We may not have given much thought on ‘how different we are from other species. Most of us consider ourselves to be the only ones on this earth. We often forget the importance of biodiversity.
Jane Goodall is an English primatologist and anthropologist. She dedicated her life to studying primates in Tanzania. Anyone who reads her work will realize that we are not so different from the primates. In her speech, "What separates us from chimpanzees?" she concluded that sophisticated spoken language is the only thing that draws a fine line between humans and chimpanzees. It's a language in which we can tell the future generations about what’s to come. We can do it simply by talking to each other, by connecting words and phrases to make a meaningful sentence. It appears that we have the same non-verbal communication and emotions. We also share 96% of our DNA with Chimpanzees.
Yet, why do we behave recklessly towards our planet, the place we call 'home'?
We have often heard people say, 'Do your part', 'It starts with you', 'reuse, reduce and recycle' and many such statements or phrases. In a world with 7.8 billion people, we refuse to see the big picture. For years the earth has been facing the devastating effects of industrialization. It may sound harsh but only ‘a miracle can save us’ now. We must work hard to undo the effects of global warming and climate change to save our ‘home’ from destruction.
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai is a celebrated Kenyan environmental activist. Her story about a hummingbird is very inspiring. The story revolves around a huge forest being consumed by fire. All the animals watch the forest burn, feeling overwhelmed and powerless except for a little hummingbird. It flies to a nearby stream, takes a mouthful of water, and puts it on the fire. The other animals watch passively; some even discourage the hummingbird calling it 'weak' and 'incapable'.
The hummingbird turns around and says, "I'm doing the best I can."
We must share the same attitude as that of the hummingbird instead of the bystander. No matter how insignificant we may feel, we cannot watch from the side-lines as our planet becomes defunct.
Once again, it is time we understand and appreciate the value and importance of Earth as the place that the living and non-living thrive together. We must work hard to revive and bring back what is rightfully ours.
Under the recent circumstances, we may have come to realize the results of several years of development. We can only hope it’s not too late and be as positive as the hummingbird in Wangari Maathai’s story.
-Anisha Bhattacharya, Grade 12
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