Ecological Check, Mother Earth is Deteriorating: Educators’ Role in Environmental Education

As we witnessed the rapid innovation of our time, man’s activities toward technological advancement and industrialization threaten the earth’s capacity to sustain mankind.

In the advent of technology and fast-pacing human pursuit for development, the earth is facing its fastest deterioration to date which also calls for a bit of concern today. As humans, we always find ways to ease our way of living by using the bountiful natural resources around us which also signals our never-ending abuse and the exploitation of the ecology.

Hence, ecological destruction becomes inevitable for mankind as the abuse of Mother Nature has been practicing by humans since time immemorial. Though such abuse has been justified by man’s satisfaction of needs for survival, the act of destroying our sole source of life and living is ecologically immoral.

For the past decades, the earth has been experiencing the drastic changes in its extremities caused by global warming which is now threatening climate patterns and balance in nature. It has been predicted that as the global temperature continues to rise, earth’s climate will dramatically increase resulting in more abnormalities in weather patterns, the occurrence of more devastating typhoons and weather disturbances, and monstrous increase in sea level which later could drown and sink some of the key places and areas around the globe. Frankly, The Philippines is one of the most hazard-prone areas in the world!

Sadly to say, humans and other organisms are not exempted for such catastrophic events as we are now aware in the loss of natural habitat of organisms -- pivotal in the ecosystem -- brought about by the influx of natural calamities that may also be associated with climate change like landslides, flash floods, typhoons, hurricanes, and the like. Many lives had been lost and sacrificed by our careless acts and greediness for survival. Needless to say “too much has been done and for us to continue this the heinous act of abusing nature for personal gains is truly a shame for mankind”.

Now, who’s the culprit? We made this world volatile and susceptible to destruction. Though it may sound cliché, what Mahatma Gandhi has spoken is true, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed”. Do we need to witness before our own eyes the destruction of this world? Do we need another tsunami, earthquake, Ondoy or Yolanda to act for this cause?

Education is a catalyst of change. Educators, therefore, should take the initiative in imparting knowledge on how to take care of our environment. Nature is the only resource that human should invest and sustain. Humans and nature co-exist in this world for without nature, humans will not survive and also, humans are great equalizers in the ecology of nature. It is said that education is a powerful tool to call for a change. Hence, humans should take steps in coming up with a sound solution to problems brought about by human activities.

In the end, it is not how we should address this issue that matters most, but our collective effort in making an initiative to call for a change. Let us not make ourselves inutile with what is happening around us for no matter how deaf we are in the summons of nature, the clamoring truth that we, in the end, will surely become victims of our own greed are undeniable.

Remember, for whatever we do with Mother Nature, we do in ourselves!