Tag: conservation

Environmental Conservation is Self-Preservation: Here’s Why

I was watching a documentary today (at the time of writing this) about how Brazil is trying to fight against their current president’s policies regarding the Amazon rainforest. One of the things that stood out to me was when the narrator said that Bolsonaro and miners are choosing to destroy the rainforest with the sole intent to get rid of indigenous protections as a way of putting self-preservation above environmental conservation. And I had to stop the video after hearing this.

Not only was I feeling upset at an image that quickly showed on the screen of a large explosion with lots of fire in the Amazon, but I was also upset because I can’t believe people like Bolsonaro and the countless miners exist with this mindset. I don’t understand how they can’t see that environmental conservation actually is self-preservation.

What is more self-preserving than protecting the Earth so that we as humans can forever have a planet to live on?? What is more self-preserving than making sure we have a place to call home? And what is more self-preserving than making sure a planet is left for our future generations?

It’s baffling to me. Utterly baffling.

“Sky people cannot learn; you do not see.”

– Neytiri

Self-preservation should not be about instant gratification. I’m sure almost everyone has heard of the saying, “there are no shortcuts to success.” This mindset can be applied to our livelihoods. Deforesting the Amazon in order to build more cities, more businesses, and grow economically will only bring temporary satisfaction and temporary preservation. Because what happens when we can’t grow our own food anymore? What happens when there is no more green? What happens when everywhere is filled with so much gas, pollution, smog, and yellow dust we can’t go anywhere without masks on? At that point, who needs corona virus when we can create our own virus-free future where wearing masks is still permanent due to the toxic environment?

The Avatar film really had it right. The opening scene on the extended edition DVD truly showed what our future can look like when all the green is gone. Not a single blade of grass in sight. Not a single tree. No flowers, no flying animals, no fauna anywhere.

The scifi movies try to make it cool showing that in the future we can press a button and a full meal will be steaming hot waiting for us in less than 3 seconds. Maybe it’s cool for a film. But it’s not cool for real life. I mean, how awful do you feel after eating food that is pumped with steroids, preservatives, and a bunch of fillers? Why on earth would I want a bunch of fake food at the press of a button when I can grow it myself, make it taste good, and it be good for me?

“…the world we come from. There’s no green there. They killed their mother, and their gonna do the same here.”

– Jake Sully

And they truly have already started. They, meaning the people in power. The people that call all the shots and run the countries of the world. Everyone wants to be prosperous and own big conglomerates, have the most money, and use the most up-to-date technology. But technology is killing the Earth, conglomerates are shady and are selling poor quality items for insane prices, and you can’t eat money.

So, what now?

Sometimes I feel like I’m just shouting into the void.

If you’re interested in watching the documentary I was viewing, I will link it below.

Dear Crayola…

So, today I did something that I never thought I would do. For the first time, I wrote a letter to a business questioning their environmental practices. Well…saying it like that makes it sound a bit more confrontational than it really was, when really I was just asking for some clarification and transparency.

Recently, I have been using Crayola colored pencils again since I have gotten back into art. Crayola is a brand that I have been using off and on since childhood. I went to the Crayola website to see if I could order products straight from them but was quickly lured away by my own excitement when I saw their page on their sustainability efforts.

As a newbie conservationist, I have been taking small steps toward my environmental and wildlife advocacy. I have been searching online how I can be more active with this. So seeing that Crayola was also taking steps to be more “green”, I got excited. They even shared on their website how their colored pencils are “reforested colored pencils” and that they “are produced with wood from well-managed forests to help preserve resources”.

But then I turned over the two packs of colored pencils that I have to see where they were made, and lo and behold….they were made in Brazil.

Now, I didn’t want to immediately jump to any conclusions, however my mind immediately began to think of how the Amazon is constantly being destroyed due to illegal logging, illegal burning, and large foreign businesses employing these illegal loggers. All for the sake of getting wood, oil, and other resources that they think they need for their businesses at a cheap price.

So instead of getting angry about it, I decided to see if I can write to them. Fortunately, they have a contact page. I typed up my letter and sent it to them before I got off work and now, it’s just a waiting game to see if I get a response.

I do truly believe that the people behind Crayola want to do good things for the Earth. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t bother investing in solar power for their manufacturing needs. They wouldn’t have a recycling program that converts plastic into energy (if that actually even works). And they wouldn’t share all of their up-cycled craft ideas.

On the back of the colored pencil boxes it says that the pencils are made with planted trees in order to preserve the natural forests. But trees takes actual years to grow, and it takes decades for trees to reach their full maturity. A huge conglomerate like Crayola produces so much material, I fail to see how they can make their pencils solely from trees they are planting themselves or solely from tree farms they might do business with.

In my letter I asked what they specifically mean when they say their colored pencils are made from “well-managed forests” and where exactly do they get their wood from in order to make these pencils as well as all the cardboard boxes most of their craft materials come in. Again, I just want some clarity and transparency.

If I get a response, I will update and post about it here. I am hoping for good information because I actually like Crayola products. However, if they cannot be transparent about their materials or if it comes out that they are procuring their materials in a harmful way, then I cannot in good conscious continue to support the business and purchase their materials.

Fingers crossed!

*EDIT* 5/30/2022 – So, it has been 2 weeks and I have heard nothing back from Crayola. I guess I didn’t really expect to hear anything back, really. Even though the website says they will reply within two business days. And even though I didn’t expect to get a response, I’m still disappointed.