Chronicle Editor
Stephen Mpofu, Perspective.
Global warming, the screaming headline now etched on the minds of Zimbabweans and other people elsewhere should be regarded as a warning from the Master of the universe to humanity to stop vandalising nature or risk self-immortalisation as a boomerang effect for the vandalism.
The nudity of deserts with virtually little or nothing in terms of vegetation for humanity to live on, as will be seen from film and pictures, should point to the end result of deforestation and give people a glimpse of the devastation if wanton acts of deforestation, veld fires and other acts of nature vandalism are not stopped forthwith to give future generations of Zimbabweans their deserved bequest of a country blossoming with trees and other forms of vegetation and rivers flowing with water for domestic use, as well as for irrigation of crops among other uses.
Recurrent droughts that have caused crop failures with our country raising the begging bowl to other nations for food relief should not be allowed to become a norm and this therefore points to consistent efforts to fight deforestation as trees are known to absorb and sink carbon gases that erode ozone, the layer that protects earth from the sun’s dangerous rays which heat up earth to cause what is popularly known as global warming.
The Forestry Commission and the Environmental Management Agency should be given the powers if they do not possess them right now to enforce the protection of woodlands or forests with the assistance of traditional leaders out there to give our nation environmental life-long vivacity.
When the skies are generous, tree planting especially out there in the country should be a normal practice under devolution with school children being taught that greening up the motherland is part of their navigation of life.
It is known that wanton destruction of woodlands for firewood to sell in urban centres or to clear land for resettlement has also resulted in fruit trees of great nutritional value being rendered extinct.
If during re-afforestation villagers are encouraged, and even receive prizes for growing fruit trees much would have been done in terms of improving health standards of our people.
Of course, greening up Zimbabwe also suggest modifying the country’s factory chimneys to minimise the discharge of toxic gases into the atmosphere while also ensuring that no similarly dangerous gases are emitted from coal plants with the dangerous effects of helping to erode ozone.
What the above suggests is that Zimbabweans and other habitants of mother earth have an important role to play in safeguarding lives.
“A stitch in time saves nine,” so goes one altruism.
Online Reporter