In a certain forest, two trees were very much upset because the lions deposited the remains of the animal carcass among the trees spreading foul odour in the whole forest. Frustrated by the situation, the trees resolved to get rid of the lions somehow. Though an elderly tree cautioned them of the possible risks, the two trees were adamant in their decision to chase away the lions from the forest.

On the following day, swaying in unison with the wind, the trees made terrific noise and created a frightening atmosphere. The lions, thinking that something terrible was about to happen, ran away from that forest. Soon the news spread in the villages around that there were no more lions in that forest, and so people came armed with sows and axes, entered the forest, and started chopping down the trees starting with those two disturbed trees. Then they realized their folly and the wisdom of the elderly tree.

As we commemorate in this month of March, World Wildlife Day (3), World Forest Day (21), and World Water Day (22), we need to recognize the harmonious balance between trees, animals, water and humans as the essence of a healthy ecosystem. Trees, often referred to as the lungs of the Earth, provide oxygen and mitigate climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide. Animals too, both on land and in water, contribute to biodiversity, helping to maintain ecological balance. Water, the source of life, is indispensable for all living organisms. However, thoughtless human activities such as deforestation, pollution, and over-extraction of water resources jeopardize this delicate equilibrium.

Preserving biodiversity is vital for the survival of various species of flora and fauna and the overall health of the planet. Conservation efforts, reforestation initiatives and sustainable water management practices are of paramount importance to restore and maintain harmony among trees, animals, and water. Wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas play a pivotal role in safeguarding the endangered species and preserving their habitats.

We celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, globally acknowledging and appreciating women’s achievements and advocating gender equality in every field. Recognizing the interconnectedness of environmental and social issues, it is imperative to address the man-woman ratio in the context of preserving nature. Women, often disproportionately affected by environmental degradation, can play a crucial role in sustainable development and conservation.

As stewards of our planet, we must recognize and support the interconnectedness of plants, animals, the Earth, and human relationships. Supporting and maintaining the balance in nature is not just our responsibility; but it is our collective obligation that transcends boundaries.

Most of you are busy this month with your annual examinations. The Teenager Today wishes all of you a stress-free preparation, successful and cool execution and glorious results!

The post Harmonious Balance in Nature appeared first on The Teenager Today.

On the Origin of Species

The reflection on the universe leads us to its amazing variety and harmony. There have been any number of efforts to find the truth about how it originated, and we have the Big Bang Theory now for almost a century, which at best, is an effort at explaining it and not an established fact. We have versions with metaphysical roots like the Hiranyagarbha (Golden Womb) Theory of Rigveda 10:121 and Purusha Suktam of Rigveda 10:90 or the Golden Egg Theory in several cultures. I am more familiar with the Judeo-Christian tradition (Torah and Bible) creation narrative which offers a very interesting story of the origin and diversification of the universe. The narrative apparently tries to establish the proven role of humans as stewards responsible for the upkeep of this diversity with the command to ‘till and keep’. As the planet faces unforeseen cataclysmic events in the form of cyclones, typhoons, tornados, blizzards, torrential floods, unprecedented snow, heat waves, increasing melting of the polar glaciers, and a resultant threat to the planet and its diverse dwellers, we are faced with five-fold challenges:

1. The planet and its dwellers, including humans, require biodiversity to live peacefully on it.  
2. The diversity is to be understood, assessed, appreciated and protected for the benefit of the present generation and for posterity. 
3. While humans have great power to mould and manipulate diverse beings on the planet, after the point of balance is lost, no human technology or effort can withhold the disasters that entail, which would affect humans as well, increasingly without distinction. 
4. Humans have the great potential to protect and recreate, and thus be truly co-creators and saviours with the Creator, to re-establish harmony by restoring biodiversity. 
5. In the context of the all-pervasive and almost unretractable human interface with every aspect of planetary diversity, the great human responsibility is to cautiously and discreetly attend to the diversity of the species and systems, in promoting as well as regulating them, reviewing every step taken in this realm. 

Subscribe to The Teenager Today print / digital editions to read the full article.

The post Conserving biodiversity, Celebrating life! appeared first on The Teenager Today.

From the known history of humankind on this planet, what could be observed is that our relationship with Planet Earth had been one of dependence, extraction and exploitation. A few decades ago, it was a standard usage in development discourses and in geography lessons to speak about the ‘exploitation of natural resources’. However, these days, that term is very rarely used in terms of utilising the resources of the planet. Earth Day 2023 comes with a call to ‘invest in our planet’, setting aside the paradigm of extraction and exploitation. 

Earth Day brings to us a fiery tradition of environmental concerns with its origin in the United States of America. January 1969 saw the blowout of an oil well of Union Oil, resulting in a spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, which spread beyond 800 square miles and killed more than 10,000 seabirds, dolphins, seals and sea lions. It triggered initiatives like ‘Get Oil Out’ and the inauguration of an Environmental Rights Day, with a Declaration of Environmental Rights drafted by Rod Nash, a pioneering environment scholar and educator. This declaration, which came out before the concept of sustainability gained acceptance, starts with a mea culpa, accepting human crime linked to the planet, and stresses the need for an ‘ecological consciousness’ comprising of:

1. Acceptance of humans as members of a community of living beings that share the environment,
2. Ethics to concern relationship with all living beings and environment,
3. Individual responsibility towards the environment,
4. The right to private or corporate ownership to be so limited as to preserve the integrity of the environment,
5. The tremendous human power to impact the fragile earth,
6. The need to redefine progress from the angle of long-term quality, rather than immediate quantity.

Subscribe to The Teenager Today print / digital editions to read the full article.

The post Invest in Our Planet appeared first on The Teenager Today.

The Dodo Manège in Paris is a small carousel of animals that are now extinct — or may be soon. Located in the Jardin des Plantes, the carousel was created in 1992 by a scientist at the adjacent natural history museum who wanted to draw more attention to the increasing extinction and biodiversity of species on Earth. Sized for children, riders can climb aboard the back of extinct creatures such as the thylacine, the dodo, the aepyornis (a massive creature known as the “elephant bird”), the Barbary lion, the horned turtle, and the sivatherium (a type of early giraffe). There are also endangered animals like the panda and the gorilla mingled in the herd.

Subscribe to The Teenager Today print / digital editions for more facts like this.

The post Dodo Manège: A carousel of extinct animals appeared first on The Teenager Today.