Source: The American Center - Hanoi

"Chief Seattle, the prominent leader well-known for a speech in favor of ecological responsibility, compared humankind as one thread within “the web of life”, in which everything closely connected. Nowadays, the development made by human globally has threatened to damage that web of life, with many actions that are degrading the environment.

In his famous speech in 1855, Chief Seattle said: “The air is precious, for all things share the same breath – the beast, the tree, the man; they all share the same breath”. Now the air – the precious resource of the Earth is in peril with traffic congestions happen so often in Hanoi. The volume of traffic has escalated in recent years and the incessant roar of trucks and buses with the exhaust fumes make the city centre an extremely noisy and polluted place to live.

Water is increasingly contaminated to an alarming degree. Rivers and lakes are full of pollutants and chemicals from industrial factories. The case that Vedan Corporation had poured chemicals to the Thi Vai River, Dong Nai province for a long time is a striking example of human’s irresponsibility to natural resources. Although authorities have tried to improve rivers and lakes through dredging, the attempts are ostensibly in vain in the shadow of inhabitants’ low level of awareness.

Deforestation, a major problem of land pollution, has causes floods and droughts every year. People from the Middle provinces of Vietnam such as Nghe An, Quang Binh, and so on have suffered consequences the most. Sadly, floods result in a deluge of losses and tend to be stronger year after year.

One of the most difficult issues not only Vietnam but other countries have to deal with is climatic changes. There is evident that CO2 from industrial factories may account for global warming. Consequently, in accordance with Agence France-Presse, global warming which becomes a real challenge for agricultural countries such as Vietnam and other Asian nations, leads to the decrease of rice output.

Environmental pollution is not merely a problem that any individual can confront. Due to the fact that the pollution is primarily attributed to humankind and only human has the power to alternate the current bad situation of environment, we ourselves have to make drastic changes, because of our life, because of our children’s life and because of other wildlife. From educators to farmers, from governors to citizens, from affluent countries to poor nations, people from all walks of life have to participate.

Three aspects are required to simultaneously involve in protecting the environment namely education, economy, and science. Among those, education plays a vital part of raising people’s awareness of environment-related problems. Apart from common subjects such as Literature, Mathematics, Science, and so forth, “Green lessons” should be added in school curriculum, consisting of both outdoor lessons and in-class activities. Even simple things need to be taught, such as turning off lights and appliances when they are no longer in use or using public transport more often. Therefore, self-consciousness is also essential.

Second, governments should show their role by driving the development of economy into an environment-friendly way. Charging polluting factories high taxes and reallocating industrial zones to far-flung places, apart from residential areas are considered good solutions. Besides, the Government should promote recycle industry, which is to reduce waste and recycle rubbish as soon as possible.

The advance of science and discovery has devised ways to protect environment. According to an article on Vnexpress.net publishing on December 2nd 2010, the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan suggested that bamboo lowered the temperature of the Earth by absorbing CO2 at a significant rate and prevented floods. That leads to the benefit of promoting natural bamboo forests which become green houses for a variety of living things. The growth of science also brings about bio-gas and bio-energy, which opens the door to new methods of using energy. Additionally, as a tropical monsoon country, Vietnam habitat will be much benefited if solar and wind energy are made use of.

It appears that the number of worldwide population may reach nine billions prior to 2050 in line with the report from United Nations, fuel energy and other resources are put under pressure. Henceforth, countries should restrict the use of fuel energy and other nonrenewable resources.

“Man did not weave the web of life – he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself”, environment protection appears so important and urgent today that should be widely acknowledged. We have endured the aftermath of destroying the habitat for years, and so does other living things. This is time to take action, if we concentrate on three aspects: education, economy and science, the current condition of the environment will be improved."

By Vuong Ngoc Anh