Online Reporter
Stephen Mpofu, Perspective
THE headline above is the question we, as members of the global village, ask each year — and on June 5, World Environment Day, we reflect on the answers provided by nature itself, prompting action where necessary.
In our Zimbabwean corner of the global village, environmental experts have raised concerns about various types of plastic pollution, particularly in water bodies such as dams that supply essential water to major urban centres.
They noted that fish ingest plastic particles in these polluted waters, and in turn, people consume the contaminated fish — posing serious health risks.
Equally concerning is the issue of plastics clogging water pipes, a problem confirmed by plumbers, which contributes to water shortages in residential areas.
One would also expect environmental experts to highlight the pollution of streams and lakes in rural areas, where many people rely on these water sources for drinking, cooking, and other domestic uses.
It is a known fact that villagers —any of them — do their laundry in downstream water, while others dig shallow wells nearby and divert the same water for household use.
When World Environment Day passes, environmentalists must not rest on their laurels. Instead, they should launch sustained anti-water pollution campaigns across the country. Schools must also play a vital role, empowering students to become vocal advocates for environmental awareness and the survival of both humans and wildlife.
Environmental experts must also revisit other human activities that threaten our survival and that of the natural world.
To what extent, for instance, have factory chimneys been modified to reduce the emission of harmful fumes into the atmosphere?
Coal plants are also known to release dangerous gases, as do fires used for hunting. Add to that the veld fires started to clear land for cultivation, and the reckless cutting down of trees — trees that would otherwise absorb and store harmful gases — all in the pursuit of quick profits from selling firewood in urban areas.
These emissions combine to erode the ozone layer, which protects the Earth from the sun’s harmful rays.
The consequences are already evident: Zimbabwe has experienced repeated droughts, while the eastern regions have suffered from devastating floods.
Currently, Nigeria is reportedly grappling with severe flooding, displacing people, destroying homes, and affecting wildlife — all as a result of climate change.
Zimbabweans must be continuously educated about the dangers of activities that harm the environment and, by extension, ourselves as co-inhabitants of this planet.
E pela, as our Zambian neighbours would say — for The End.
