By Deepak Dhyani. A version of this post originally appeared in COPAL on 21 April 2018.
Human civilizations have been witness to degradation of nature and natural resources since the first need of greed came to the human mind. Among all animals, human has been the most advanced and fast evolving species in terms of both brain and body. This key quality differentiates us from other animals. Long ago, when we started exploiting our natural resources for food, cloth and shelter, it was necessary for our own survival. Then, one can correlate the ancient human way of living as similar to that of the other animals; for during that initial period of human civilization, we too were primitive animals instead of fully developed modern human species.
Humans have been using the natural resources in parallel with other animals. With time we were able to grab way more than any other animal species – and the credit rightfully goes to our advance mind and body structure. We invented tools and weapons since the stone-age; we invented fire; we invented agriculture; we innovated shelters to live in; and created many more things to survive in a civilized manner. I emphasize on the word ‘civilization’, and think how decent the word is. But with the emergence of human civilization and a modern period, the decency associated with the word is fast diluting.
Civilization has not been able to get rid of inhumanity. Humans are killing uncountable animals for experiments, food, fun, fashion, and so on. Large tracts of forests are felled for the so-called development. Although, we claim success in fields ranging from the basic science to rocket science, we are losing the natural way of living. Our children suffer from not receiving even quality knowledge about the environment. More than often, they are unable to identify the common plants, animals and birds in their surrounding. Not just the children but adults too have lost the sense of humanity and I dare say, there is a chance that we have never learned the real meaning of humanity.
Humanity is not only for humans, but should be expressed for all living beings. But who do we blame for its absence? I find that the most perilous part of this is the fault of modern civilization that has brought a lack of sensitivity in our youth – as they are not able to correlate with pain, sorrow, happiness, and joy of animals that live among us. Why are today’s parents, teachers and elders not able to make the young generation to think for the environment? Students today are more inclined to learning engineering and medical sciences, and most of them have the same motto of earning money. But if nobody has any concern about the environment, civilization is set to drive human towards devastation where there is only a black hole to disappear into forever.
Through the above words, I offer my own understanding of a pressing issue that surrounds environmental degradation and conservation. I find it worrisome that we have become civilized enough and yet the nature of our civilization struggles to save our environment. I say this is high time to be “civilized environmentally”. Thus I offer the term, “Environmental Civilization”. The ideology is to inspire, educate and make people all around the world aware of environment conservation. We have to start grooming our children right from when they start speaking and learning. We all have to understand that “Environmental Civilization” is a need of the hour to save mother earth. Let us take a pledge to make more and more people an environmentally civilized citizen of planet earth.
Deepak Dhyani, Ph.D., is senior scientist in biodiversity conservation with Society for Conserving Planet and Life (COPAL); an NGO based in Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India.