What The Lorax Teaches Us He speaks for the trees, and so should we

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not."

Deforestation

We are losing forests at an exponential rate, patches the size of Panama are being cleared every year, and this deplorable practice is increasing. Agriculture, mainly "slash and burn" agriculture, is the main reason for the destruction of the world's most important forests. Illegal logging is also a major problem to the aspects of deforestation, and really just urban sprawl and development in general. Deforestation needs to stop, as the damages only lead straight back to us.

About a football field every hour is being chopped down for "progress"

These pictures look similar yes? Well, I bet you can tell which one is from real life. The Lorax was written in 1971, when deforestation and other environmental concerns were rising to great importance here in the U.S. And this childrens' book teaches a great lesson. At the rate we're going, our forests could be gone at the end of this century, and with 70% of Earth's land animals living in forests, their habitat loss will signify a great loss to us in biodiversity as well. Many of the children's book animals we now know and love will be extinct because of our actions. Humans need to act to progressively stop this abuse to our lifeline for life.

Sad barbalutes, sad koala. Habitat loss kills, literally.

"NOW... thanks to your hacking my trees to the ground, there's not enought Truffula Fruit to go 'round. And my poor Bar-ba-loots are all getting the crummies because they have gas, and no food, in their tummies! "They loved living here. But I can't let them stay. They'll have to find food. And I hope that they may. Good luck, boys," he cried.

FreshWater mistreament

The Colorado compared to the fish ponds and rivers in the Lorax. Sadly, strikingly similar.

Your machine chugs on, day and night without stop making Gluppity-Glupp. Also Schloppity-Schlopp. And what do you do with this leftover goo?...I'll show you. You dirty old Once-ler man, you! "You're glumping the pond where the Humming-Fish hummed! No more can they hum, for their gills are all gummed. So I'm sending them off. Oh, their future is dreary.They'll walk on their fins and get woefully wearyin search of some water that isn't so smeary."

Freshwater. The only water many organisms on this planet need to survive and yet we're destroying, toxifying, and neglecting it world wide. The abuse of our most precious and limited supply of fresh water has to stop. Fresh water gets contaminated by effluent factory water that isn't cleaned, chemical run off from pesticides, herbicides, unnatural fertilizers, and automotive chemicals. The groundwater we drink has lead, mercury, and other heavy metals and toxins in them that are known to cause cancer. The more we damage our supply of water, the more we hurt ourselves. The Water Cycle makes sure of that, and sadly we seem to not be recognizing this fact.

Courtesy of National geographic

Marine pollution

Our oceans are dying, and we're the killers. The greatest supporters of biodiversity in oceans, coral reefs, are being destroyed by ocean acidification, plastic and chemical pollution, and overfishing practices. These chemicals, as well as plastics, are consumed by fish and other marine life, and can eventually end up on our plates at red lobster, because less than 20% of the fish we bring into the US is inspected. We get many of our medicines from coral reefs as well. The vast array of species of plants and marine life also supports a significant amount of the ocean's ecosystem. We used to think pollution would be solved because of dilution and the sheer size of our oceans, but we are waking up to the fact that there are actually very delicate systems at work for earth. Many Dead Zones occur around our shores as well, areas where oxygen is soaked up by algae blooms cause by excess nitrogen from farming practices on land. If we continue on with our gulppity glup, our oceans will be no more.

Filthy air, filthy Lungs

For the last 150 years, we have polluted our air to CO2 levels higher than they have been in the past hundreds of thousands of years. Granted, natural warming of the Earth occurs, but humanity as a species has pushed past the normal limits. CO2 is the main cause of global warming and reduced air quality today, but some of the warming is also caused by methane and CFCs that come from farm animals and aerosols that are now banned. There is more smog among cities than ever before,sometimes so much that the inahbitants are forced to wear masks. Smog contains Sulfer Dioxide, which is the main component of acid rain. Volcanoes used to be the main source of this gas, now it's us. Many industries are starting to cut back on the release of this chemical, however, this is further contributing to the warming of Earth. There is a 2 degree Celsius limit of warming many countries have committed to stop before 2050, however, our efforts toward this goal need to start now gradually before more drastic measures are needed.

"Once-ler! You're making such smogulous smoke! My poor Swomee-Swans... why, they can't sing a note! No one can sing who has smog in his throat. "And so," said the Lorax, "please pardon my cough- they cannot live here. So I'm sending them off."

Much of this air pollution is forcing many animals to migrate to different areas, and this pollution also increase to ocean acidification which kills entire ecosystems worth of life. Air pollution contributes to many of the respiratory diseases we see today, including many cases of childhood asthma due to indoor air pollution. This is caused by unsafe gas-off from many of the products we buy daily, chemicals that rub off of these products , such as shoes and plastics, that reduce the quality of your air indoors. Air pollution presents many challenges for now and in the future, but luckily, as humanity often does, we are developing solutions to not pollute our land, air, and seas and how to life abundant lives instead of lives filled with limits.

To sum it all up, the pollution we have brought into the world has permanently changed Earth's ecosystems for worse, and all of this pollution comes full circle back to us in the air we breathe, in the food we eat, and the water we drink. If business as usual was to continue, we would most certainly see the death of our planet within two centuries, fueled even further by the resource wars that would occur because of over-consumption and carelessness. A clean earth is an inalienable right for all species, everywhere, for all times.

Here's the good news

We still have places like this...

Supporting ecosystems

And animals like this...

Beautiful Biodiversity and flourishing life represented in each of them.

And pristine coasts...

Providing nutrients critical to all of us

And beautiful sun sets... And rises...

Signifying the gift of each day

All of these aspects of nature being lights in the darkness... Heaven on Earth

The Lorax is one of these lights, starting us on the path out of darkness

Seriously, how could you NOT think this is beautiful

Ego VS Eco

Real Life lorax

Indian Man Plants Forest to Save Island

Jadav Payeng has been planting trees on this fast-eroding island for more than 3 decades. Since 1979, Payeng has been traveling to his forest every day and planting at least one tree while there. He speaks for the tress, and the 315 elephants, numerous deer, rhinos, and tigers that now live in the once barren landscape. He tells people that "Cutting down tress will do you no good! Cut me down first." And "All creatures on Earth are animals, even humans. The only difference with us is that we wear clothes. And we are the most horrible of them, taking whatever we want and leaving behind nothing." Payeng has recieved a multitude of awards from the Indian Government, yet only calls himself a simple man who loves his island and his forest. He plans on saving his island from erosion by planting to his last breath.

Personal experiences

Me as an Aussie ---->

I've been traveling often throughout my life, and every travel experience involves doing something outside. I've been to the forests of Sweden and picked wild blueberries, I've surfed on Chorpus Christi's beaches, I've skied the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico, I've hiked the Wichita mountains, I've fished in Lake Michigan and Huron, and I've been to the Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, and the petrified forest. Every single experience has brought me closer to loving this Earth, which is the first step in trying to protect it. Traveling to these places and doing these activities has made me into the environmentalist I am today, with the help of camping trips and my parents as well.

Natural spring in Wichita Mountains

Professional photo of Wichita Mountains

Professional photo of a Swedish forest trail

Professional photo of the Grand Canyon

Professional photo inside the Carlsbad Caverns

Professional photo of Petrified Forest

Taos Ski Valley

Corpus Christi

Pike's Peak

"Traveling is like reading a book: those who don't travel from where they are only read a few pages."

SolutIons to the pollutions

Deforestation to Reforestation

Deforestation's solution is simple and effective in theory, but difficult in practice. Replanting trees that are cut down is an obvious one, but we also have to change the way we cut down the trees. Instead of clear cutting, selectively cutting down older trees for the younger ones to grow while still leaving some older tress ensures the health of the forest and the wildlife living in it. Pressuring marketers is another way to curb deforestation, holding the suppliers accountable for their practices is critical to help end deforestation. Promoting sustainable consumer buying is another way to help end deforestation. One last way to change our mindset towards our fires ts is through political actions. Education is a primary source of ending the cutting of our forests because the more people know how deforestation affects them, the more they'll want to contribute to ending such a practice.

It only takes a seed and some care...

Wasteland Water to a Perfect pH

Boyan Slat's solution

Looking back at the causes of freshwater and marine pollution, there are also many solutions to these negative effects. One solution, as Chemist Michael Braughnart has contributed to, is to utilize processing chemicals that do not pose any serious health risk to any animal, while also implementing a natural, water purification system on the effluent side of the factory. Another solution, currently being worked on in multiple universties, comes in the form of alternative energy cars so that oils and chemicals don't have to enter the water system. And to clean up our oceans, Boyan Slat, a young Dutchman, has devised a strategy to clean up the pacific plastic garbage patch about the size of Texas. The system involves huge anchored nets that don't harm marine life, and then letting the plastic come to the nets through the ocean's currents. Adidas has partnered with Parley for the Oceans and is creating a woven shoe made entirely out of ocean plastic and illegal fish netting. With these big solutions to even larger problems, plenty more can be contributed to cleaning up our water sources around the world.

Sick kicks

Breathing in the Chemicals No More

Most of the solutions we have today to clean up our air come in the form of alternative energy sources such as wind power, solar power, geothermal power, biofuels, and even electromagnetism to power televisions, cars, houses, and even whole cities, and one day, whole nations. Other solutions to our greenhouse gasses is simple: planting trees, gardens, and other plants around your house and around the world. More regulations and annual restrictions are needed, but this is living in a world with limits to human ingenuity and creativity. As a Cradle to Cradle system proposes, what if the products we designed were done so in order that after the products initial use, it's components could be utilized for plant nutrients, or as technical parts for a lamp or car? In these solutions and many others can we clean up not only our Earth's air, but also its oceans, forests, and soil. Many solutions are present today around us, they just don't receive enough support and are whisked away by big corporations who depend on fossil fuels and related industries that support these non-renewable practices.

In the end, no earth, no us

In the end, humanity has to realize that we alone have the sole power to impact this planet for better or for worse. It is time that we stop living apart from nature, and start being a part of nature. And we certainly don't have to live in a world of regulations and limits, as Cradle to Cradle points out. There does have to be regulations up until we achieve that sweet spot, that harmony with nature, however. To me, the choice is a no brainier: either start caring about this earth as if your life depended on it (because it does), or, keep neglecting nature and going about business as usual. Let's start taking care of this planet and living for abundance where all the species of all times can experience a beautiful, baffling, bountiful Earth. In the end, whether you're fighting for racism, poverty, feminism, gay rights, or any type of equality, it won't matter in the slightest, because we shall all be equally extinct.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not."

Bibliography

National Geographic Staff. "Deforestation." National Geographic Environment. National Geographic, 2015. Web. 10 May 2016.

Seuss. The Lorax. New York: Random House, 1971. Print.

Maude Barlow. "Water Abuse and Climate Change." Ourwatercommons. The Commons, 2015. Web. 12 May 2016

National Geographic Staff. "Marine Pollution -- Pristine Seas -- National Geographic." National Geographic. National Geographic, 2015. Web. 12 May 2016.

National Geographic Staff. "Air Pollution Facts, Air Pollution Effects, Air Pollution Solutions, Air Pollution Causes - National Geographic." National Geographic. National Geographic, 2015. Web. 14 May 2016.

Ifansasti, Ulet. "Solutions to Deforestation." Greenpeace USA Solutions to Deforestation Comments. Greenpeace, 2015. Web. 17 May 2016.

Venema, Vibeke. "The Dutch Boy Mopping up a Sea of Plastic." BBC News. BBC, 2014. Web. 17 May 2016.

"Air Pollution Solutions." Mission 2015:. MIT, 2015. Web. 18 May 2016.

Prince Ea. "Dear Future Generations: Sorry." YouTube. Google, 2015. Web. 18 May 2016.

Credits:

Created with images by .Elisa. - "nature" • WikiImages - "selfie monkey self portrait" • Nick Kenrick.( away in Europe ) - "The untrimmable light of the world, the ocean's shine, the prayers that are made out of grass?" • Carles Tomás Martí - "Utö" • ahisgett - "Grand Canyon 23" • Madeleine_H - "Column in water pool" • werner22brigitte - "petrified forest arizona usa"

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