OPINION: Insects, bears and the future of our grand children...

I was going through one of the daily papers in London city.

I am from “that” generation!

When radio and newspapers were the main source of information. Then the radio was replaced by TV. I embraced TV. But still listened to the radio. Especially while cooking or driving. It is a pleasure having to listen to some DJ talking without having to stare at the screen. Our eyes get affected by starring at glass screens for long hours ...well, even during sleep. Most of us cannot stop. We leave the TV for 24 hours. I have heard folks confessing they cannot sleep while the television is switched off.

Or worse...

I was at a house the other day; we were having a very serious conversation. I pleaded for the TV to be turned off. It was as if I had said that the building was on fire. We treat the TV a status symbol.

And worse...

Television has been overtaken by mobile phones.

I once got into trouble for gently tapping a lady on the back. We were going down these London underground trains escalators. She was at the beginning of the queue and more than twenty of us behind her were stuck ...but she was in trance. Watching a feature film on her phone while walking.

“Dont touch me! Never touch me again! You don’t touch people...”

London is an edgy; tense city.

What about newspapers?

Never read newspapers

I cannot count how many Millenials have told me they never read newspapers. “I just check stuff online...Actually i don’t have money to buy newspapers. I get information for free on my phone.”

Most of these youths also say papers are “full of lies” and packed with bad news.

Well, I read newspapers and go through news online and well, I am from the “that” lucky generation in comparison.

So I was reading the daily paper and Page Seven had an image of a lovely butterfly. Yes, butterfly. As some of you might know. Tanzania is known for exportation of butterflies, from the Usambara Mountains. Years ago a European TV documentary highlighted this fascinating business. Perfectly legal. I have never heard anything ever since.

...but, but, but.....

But the headline was gloomy.

INSECTS COULD BE WIPED OUT WITHIN A CENTURY

Speaking of insects.

Dudus...

Ever since I set foot on the cold north hemisphere, I used to wonder how you could easily snatch a fly perched quietly by the window. Or, most females here being scared (or bothered or ruffled) by spiders. The cold climate of, course, distinguishes this behaviour compared to Africa.

However, the alarming news is the value of these creatures. The paper quoted the journal of Biological Conservation in a recent science international study: “If insect species losses cannot be halted, this will have catastrophic consequences for the planet’s ecosystems and for the survival of mankind.”

The most affected seems to be butterflies and bees – they pollinate our plant life and generally all insects, are food for some creatures.

Stop this nonsense

And subsequently we return to the same theme. Let us be more aware of our surroundings. Stop throwing rubbish around. Stop disregarding where we live and help our world. Let us stop this nonsense about the end of the world being near. It is a very selfish idea; we seem to like singing and shouting about.

Mother Earth is a very strong planet and will carry on regardless of our little minds.

Yes I was reading the newspaper.

...On another page was a photograph of fifteen white animals. I thought they were pigs. Wrong. They were polar bears. Taken somewhere in the Arctic Circle, within Russia. It is said these bears are part of wildlife invading human residencies. In the past the bears stayed in their own surroundings. But now they are slowly coming to human dwellings. The group was scavenging human waste and a children playground.

Daily Mail said: “ With Arctic sea ice retreating as a result of climate change, the bears have adjusted their habits as prey in their natural hunting grounds becomes scarce.”

Climate change.

The scourge of our times.

It is happening in Africa too. Wild animals are coming into villages and attacking lone peasants.

I hear someone yelling: THIS IS THE END OF THE WORLD.

Such outbursts never stop.

Those yelling love to talk about another world, another paradise where we will sit with angels and well, you know the fable and yarn and promise.

The truth is- THIS is our world. We came here found it with all sorts of contradictions. We have lived here, we are living here, our grandchildren will be here; and, and, and, and.... our ancestors were around here too. Each of us dies alone. Mother Earth will carry on regardless...