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We have to stop climate change
Since the last year, I have been observing that the frequency of rain is increasing day by day. Even on the most arid days, it rained as if the monsoon had arrived! This unusual rain is only taking place daily due to the increase in the evaporation which in turn depends on the increase of the Sun’s heat. If this continues then the era is not too away when there will be rain every day, every hour and every second. There will be floods daily. Yes, the Climate is Changing. Not slowly, but rapidly! We, humans, are unable to combat it. Private transportation is increasing daily. CFCs from perfumes...
"How am I supposed to vote if I don't even know what I'm voting for?"
"How am I supposed to vote if I don't even know what I'm voting for?" This is what an 18-year-old friend of mine answered when I asked if she was going to vote for the EU Parliament. Having studied law since my freshman year in high school I had never faced the challenge of studying and understanding the complexity of the Italian politic system, so you can imagine my surprise in hearing those words. I had never thought of how hard the choice between political parties could be when you don't know what a political party is or does. And just like me, most governments in the world seem to be...
Every child should have the opportunity to experience culture
How can you make a difference?
With the rise of a globally aware generation constantly interconnected through social media, people are starting to become more vocal about issues that they are deeply passionate about. Several of these issues revolve around the environment and the rapid deterioration of it. The buildup of plastic waste in Cocos Island, the bleached corals of the Great Barrier Reef, the endangerment of beloved species worldwide such as the Sumatran rhino and the reported cases of beached whales with stomachs full of plastic, has created quite the stir across social media. Individuals often feel inclined to...
Defining my success as a conservationist
All too often I find myself in a conversation about how intimidating I am. How my confidence and my success in my desired field of conservation separates me from the rest of my generation and prevents me from having “typical” conversations with my peers. I say the word typical loosely, because what do “typical” youth conversations look like? And why are conversations about pressing environmental issues seen as atypical when youth around the world have proven time and time again that they are the ones willing to take the larger stance? I get told on a daily that the work I have done is “so...
Mother Nature's plea
Oh ‘Wise’ Man. Oh wise man, that is who you are right? The wise men, the conquerors of land, ocean, air and space. The wise men, the inventors of the wheel, the light bulb, the telephone. Oh the wise men, the reasons behind the world war and the constant conflicts. The wise men, the cause of animal extinction and climate change. The wise men, the dominators of all life on Earth. Hear me, oh wise man, oh almighty wise man. Did you forget about me? Are you heedless of my cries, or just oblivious? Why is the water dirty? Why is the air dirty? Where are all the trees? Where are all the animals...
Ocean of burqas
Wrapped in a burqa silently in the corner of a decrepit bus, I embrace the nostalgic tune that begins my daydream. The tune creates images of the sea and its powerful stream. I think of how the waves extend outward to protect us. An ocean of burqas on board beguiling ships, Singing their hearts out to the fearless seas. Underneath the burqas, the expression of joy, And jubilation that comes with the tune eventually slips. A bolt of lightning slams the starboard side. My dream fades away, here comes the stormy sea. Cursing, a calloused hand viciously pulls at me, He is horrifying, as strong as...
Will the Earth survive in next 30 years?
Nature has a unique way of healing you. When life gets tough, I try to spend some time with nature. Spending time amidst those lush green bushes which sway, birds chirping around and the fragrance of nature may not help me to discover solutions to life's challenges, but it does rejuvenate my soul. One day while I was at my workplace, I felt a bit distressed. I could no longer hold it in my heart, so I rushed to the terrace with a slight ray of hope that I would be able to soothe myself by spending a little time with nature. But to my surprise, I was only able to view huge enormous buildings...
That's my family
I love my family. I got to see some of my relatives today from my mom and it was very lovely. They are people so they're not all just good or bad. But they are kind. They are selfless. They take care of each other. My family couldn't always afford to go to school or have their own clothes or nice houses or sometimes any house to live in. Or shower frequently or have good medicine or buy makeup. Or have nice paper to write on or envelopes to send. Or much to eat sometimes. They may talk different, you would too if you grew up there. They have mental disabilities and physical disabilities. They...
Making schools healthier for our children
From fall through spring, school is a full-time job for most children in the U.S. Every day, kids wake up early and get ready for school, rarely realizing that they are preparing to be the next generation that will write our laws and run our businesses — hopefully with an eye toward ultimately improving the environment for the better. With so much relying on how students do while attending school, you might expect the investment into school safety standards to be high. Unfortunately, not all schools offer students the same opportunities for a successful education. In order for children to be...
Thank you
Teachers and counselors are so important. My home life was pretty dysfunctional and at times violent and abusive for most of the time I was in elementary to high school. It was pretty scary and severely damaged my mental health. But school was the one place besides some friends and church, that I felt safe. It was the one place I could go to every day (albiet too early in the morning) that I didn't have to take care of everything. Where hopefully, the adults were obligated to act at least somewhat adult like. They were there for us. There was a structure. They wanted us to learn and some of...
There is something we can do
As a kid I was bullied. For a good few years. Sometimes it was because of my haircuts, sometimes about my glasses, but most of the time only because they were bored. For years I would find flaws in me and excuse people for their bullying...thinking somehow I deserved it. But as I changed, their behaviour didn't and I stopped blaming myself. I actually started to realise it wasn't about me. It was about them. But that period of time left a few marks that I try very hard to erase. It left a shattered self-confidence. It hurt even worse when female students were part of the bullying. Something I...
"Barbies" everywhere
What is there to be celebrated?
As she gears towards the celebration of her 172 birthday, I mutter, confused to confide in her curse of ceaseless disasters. What is she truly celebrating? Her long but fruitless existence leading her children to beg and bootlick as they crumble at the mercy of exploiters. She stumbled, startled at the impediment placed upon her by so-called colonialism. A complete dissolution to her sovereignty. She claimed to be independent when truly dependency is at the avenue of her already weakened appearance-leading her children skedaddling in search for solace. And I wonder, what is there to be...
This is my planet
…. degradation, deforestation, pollution - are largely caused by us, humans, and I want to talk to you about it now… It worries me to read, “The biomass of wild mammals has fallen by 82%, natural ecosystems have lost half their area and millions of species are at the risk of extinction”. Today the situation is critical; we have made many mistakes and caused problems like air pollution, water pollution, global warming… Before I mention a few solutions of how we can solve these problems, I want to highlight how we formed them. What happened in 1750 has changed the course of history - a year when...
My case-study on marriage rituals among Christians in India
During my final year of high school, I had conducted a case study to understand the marriage rituals that took place among certain Christian communities in India - such as the Christians of Kerala, Goa and Mizoram - compared to the marriage rituals among Christians in western countries. The objective of my case study was to highlight the noticeable differences in these marriage rituals among the Christian communities in India as opposed to the Christians living in the west. To begin, a questionnaire was sent out to twenty three respondents belonging to Christian communities in both India as...
A gentle reminder for millennials to be kind
Kindness. An act from deep down in the heart human, without want feedback. In this era, I believe kindness can be fake and ignored. Many people misuse kindness. They know what kindness is, but they don't know how to use it, therefore, there are many people using kindness for gaining popularity and getting a good image. One day, I was doing charity work in my community by giving food and clothes to flood victims. My friend asked me to take a photo of him giving food to a child, which he then posted on Instagram. Later, I asked him why he did that and he answered that he wanted everyone to know...