I am sure most of you who are reading this article have both witnessed a factory pumping out its toxic exhaust gases and understand the harmful effects of this pollution on our ecosystems. But if this fact is so well known to both the private and the public sector, why don’t they stop doing it? Why don’t we stop it?

The answer is simple – in today’s world, everyone cares ONLY about MONEY. The factories continue to run because they are equally profitable for the Government (increased tax revenue and employment) as well as the private enterprises that are immersed in greed. The external costs of these factories are completely neglected because the fact of the matter is that their businesses would cripple without these factories.

And this is not only the Government or large MNCs who care so much about money, but it’s also us. I am pretty sure that even the readers of this article fall into the same category, it is highly likely that your parents either run a business or work for one that is also a profit-centric firm. I am sure that despite certain allegations of the company not complying with basic environmental policies your parents continue to work for them. Why? Because they want to earn money too.

Everyone is just so addicted to money, that life has ceased to exist without it. That is where they are wrong. I also used to think like this until I had my phone and wallet confiscated one day and was forced to survive without them. I was so sure that I would give up at that very moment since we all are heavily depend on them. But that day taught me otherwise, I grabbed my bicycle and cycled to random places I had never been to, making me realise my over-dependence on gadgets prevented me from exploring the beautiful world outside.

So my point is that our world has become dependant on all these facilities that we can’t even fathom living without them, even if it means a change for the greater good, a change to protect the environment. The government also understands the consequences of some of this but hasn’t done anything about it. On one hand, we have American President Donald Trump, who claims that climate change is a hoax and wants to protect the American industries at any cost, while on the other hand there is Greta Thunberg who was initially trending on social media but now even she has been forgotten. Why? Because of the money people earn from it.

Oil is one of the resources that our industries and systems are reliant on, but is not an abundant resource and is one of the major causes of Global Warming. Yet we continue to extract and use it because of the money we earn from doing so. We are destroying the environment just to get something we created for the comfort of our lives. The resources which so many people rarely have access to in some countries, we just toss away in the garbage can without a second thought. Why? The discovery of medicines the scientific community boasts about is no act of kindness instead is an exploitation of the fact that specific medicine is needed around the world and it can be sold for high prices. Why? Because the money they will gain in that is the first thing that pops in their mind.

This is the problem with us, and we all know that every problem has a solution. And there is a solution for this as well – just take a break from this crazy life. Live life to the fullest and try not to think about how expensive it is if we make certain changes to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. After you read this, try and at least attempt to go budget less for one day, don’t buy McDonald’s for a day, walk or cycle to school and try and forget about the thing we think is more valuable than anything, Money.

Thank you

– Parth Naik 8F