Picture this, a world without plants, where the merciless sun beats down on earth all day, and humans must stay indoors because it is so inhospitable outdoors. When we do venture out, we will have to be clothed in some sort of gear to protect us from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, which can potentially damage our eyes and lead to blindness or damage our skin and cause us to develop skin cancer. I know this sounds like a dystopian novel but if civilization continues its current trajectory of decreasing the plant population, so that we can increase, this could indeed become a reality.
With population growth comes expansion of villages, towns, and cities, coupled with new construction which brings with it an increase in logging activities, clearing of land to build highways, an increase in traffic and greenhouse gases etc., all of which results in deforestation. Our generation will probably not be here to experience these drastic environmental changes, but we are certainly influencing the changes to come.
It has long been predicted by scientists that the march of civilization fueled by advances in technology would eventually impact the environment negatively. Now, the signs are all around us that our activities have led to an imbalance in nature, resulting in extreme weather and natural disasters. It is a global problem, and it needs a global response, from governments, businesses, companies, and the international community. The hope is that these entities will come together and work collectively to reverse the damage that they are inflicting on the planet.
But there is plenty of room for everyone at the grassroots level to get involved and make environmental responsibility part of their daily life. It could be as simple as planting a tree, or a parent teaching a child about gardening. Children are our biggest resource, and comprise the next generation, whose choices can impact the planet for better or for worse. So, teaching children, at an early age, about agriculture, plants and planting helps them to begin to “see” plants, become aware of them, and to foster a love of the environment.
It is encouraging to see that education in schools plays a leading role in raising awareness in the younger generation about the role of plants. The importance of this education, beginning in elementary school, is fundamental to helping children to recognize what plants do, and how central they are to life. Since plants don’t sing, smile, talk, hug, snuggle, or stand out in any way, what they do is not something that is readily apparent to a child. This lack of knowledge can lead to plant blindness, which is defined as, the inability to see plants in one’s own environment, (Schussler and Wandersee, 1998).
The agriculture programs that are already in many elementary schools should continue to be supported, and be expanded in colleges and universities, so that the fields of agriculture and horticulture are seen as upwardly mobile career paths. There are many career choices available to those who want to work with plants. There are jobs in governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, education, the scientific field, social sciences, the medical field, Wellness, politics, horticultural therapy, geography, land conservation, landscaping etc. There is something for everyone.
The hope is that more people will recognize that plants are the pillars, anchors, and sentinels of Planet Earth. They are our armor, and literally the last stand between us and the extinction of life on earth.
https://apnews.com/article/india-monsoon-floods-deaths-8185e8e5b05fe9de76efc609928ec360
https://byjus.com/question-answer/what-would-happen-if-green-plants-disappear-from-the-earth-1/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329662793_Human_Issues_in_Horticulture
https://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/impact-of-ecosystem-destruction