Question
Read the following statement by a well-known environmental thinker, David Suzuki:
“The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore; if a river is one of the veins of the land, not potential irrigation water; if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity-then we will treat each other with greater respect. Thus is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective.” Discuss in small groups. What do you think this statement means? What implication does it have for our actions with respect to the air, water, land, trees and mountains around us?

Answer

David Suzuki’s quote urges us to change our perspective and see the natural world not just as resources for exploitation, but as sacred and living entities. When we see nature with reverence—as a deity, family, or a mother—we naturally treat it with love, care, and respect. The implications it has on our actions with respect to the air, water, land, trees and mountains around us are:
1. We will avoid polluting rivers and instead protect them like sacred lifelines.
2. Forests would be preserved as sacred groves instead of being cleared for timber.
3. Mountains would be admired for their spiritual grandeur, not mined for minerals.
4. We would consider animals and other life forms as kin and not just as resources.
5. The air, water, and soil would be treated as life-giving elements, not as commodities.
This shift in thinking can help us become better caretakers of the environment.

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