A Greater, Greener World by Grace

A Greater, Greener World by Grace - January 2023 Scholarship Essay

The beautiful, green Earth. Filled with lush foliage, buzzing with life. Each organism coexists and competes all at the same time, but each other is not what they worry about, there lies a greater issue. Us.
Before the introduction of the human race, the world was filled with a balanced ecosystem, nature taking its course just as it normally would. Each organism had its place, a stable home they could rely on to give them safety and comfort. Habitats were only destroyed by natural causes. That was just the way of life, but everything changed. The need to provide a stable home for ourselves outshined the needs that these organisms had so delicately maintained for years before us. We cut down trees, forcing arboreal species to flee. Plowed through fields of lush grass, rehoming the insects that ate away pests. Dug deep beneath the Earth’s surface to find the materials we needed, disrupting the homes of borrowing creatures. The problem does not lie within these actions, but what we chose to do after. Our failure to replenish these natural resources, in the ways we could, left those who came before us stranded, without a home, and their natural routine disrupted. Of course this destruction was necessary for us, to build homes and foundations in order to execute our daily lives. However, the lack of replenishment left us in a bind. The organisms that so beautifully held our ecosystem together started to diminish. With nowhere to live, they were left to adapt to the changes WE made. Our ecosystems changed dramatically.
With personal awareness comes change. Awareness of the issue at hand and congregating to find solutions to these problems. Without it, it’s only one person's idea. This is where education creates an impact. If we were to require a course highlighting conservation efforts or “Environmental Education”, perhaps we could make a change in our lives and, in turn, the life of our natural environment. These courses could start as early as primary education, molding and creating conscious habits in young children. This introduction at such an influential age could allow the children to develop the drive to make a difference now and in the future. Whereby passing it onto their children and creating a strong, generational change. This chain reaction allows for new conservation efforts and ideas in bringing our ecosystem back to its thriving form. Class activities could include extracurricular activities such as community pickups, presentations highlighting possible solutions to environmental issues, and lessons emphasizing just how important personal change can be to positively effecting an issue.
Our world has sustained the human species for 300,000 years. With education efforts such as these, we can inform the younger generations on how to preserve our earth one step at a time. With personal awareness comes change. If we can make ourselves personally aware, perhaps we can harmoniously co exist with the natural world around us. The beautiful, green Earth.