FOR weeks and months, we have not been on cloud nine. The fluffy clouds can barely be seen, for they have been blocked by blankets of haze, an undesirable circumstance that affects people’s health, their livelihood and the environment they live in.
The fluctuations in the Air Pollutant Index readings are worrying, especially when the readings reach hazardous levels, forcing people to stay indoors and limiting their outdoor activities. This has caused people to become less active and productive, no thanks to the open burning in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
However, as we deal with this challenging time, have we once tried to stop blaming others for causing this atmospheric phenomenon? To develop furious and frustrated feelings is a no-brainer, given that all fingers point at Indonesia. But to refrain from being overemotional or overreacting is a difficult task. Some may not see the point of staying calm, especially when the worsening haze makes them lose their ability to breathe easily; developing a pessimistic attitude will not solve the problem either.
Instead of feeling angry and bitter, we need to stay positive, strong, patient and united. Our optimism, however, does not mean that it is fine to pay the price of others’ unjustified actions; rather, it makes us reflective and grateful persons who should have appreciated the clean air, good health, and the serene environment we were blessed with before it turns into a sorry sight.
We may feel that we do not deserve this life-threatening consequence, given that it is not our fault but this situation should help recollect the fact that in life, our willingness to learn from our mistakes may make us a good person, but our ability to learn from others’ mistakes makes us a better one.
Let us be forgiving while not forgetting the lessons that have turned us, the victims, into learners.
Some believe that what goes around comes around. Interestingly, this saying not only works on relationships between people, but also with their relationship with Mother Nature. For instance, the uncivilised act of illegal logging by insensitive individuals has caused floods, landslides, soil erosion and global warming.
Consequently, people have suffered and died of manmade natural disasters. Likewise, deforestation, open burning and land conflicts result in people having to endure unpleasant weather caused by the smoky haze. The act of felling trees has not only reduced the production of oxygen, but it has also made people breathe polluted air.
Some fail to understand that to be at loggerheads means to delay working towards effective solutions. The blame game should be stopped as no one will win in this endless and pointless “match” of finger-pointing and bickering.
While people are taking the effort to protect and preserve the environment, the environmentalists, researchers and higher authorities should hold discussions at the national and international levels to find long-term solutions that promise a bright future for the next generation.
n MUHAMAD SOLAHUDIN RAMLI, Marang, Terengganu