This past week has seen us celebrating some special days –18th Global Recycling Day, 20th World Frog Day, 21st Human Rights Day, 22nd World Water Day and Earth Hour.
These days and events around them highlight actions and events that focus attention (even briefly) on critical issues that contribute to our health and well-being as we spin around the sun on our beautiful blue planet.
They should not, however, be seen in isolation – human rights are directly related to environmental rights, and therefore, the lack of focus on the environment impacts our basic rights on all levels.
For quite a while, I’ve been like a stuck record with one request: Please put the environment at the top of every agenda, and the reason is rather obvious – without a clean and healthy environment, we will be dead.
Our Constitution in Section 24 Environment states:
Everyone has the right: –
(a) to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and
(b) to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that –
(i) prevent pollution and ecological degradation;
(ii) promote conservation; and
(iii) secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development.
So why is this not happening?
My opinion is that it is largely due to a lack of knowledge and understanding, but information is freely available, so surely this is no longer an excuse, especially for those who are tasked with making decisions that impact us all.
Of course, those who wish to continue the agendas of extractivism and profit above people can’t allow trivialities like humanity and compassion for the earth and her creatures to impact their decisions in the pursuit of the proverbial greedy dollar.
They accuse us ‘greenies’ of being obstructionists to their ill-conceived plans of ‘development’ and plans to ‘turn South Africa into a construction site’.
Not at all – conscious development is welcomed, where the fundamental rights of all – people, water (rivers and oceans), air, soil, plants and creatures are respected.
Let’s try to get this right.
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