Today, the Amazon Rainforests provide 20% of the earth’s oxygen and 60% of its freshwater. But are we aware that with current rate of de-forestation of the Amazon by a highly capitalistic human race, these precious rainforests will be gone within the next 40 years? And if the latter is not addressed, surely we can understand that there will be severe consequences to all of the Earth’s Inhabitants, and the World that we know today.
Many in Goa would think that they are not responsible for what is happening in the Amazon but I beg to differ in the same context; are we not in the same “thinking/action” to our very “Own Amazon”? Indiscriminate mining, destruction of God Given forests/greenery, hill cutting, rampant construction under the pretext of development etc. in our own beautiful state of Goa to satisfy the enormous greed of the select few, is devastating our beautiful land. It is a fact that construction is one of the major causes of Global Warming. Many Goans complain today of how once cool villages, are now being extremely hot and unbearable; so why are we ignoring the "Elephant in the Room" and can't see that the heating up is because of excessive concretization. The fact is that with Goa's current Population we do not need so much of construction but this is being done, so as to sell for High Speculative/Capitalistic Gains at very severe cost of destroying the environment. Mahatma Gandhi's famous quote is certainly valid here when he said "There is enough for everyone's need but not enough for everyone's greed.” We need to find sustainable economic alternatives and stop the Goa going “Brown” else we will severely pay for our misdeeds in the very near future. For Instance it is projected by even international experts that India will in the very near future, face a very severe water crisis and we have today our Destructive Miners, Builders, Land Sharks and Real Estate agents on a massive selfish spree to destroy our environment, for the benefit of themselves and their families. They will amass so much wealth that when the crisis does hit, their ill-gotten wealth will help them migrate elsewhere or they will be able to purchase water at a very expensive rate; and the overwhelming majority will be left to fend for themselves in desperation!! Each one of us needs to play a very active role in spreading awareness amongst the local population on the extremely urgent need of the hour i.e. to change our current way of thinking, into a way that is pro-environment friendly for the purpose of saving our State, Country and our World for our future generations to come. Arwin Mesquita, Colva/Abu Dhabi. -- Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/ Please also see below: 1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/ 2. "Rape of Goa" : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/ 3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/ 4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO: http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html 5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686 6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/