Take a deep breath in and out... Wait, I can’t breathe… I need oxygen…where is my pipe? … I am going to die… my biggest nightmare and I believe I am not the only one who believes that one day we would need artificial oxygen for our survival. Sounds harsh, but let’s face the reality, a reality for which human species is responsible. Where, we are all building a future where plastic is the new normal, car honking is new melody, flora and fauna are dream cum luxury and oceans are merely dirt-bags. Even though environment is the buzz word, climate meetings are in trend and lifestyle for environment is new norm but we are still lagging behind the environmental targets and rushing towards growth rates which lack the reality of the ecosystem around us.

Earlier, sitting near my window used to be my go to spot gathering my favorite combinations of nature into play-the chirping of birds, glimpse of glittered sun rays, tree enchanting me with their beauty and a wave of cool breeze sharing its travel secrets with me but now it’s merely tall buildings with clouds of PM2.5 and PM10 shiftily waving near my window. From heaven to hell, we are paving path to deconstruct nature for its apocalypse. Mother earth would not be proud of it, but still she stands tall and engulfs all worse we did to her. Currently we are at this stage where-forests are losing out oxygen, sky is not blue anymore, heat waves are new reality, oceans are garbage bins, drought-famine are new seasons, families of trees are in danger, dodo is not alive anymore, decline in species is the threat to ecosystem, melting of ice to increase in volcanic eruptions and many more, hence we can conclude that “consumerism is winning the race over sustainability” or should I say “humans are losing out time and their lives.”

This is our upcoming future warning, where nature is going to take punitive actions against our committed sins. With annual incremental increase in level of waste generation and multiplier level of increase in energy production cum consumption we are just committing crime at each stage and it would be fair enough for “laws of nature to prevail justice when and where it resolves”.

But are we even ready to face the new challenges? Do governments have any plan? Or are you ready to face environmental crisis? Currently, we are simply following the trend of ignorance and using blame-game for creating responsibility, also some are using the trend of “Don’t look up” mentality and face the crisis when crisis will occur (#liveyourdayaslastdayonthisplanet), but here is the crucial point: “Environment is for all, so responsibility and accountability of environment is of all”. Merely government plans or COPs can’t even bring 1% of the change; we need to make effort from the very strata of society that is individual-level and then think about the collective-level of effort in preserving environment.

But in distress also, humanity is still alive and people from varied parts of world are taking actions and pledging oaths to protect nature like their own child. Here are some extra-ordinary people like Ramachandra from Hyderabad in India leading a biggest environmental mission of 1,50,000 plus trees, Greta Thunberg from Sweden inspiring millions of young people for climate change, an Ekarth studio from India where houses are made of bamboos, from waste to energy to zero emissions startups are making headlines, locals as guardians of preserving snow leopards in Himachal Pradesh are showcasing the power of community and many more are rewriting our actions and making us believe, that it’s not too late.

So what are we waiting for? When scientist will discover new planet in goldilocks zone? Or when ozone layer will completely be disrupted by our dear carbon-dioxide?

Many people like us, has made history by living in harmony with nature, and there is no perfect timing to start. So start making small efforts for your beloved mother earth and cherish every breathe, appreciate every song of nature from rain to thunder, preserve every seed and every forest, cause this is the essence of nature which keeps our mother earth alive.