What does the Earth asked of us----Action!

  有许多严重的问题存在于我们的星球,对整个生物构成严重的威胁,以及对地球的美丽形象造成了毁灭性的打击。由于现代生活的步伐不断增加,巨大且耗能的高科技产品的发展和大规模投资的交通工具,人类利用自然资源的各种暴力,也没有限制。所有这些导致了毁灭性的结果,包括灭绝的其他物种,环境污染,天气变化,等等。essay指出，我们应该用行动照顾我们的地球，没有一致的行动,所有的环保只是空谈。

  It’s the common knowledge that there’re many serious problems existed in our planet, which are posing severe threats to the entire living organisms on it as well as devastating the beautiful profile of the planet. Due to the ever increasing pace of modern life, development of huge and energy-consuming high-tech products and large scale investment of transportation, our human being are exploiting the nature resource of different kinds violently and without restriction. And all these led to a devastating outcome, including extinguishment of other species, environmental pollutions, great weather change, etc.
  Our human being has been asking things from the Earth ever since we exist, so as the other species and plants and other living organisms. But the truth is that we are just taking things in and without giving anything back. The Earth treats us so nicely and we do the evil in return. That’s wrong and we will pay for what we did sooner or latter. The price might be so high that our human beings wouldn't be able to afford, which would cause unimaginable miseries.
  That’s why we have to do good to the Earth. Now the problem is that how. Actually, it depends on what does our Earth ask of us. In the article given, Brian believed the single greatest virtue of our species is “Mercy. Humility.”（[1]What is the Single Greatest Virtue of our Species? 2013）. While Robin thought we should give back gift to the earth and “Gratitude may seem like weak tea given the desperate challenges that lie before us, but it is powerful medicine”([2] Returning the Gift, 2013).  To be frank, neither of them is wrong; we just see things from different perspectives. 
  There’re several things we all agree on. Firstly, the awareness of current status of our Earth and it’s worsening situation. Publish speech, newspapers, advertisement of various organizations are sparing no effort in telling us what an upset and worrying status we are facing.    Secondly, our human being should stop the excessive and wronged exploitation of nature resources in order to satisfy our greed and boost economy. And our life style should be improved too. Thirdly, many solutions should be developed to save the resource or enhance the utilization. Technologies, devices, new sorts of clean and renewable energy are commonly mentioned. These will help ease the energy shortage and the pollution. Lastly, it’s time to follow how the nature rules work and think of a way to reach a win-win scenario in the future. We all understand the over exploitation of nature resource is push by the economy development to a great extent. It’s impossible to stop getting resource from the Earth, but we need to do it the right way. Some resources are renewable, like the sunshine, wind energy, ocean resource. While some others are unrenewable, like the fossil, coal, soil, mineral, etc. 
  We have put forward various solutions but still can see the fact that our situation is worsening. Why is that? Some people might think because people are not fully aware of the importance of protecting our Earth- our only living space. So there’re different methods to help world citizens raise their environmental awareness. The World Earth Day is an example in this term. Many activities are carried out on this day, such as seminars, parades, performance, streets cleaning and so on. As a matter of fact, it’s more like a holiday other than a day to actually advocate the idea of doing good things to our mother planet. On this day, presidents of different organizations, governments or institutes, well dressed with indifferent face, would regularly give out statements with similar contents as in this essay, much more profound of course. The ordinary people might realize it’s time or opportunity to hold meetings, talks and activities like those with this theme. However, while they took part in these activities, my question is that do they realize the real meaning of the World Earth Day. If they did, what do they do after the World Earth Day. Probably nothing from my perspective. They just return to their former life the second day and governors have to deal with many other important issue, say conflict between two countries or economy boost or scientific plan. And on exactly the same day the next year, speech with similar content would be  given, maybe with worsening data. 
  The thing is we can’t just advocate and keep telling people what to do without actually doing it. The situation is the same if you fall in love with a woman. You need to go after her, asking for her number, send her letter of love, asking her out for a date rather than just keep reminding yourself how you feel about her and how precious is your affection. The Earth Hour proposed by WWF also makes the mistake. People, especially young ones, probably feel it interesting to do so at a specific time point with many others. Even if they’re not doing this for fun, then would it possible to save the earth if we turn off the light for one hour? If the answer is negative, don’t you think it’s stupid to turn off light and other electronics at 20：30~21：30 when it's not the time for you to go to bed? 
  In this term, people may argue that this campaign has more symbolic meaning than realistic one. It would enhance public conscious of resource saving and earth caring greatly. However, I wonder how many people are influenced by it and thus change their behavior to help save electricity ever since this one hour campaign. And how much electricity is saved by comparing the daily electricity consumption before and after one hour campaign.  Come on, one hour is never enough. We cannot expect this one hour campaign or other World Days to change the difficult situation, but we must take action at every moment right now. 
  As we know, action always speaks more loudly than words. The Earth is asking us to be nice to her with concrete actions rather than big words. No one would praise you for these little good acts, but it does have a better outcome in Earth caring, including environmental protection, species reserving and resource saving. “Learning to listen to our nonhuman neighbors takes effort, humility, and patience”([6] Playing for Keeps, 2009）. But, what are the so-call concrete actions? Concrete actions are things like less private car and more public transportation or bicycle, turn off unnecessary electronics rather than keep them standby, no one time chocksticks, water resource saving, to keep the temperature at less than 26 ℃ in hot days and so on. All these are small but easy to do in our everyday life. These tips should also be fitted into our everyday life and made into everyday routine ([4] Commoner B. Making peace with the planet, 1975). Everyone does them out of habits rather than big words. It takes granted as the way we breathe. Sometimes I wonder why were people so busy joining the one hour activity with so much passion but fail even to realize these tips are also helpful and maybe more meaningful and realistic?( [5] Behavior Analysis and Environmental Protection: Accomplishment and Potential for More,2004.)
  Agreements, strategies and other plans between nations or huge groups remain somewhat theoretical or macroscopical. When the environmental protection goes against economical interest, it’s a nature to sacrifice the former one and put economy development in the first place.  However, the governments should be long sighted and realize environmental protection would be finally paid back and benefit the economy ([3] Pricing the Priceless: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Environmental Protection, 2001). Besides, government’s act can produce appositive feedbacks and bring a magnification, and thus is more efficient in setting examples of favorable behavior towards earth protection. They should make full use o f their influence and carry out more practical environmental friendly policies to lead the whole citizen towards sustainable development. For example, if increased investment was made to encourage the establishment of companies or invention of new technologies in the field of environmental protection. Then more people would be employed and involved in this area. More other public or private fund would enter latter for people are driven by the interest and thus produce a magnified influence in society.
In general, actions are the things we should take to care for our earth. Without consistent actions, all the environmental protection is just empty talks.

    Works cited:
[1]  Doyle, Brian. “What is the Single Greatest Virtue of our Species?” Center for Humans & Nature.  2013. Web. 12 April 2014.

[2]  Kimmerer, Robin. “Returning the Gift.” Center for Humans & Nature. 2013. Web. 12 April 2014.

[3] Ackerman, Frank; Heinzerling, Lisa. Pricing the Priceless: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Environmental Protection; 150 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1553 (2001-2002)

[4] Commoner B. Making peace with the planet. New York, Pantheon, 1975.

[5] Lehman, Philip K. Behavior Analysis and Environmental Protection: Accomplishment and Potential for More. Behavior & Social Issues. Spring/Summer 2004, Vol. 13 Issue 1, p13-32. 20p. 
[6] Jensen, Derrick. Playing for Keeps. Orion magazine, Nov./Dec. 2009. Web. 20 April 2014.

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