“We Are Not Protecting Nature,
It is Nature That Is Protecting Us”
Dhanashree Vinay Renge
Dhanashree Vinay Renge
First Prize in Senior Category, X Standard
Mount Carmel Girls School, Nagpur, Maharashtra
“Nature is the name of the effect whose cause is God,” said Cowper. It clearly implies that the most beautiful and the most pleasant creation of the Almighty is nature. Nature has, beyond all question, been an indivisible part of our human life. It has been an infinite source of beauty. The generosity of nature cannot be expressed in words.
Helen Keller has written a famous quotation, “The most beautiful thing in this world cannot be seen or even touched, but needs to be felt by the heart.” It rightly means that to appreciate the beauty of something is to feel the beauty by our heart. What do we think then is the most beautiful thing in the world? Undoubtedly, it is nature—our teacher, our giver and, of course, our protector. Can we imagine the world without flowers, trees, animals, hills, rivers and so on? Definitely not. It is just impossible to think about it. Human life would have been completely destroyed.
Today, even in this 21st century, as we are marching towards technological progress, we need not forget what wealth we have received from this Mother Earth. As we advance forward in this computer age, we need not forget that nature has been the pillar of our progress and development.
Right from the Stone Age, man has profited from nature. It was nature who protected him from all the material disasters. In the Stone Age, man wandered from place to place, but finally he found shelter for himself in the caves. Where do you think those caves came from? Of course, they were provided by nature. Civilizations had flourished on the banks of famous rivers, such as Indus.
In the famous book, The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling has tried to bring to light how nature has played an important role in protecting man. A small boy named Mawgli was brought up by animals in the jungle. Thus nature had been generous and kind enough to help that boy, as stated in the book. There is also a real incident of a boy in Uttar Pradesh who was brought up by animals in the jungle, where he was left by his parents because he had some abnormality. This clearly shows that when man tries to run away from his duty and causes suffering to others, nature always helps that sufferer.
"To appreciate the beauty of something is to feel the beauty by our heart. What do we think then is the most beautiful thing in the world? Undoubtedly, it is nature—our teacher, our giver and, of course, our protector."
Thinking in a scientific way, we come to the conclusion that nature is the real protector of this world. The ozone layer surrounding the earth has been the greatest gift of nature. This layer is also termed the “Protective Layer.” The ozone layer protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun, which may cause skin cancer and other dreadful diseases. Trees, which are also among the priceless gift of nature, play an important role in today’s life. Today, as the rate of pollution is increasing day by day, trees help in purifying this air. Trees act as “bio-monitors” and help in purifying the air by absorbing carbon-dioxide and releasing oxygen. They are also referred to as “the lungs of the city.” And above all, the air is extremely important for our existence. Without it, human life would have come to an end.
Also, if we think about the various natural resources, we get coal, iron, etc., from nature. Coal is necessary for development. Iron and cement are necessary for building houses, houses protect us and so, indirectly, it is nature who protects us.
But in today’s life of strife and stress are we really aware of what harm and danger nature is facing because of our selfish deeds? People just keep on speaking that nature should be preserved, but do they really work on it? Today, even though we have a hectic schedule, we need to spare sometime, thinking about nature and not just think, we need to act accordingly.
Animals are being killed for want of their skins and horns, etc. The government of India is taking steps in trying to stop this, but, even though it strives to control this, the harm that nature has already faced cannot be cured. We cannot protect nature by first destroying it and then trying to preserve it. According to Gandhiji, “The moral progress of a nation is decided, depending upon how its animals are treated.” So, if we want to progress, we need to preserve and protect nature.
Trees are being wantonly cut throughout the world, for the past four decades. Even today, if we try to protect these trees and plant more, it takes a lot of effort and usually people do not come up to do this. But by hard work, this can surely be achieved. If we want something likely to last, we should plant a tree. Then we can surely make India a “Green India.”
Thinking of the ozone layer, if we decrease the use of pollutants, the destruction of the layer can be prevented, but we cannot improve or amend the harm that has already been caused to this protective layer.
The natural resources and minerals need to be conserved if we want a better tomorrow. But man is not aware of this and is not taking proper measures for preserving it.
Nature has, indeed, played a great role in the life of us humans. It has a lion’s share in our development. It has been our protector, our teacher and our guide. All the scientific knowledge is the gift of nature. We cannot neglect this creation of God just for our selfish needs. Last but not least, a few lines to ponder and think over:
“Thanks be to God for the gift of Nature,
We know it is a priceless treasure;
The need of the hour is its preservation,
So lets save it for the future generations.”
It is indeed true, “We are not protecting Nature, it is Nature who was, is and always will be protecting us.”