment on human beings. People who have been placed in a hospital after different surgeries were found to recover faster when they had a view of nature as opposed to an urban view. Being in a natural setting has also been proven to increase people’s happiness, help them recover from loss better, and improve their overall mental wellness.

Ummmm The Animals!

I mean come on. Don’t we all watch National Geographic and see those videos of cute baby polar bears, mountain gorillas, lion prides, and every cute and majestic animal under the sun. As our climate changes and people continue to consume land, we are losing species after species. We share this beautiful planet with hundreds of thousands of other beings and we must treat it with the same respect as they do.

Medicines

We all get sick and have seen others get sick. We have so many different kinds of treatments out there, people can just pop a pill and be back to themselves in no time. Day after day we are coming up with even newer and better cures for diseases. But where do we get these ingredients for all of our fantastic cures? Well most of the medicines we have sitting in our bathroom cabinet are plant based. Scientists are constantly traveling the world and exploring rainforests and other biomes for plants that could hold the key to all sorts of diseases. Ranging from the common cold to cancer, these forests hold incredible remedies. But with so many unnecessary product being produced and developments being built, rainforests are being cut down at an exponential rate. We may be losing key species of plants that could hold some amazing cures.

Water

Water is the number one resource humans need to survive. While most of the world is covered in water, only a small percentage of it is fresh water. As greater natural disaster occur, more citizens are losing their access to clean drinking water. Also with new methods, like hydraulic fracturing being used to solve our energy crisis, we are contaminating our water with dangerous and toxic chemicals. Day by day we are losing more and more of this crucial resource.

Do It For The Children

Whether you have kids, want kids, have siblings, or have little ones in your life, all children matter. I’m sure we all remember the days of climbing hills, playing in creeks, getting muddy, rolling down grassy hills, and much more outdoor adventures. Don’t we want the same for future generations? Clearly the current people in power did not care about our future, so now it’s our turn to undo the damage. Not just for ourselves, but for future generations who deserve the childhood we have.

This Beautiful Planet Is Our Home

This beautiful planet is our home. It feeds us, cares for us, excites us, shelters us, and literally gives us life. Mother Nature has shown our species nothing but unconditional love. Everyday we can hear birds chirping, feel the rain kiss our skin, be warmed by the sun, and calmed by the moon. Do we not share some of our best moments with our friends on a hike, have a riveting day at the beach, and share soul shattering stories under the night sky. Everything we have we owe to this beautiful planet. This place is our home. It’s time we stand up for Mother Nature. It’s time we make a change.

As a childhood character once told us:

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing’s going to get better, its not”

-The Lorax