By Alicia Chamely
SMALL changes can make a big difference.
As a country, Trinidad and Tobago needs to adhere to best practices to limit impact upon the environment and bring positivity to those within our natural environments.
This was the message sent by Justice Frank Seepersad during his address at the 3rd night of Ramleela celebrations at Palmiste Park, San Fernando, on Sunday.
Drawing from the life of Lord Rama, and the years he spent connecting with all facets of nature during exile in the forest, Seepersad said, “From time immemorial, Mother Earth has provided us with all that we need not only to survive, but to thrive.”
He said, “However, it is undeniable that in the twenty-first century, we continue to abuse her,” he said, “This is in contradistinction to the lessons which we are exhorted to learn from the life of Prabhu Shri Rama, namely that we have a sacred obligation to preserve and protect Mother Earth and our environment.”
Seepersad said, “Climate change is real, and pollution of our air and watercourses pose a clear and present danger to life in this the twenty-first century.”
Reflecting on the teachings of Sanatan Dharma and fashioning our lives after Lord Rama, he said, “We must love and respect our environment, and we must make a conscientious effort to reduce our consumption and use of items which harm the environment.”
Seepersad continued, “We must recognise, as Lord Rama did, that in order to save ourselves and those we love, we must seek to save the environment and the natural surroundings also.”
He said, “Small changes can make a big difference, and we can all become environmental-conservationists as we drive to keep our land and waterways clean and garbage-free.”
Framing the need for environmental consciousness through the battle between Lord Rama and the demon King Ravana, Seepersad said the battle “must be understood to be a consistent battle between the forces of preservation and protections against the forces of destruction and decimation.”
He said as a country whose economy was dependent on fossil fuels, “we must adhere to the best practices which focus upon limiting the impact on the environment.”
Seepersad explained our “natural environment” also included our fellow citizens and communities and we must also remember that our actions affect others.
“We must ultimately discharge the obligations thrust upon us by our station in life, conscientiously and we must remember that what we do affects others,” he said, “We cannot ignore our communities and the human beings that reside in our towns and villages, for they all form part of the natural environment.”
He urged the crowd to reflect upon the life of Prabbhu Shri Rama and apply his teachings in our way of life in the twenty-first century as we seek to preserve our environment and have a positive effect on the lives of others.
