Whilst many of us do not come face to face with the environmental damage that is occurring around the world or see the species driven to extinction on a daily basis, we may read or hear about it on an almost daily basis. Certainly, there are many organizations out there large and small fighting on our behalf. The damage inflicted on the environment and the creatures that are driven to extinction will ultimately over time affect us all and will most certainly have a profound effect on our grandchildren and their children.
Politicians and their policies are generally geared to the next election, terms of three to four years hence. Most policies geared to the long term will not engender them to voters and limit their chances of clinging to power. Large companies have far more money to lobby politicians than the public at large or the charities fighting on behalf of threatened land, plants, and species facing extinction. Many governments put progress and money ahead of threatened land, plants, and species.
Herein lies the problem for the environment and species facing extinction, they require long-term policies way beyond the three to four-year terms for re-election.
Every day we put more pressure on our world, our home, the only one we have. Wars, commercial greed, overfishing, intensive farming. Politicians talk the talk but only walk to the next elections, usually a three-year window, when it comes to action. Our world needs long-term leadership where politicians can look into the future not just the next election and corporate greed can be set aside for a while to correct man's past environmental mistakes and clean up the pollution of the land, rivers, seas, and oceans. Reverse the extinction rates and reforest our lands.
A dream, maybe but what alternative is there?