by Anvita Nadgir

It would be fitting to describe our environment as an undervalued and underappreciated beauty. Everything we want, and more, it willingly provides. Its power and elegance are incomparable. The environment asks for simply respect and gratitude, yet all it receives in return is disregard and mistreatment. 

The environment has to take the brunt of humanity’s most foolish action, the overconsumption of resources. We can define resources as natural assets that are independent of human actions. The quality of these natural assets being limited is what makes them invaluable, as there will come a time when they won’t be available in abundance. However, in our quest to achieve ultimate economic growth, none of these reserves have been left unscathed. 

The rate at which we are consuming non-renewable resources for commercial use is alarming. The rapidly growing human population is one of the main factors contributing to overconsumption. As the population grows, we require a larger supply of resources to keep up with the ever-increasing demand for goods and services, which requires more resources. Exploitation of these resources kickstarts a domino effect. It can cause scarcity of drinking water due to the over extraction of groundwater reserves for agriculture. It also contributes to a pressing global issue, climate change. Erasing verdant forests releases all of the carbon dioxide stored in the trees into the atmosphere which enhances the greenhouse effect. This deforestation also results in the loss of keystone species which causes further imbalances in fragile ecosystems.

One may ask how they can play their part in preserving the environment. Well, even seemingly insignificant tasks like reducing the duration of your shower and taking public transport over private vehicles can alleviate the issue of overconsuming resources. Spreading awareness about the jarring impacts of resource exploitation on future generations can increase involvement in tackling this issue on a global scale. Envision a future when our descendants do not have to worry about surviving tomorrow. Changing our lifestyle now can make this dream a reality!