Why People Should Protect the Environment
Submissions by SSE students of the Sathya Sai Baba Center of Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Why Should We Protect the Environment?
Swami says that it is necessary to help the environment because when we do there is balance in nature. So plants, animals, and humans can live harmoniously on one planet. In order to make this balance, we can do simple things around the house. For example, we can use water conservatively so that we don’t deplete this essential resource. If humans waste water, the plants and animals, too, will suffer. The fish in the ocean won’t have enough water to live and swim in. The fish need a lot of water in the rivers and streams to survive.
We can write letters to the factories and ask them not to put their waste in the rivers and the streams. If they stop, then we will have cleaner rivers and streams. We can help conserve water by starting at home. Just remember, everything counts, even if it’s small.
Jai Sairam!
~Harini Babu (Group 2, age 11)
Why People Should Protect the Environment
Men have abused our planet earth’s resources resulting in the pollution of air, water, and soil. Earth’s resources aren’t only for humans but for all living things, too. Antarctica and the North Pole are warming due to the pollution of air and the green house effect endangering their ecosystems. Diseases and natural calamities are increasing, resulting in huge problems for people. Humans created these problems, so humans must fix them.
I think the earth is sick because it is polluted by the people’s greed. We need to conserve our natural resources and not waste them. As Swami says, to help conserve nature people should live simply and have only what they need and not what they want. I would like all the people in the world to follow Swami’s Ceiling on Desires teachings, namely not to waste food, money, time, energy, and knowledge. When we start loving and respecting all the living things, limiting our desires, and protecting the environment in the right ways, then the earth will be saved for tomorrow’s children.
~Anand Chandrasekhar (Group 2, age 11)
The environment is our home. We need to take care of it. For example, don’t litter, turn off the lights, the T.V., and computers when you are not using them. We need to keep the environment neat, clean, and tidy. This way we can live in a great place!
~Samyukta Rao (Group 1, age 9)
Mother Earth has been giving us so much, and yet we hurt her. Everything you see is polluted in some way now. We are using her for the resources she has given us. The imbalance is causing disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Since we are born with a blessing to think for ourselves, we must help Mother Earth by recycling, planting trees, picking up trash, and using bicycles for transportation. These are only a few ways to help mother earth, but if we all take part in this seva, believe me, we will make a difference together.
~Anusha Saga (Group 2, age 11)
Saving Our Earth
Saving earth is probably the most important thing that you could ever imagine. It is a problem we have created and we have to solve it. Pollution is the main cause and it comes from cars, factories, etc. But, we see pollution all around us, not only in the air. We pollute our waters: when you take a shower or go to the bathroom, where does that water go? That’s right, the ocean. The ocean is home to many creatures big and small. From the tiniest plankton to the biggest blue whale, all are affected by our pollution.
We also pollute the land. Trash dumps are a huge problem. We are polluting the earth and its resources at great speed—electricity, smog, trash, water pollution, etc. These are all problems caused by us only. Do whatever you can to help the earth, whether it is something as simple as switching off lights, or as big as writing to the president, asking for a law to help. Every small effort counts and you can make a big difference!
~Gaia Jinsi (Group 2, age 10)
Our earth is very important to us. Chief Seattle once said, “The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth….”
Our earth has enough to satisfy everybody’s needs, but not everybody’s greed. Baba says, “Nature gives and forgives but man takes and forgets.” Baba also says, less luggage more comfort. To me it means to just have what is required and not be greedy, and to be grateful to earth. One way, I feel, we can make a difference is, if our schools stop printing and just emailed all the flyers, we can save lots of paper and trees. If all the schools in our county practice this, then we will prevent the trees from being cut unnecessarily and save our earth from global warming.
~Sai Keerthana Cherukuri (Group 1, age 9)
We all have to respect our earth as we respect our parents. We have to stop polluting and have ceiling on desires like Baba says. How do we stop polluting? We have to stop throwing trash all around our earth, we have to stop throwing trash in water, just because we can’t see it doesn’t mean we can throw trash in water. We have to love our earth. One way we can save earth is to use more solar energy, which will save our natural resources. It is very important that we have ceiling on desires.
~Sai Saketh Cherukuri (Group 1, age 6)
The environment is very important in our daily lives and most of what we do and how we live revolves around the environment. Simple acts such as recycling and picking up trash from the ground can make a huge impact on the damage that is being done. Swami says that nature is like our mother, and therefore it is essential that we respect our environment and give back what nature gives us.
~Sahana Sinnarajah (STY-Girls, age 14)
TED (The Energy Detective)
TED is a device that measures how many kilowatts you use per day and per hour. It also tells you how much money you are spending on electricity each hour and day. This helps a lot because a) you can save money and not waste it; b) it also helps your spiritual progress by putting a “ceiling on desires.” For example, if you go on the computer a lot, it helps you minimize the time you’re on the computer. TED is a very interesting instrument and an example of how technology helps spiritual progress.
~Aniruddha Rao (Group 2, age 10)
