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A trickle to a torrent? Can we make a difference?
By Lisa Chew of chewak
In my younger years, my dad always told me not to donate to the beggars (with or without deformity) on road or anyone who comes to you telling you that they are from which community or that community for helpless people, and ask you for donation. The reason he gave was that they are either ‘fake’, a great pretender or conmen. I couldn’t help but to think why not donate just a simple 20cents to the beggar on road? He stopped me whenever I wanted to do it during one of my many pasar malam (night market) walks, and I was just 10 years old. I was confused and I sort of dislike how my dad thinks, and thought he was cruel. Thinking that perhaps not all of them are bad or pretender. During that time, my dad loves to watch National Geographic or whatever film that is showing similar to it on TV. I got influenced by it and love to watch NatGeo until now. However, the thing that I hated most would be the gory part of killing (which is why I slowly tend to watch lesser as I couldn’t stomach the pain I saw on its prey), something that we human couldn’t help as it is the normal ecosystem of the nature, you have predator and you have prey.
At the age of 12 years old, I’ve watched one series of NatGeo that changed the way I think on the existence of living being. That episode was screening on elephant, about the significant of elephants in our ecosystem. It shows the life of elephant in Africa (if I am not wrong as I don’t remember which country is it since it’s so long ago). As we know elephants live together in a herd and they move around together as well, also they only move to find a better place to live or perhaps due to interference from others for instance us, human. The episode explained how when elephants move away from a place, it affects the ecosystem and causes draught in that specific place, thus of course killed many other beings and plants as well as human. It shows the after and before of the elephants being there or not. Why? I hope I can explain it well here and clearly. Elephants move around in herd from one end to another in a specific place, and with the amount of elephants plus the weight of them pushes/mashes the soil and push the water out from the earth. Not only that, their footsteps created ‘holes’ that results in puddles of water, a source for other beings and plants (the way they mashes it gives life to plant or something). Subsequently, starts the cycle of the ecosystem. In conclusion, if elephants move away from that place, it disturbs some elements of the ecosystem and affects others, including human who lives there. The reason why the elephants moved away was because of human poaching them for their trunks. That mere disturbance scared them away.
That episode successfully opened up my eyes and mind to believe that “Without the animals and flora there will be no ‘us’, human”. Seems like my dad is not cruel after all. Human who poaches animals not for food but for profits are cruel. The worst part will be the animals are getting lesser and lesser on earth because of us. We killed animals and destroyed environment for profits. We are a pure disturbance to the ecosystem. To them or the earth, we are just a bad parasite. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) With that knowledge and thinking “Without the animals and flora there will be no ‘us’, human”, I’ve decided that if I have the money I would only donate to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) not to helpless people or some illness fund. This is what I did 2 years ago, donating RM30 every month to WWF even when I do not have any savings but still I continue up until now. Perhaps it is not much but it is what I can afford and I am expecting to top it up soon if my own income minus basic expenses allowed. If I see people who needed some donation, I wouldn’t donate to them but save up that thought to donate to WWF instead. You may think that I am cruel. But I find helping one tiger / dolphin / elephant / whale / penguin is far more meaningful and vital than saving another person’s life. One animal contribute to our ecosystem while one extra human life uses electricity, water and rations that take away / affect the ecosystem.
-Hot, Flat, and Crowded
Why We Need a Green Revolution - And How it Can Renew America-
After reading this book, it confirms more of my own intention of saving the nature with this thought in mind... "One animal contribute to our ecosystem while one extra human life uses electricity, water and rations that take away / affect the ecosystem." You should read this book. A trickle to a torrent? I am happy to learn that Malaysia will be participating in the Earth Hour 2009. Quoted = On 31 March 2007, for one hour, one city made a powerful statement about the urgent need for action on global warming, by turning off its lights. The Earth Hour brought together families, businesses, local councils and Hollywood stars, 2.2 million people in Sydney to turn off their lights. What began as one city taking a stand, caught the attention of the world and in 2008, the Earth Hour went global. It has brought together 35 countries and over 370 cities, 50 million people gave their support globally and it stopped being a Sydney event and became a global movement.
2.2 million turned off the lights for an hour = 10.2% energy reduction of the city = equal to taking off 48,000 cars off the road I will join this, will you?
Can we make a difference? Yes, we can. Donate (it is the season of giving anyway) to http://www.wwf.org.my or buy their merchandise or be a volunteer, or spread the word! Most important thing is participate in the Earth Hour 2009! And, change the way you live your life that makes a difference, by following this steps. Yes! You can make a difference!
This intel first appeared on: http://www.chewak.com/2008/12/trickle-to-torrent-can-we-make.html
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A trickle to a torrent? Can we make a difference?
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This intel was contributed by chewak
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May, 2012
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