Environmental Challenges

FREEING a Paper I wrote in 2008:



  Environmental Challenges

 Every Child is born into the world, and into a family. The family is the support

system and nourishment that the child needs and depends on for survival. A healthy

family can provide much more for a child then the bare necessities food, water, shelter,

and clothing; a healthy family can provide experiences and opportunities for their

child’s development and growth. Life is full of challenges, and not all children have the

same equal opportunities, because every family has a different economic status and as a

result the quality of life can provide only what it will for each child. Every child is living

in an environment that an adult provides, children need to be sheltered and protected ,

some children are more fortunate than others and do not worry about where they are

going to sleep at night. In some parts of the world children and their

parents do not have much shelter, in areas of Africa children become forced to live in

the streets due to different life circumstances “An increasing number of children are

being forced to the streets as result of poverty, abuse, torture, rape abandonment or

orphaned by AIDS.”” Indeed denial of basic human and legal rights including the right

to life, liberty and security as a person to children are now a defining feature of the

African socio-economic landscape.”(Peter Kopoka, 2000) This is an extreme example of

what children and their families are faced with everyday of their lives. These are the

families whose experiences and concerns are if they will be able to nourish their bodies,

children who live this experience are not going to school, and are living in an

environment that does not offer and support opportunities of developmental growth.

Not all families get aid and assistants from their governments or charitable

organizations. If you cannot feed your body, how can you feed your mind?

Children and families who are able to meet their family’s basic needs, and whose

children are in school may still be presented with life’s challenges. In the United

States, in Southern California, homes are built very close together, businesses are built

close to schools, and airports can be heard from backyards, busy freeways sound like an

ocean from outside your front door. Noise pollution is everywhere, and affects children

in many different ways, “Children who are exposed to chronic loud noise also

experience a rise in blood pressure and stress hormones.”(Kimberly Kopko, 2006) A

child may be living with their family in a loving home with all their needs being met,

but are still suffering in their development because of their surrounding environment. It

does not matter where in the world you move to, a family will always encounter

challenge, particularly when it comes to the environment.

Having an understanding of what creates a healthy environment is important.

Human beings are the guardians of their children, and also of all walks of life on earth,

if human beings are not in harmony with the earth and their environment, life becomes

out of balance. One culture that knows the way of the earth and respects the natural

balance of life is the Native American people. “Native Americans have long had an

immediate relationship with their physical environments. At contact most lived in

relatively small units close to the earth, in tune with its rhythms and resources.”(David

Lewis, 1995) Even the Native American people were faced with many challenges, being

forced onto reservations, and losing parts of their language and culture due to other

human beings that felt the Native American ways of living were outdated and thought

that they should learn their way of life instead. In the United States technology and the

advancement of technology has become a global outbreak in recent years, some

technology is being used to help with aiding practical life tasks. An example is

computers and e-mails, soon the mail man and snail mail will be non-existent, I wish I

could say the same about war, and all the technology that is used to build bombs and

devices to hurt and kill other human beings who are in disagreement over land or

something that could be solved in many other ways other than taking away someone’s

life.

            The television is one other advancement in technology that has brought

enjoyment into people’s lives, and has also caused fear and created un-healthy

behaviors inside family homes. In the United States the media has instilled fear in

families, when people watch the daily news, they are exposed to the journalists who

report on  violent and negative events that are happening in the world. This is one of

the causes that lead parents to not allowing their children to go outside and play as

frequently. Not allowing children to go outside and play can lead to a number of other

un-healthy factors, such as children’s obesity, “Obesity in children increases the more

hours they watch television.”(Thomas Robinson, 2006) Families need a way to learn

how to cope with life’s challenges, so they can raise their children healthy. Parents need

to teach their children the ways in which to handle life’s challenges, so when learning

full learning potential. Families are faced with real life challenges every day, and young

children are exposed to the choices and living environments we create for them to live

and learn in every day.  Life events and individual choices create the environment we

all live in, what kind of world do we want to create? What kinds of environment do we

want for of children to experience and learn from?

Children do the best with what they were given, education is the opportunity

that a child needs to create a better life for him or herself and learn how to become

independent.  When children are independent, one day they can create a family of their

own, and give their children a healthy environment that every human being deserves.

Educators and parents can work together and share the responsibility of guiding and

teaching children to be strong and healthy individuals who can demonstrate and model

good behavior as  young members of society. Parents and teachers must first be the

healthy role models and demonstrate the behavior that they wish the children

themselves to create. “Treat others how you yourself would want to be treated” The

golden rule is just one of many ethical teachings that a individuals or family creates

for themselves to live and stand by, and to guide their way through life. The

environment that the individual person creates for themselves is the environment that

contributes to the whole.

Every human being living on planet earth has a responsibility and

purpose for their life, Teachers and parents alone do not have the power to

change a person, it is the person themselves who has to be inspired to change

and create a healthy inner space or environment for themselves. When

individual people make this change, the impact on the environment will greatly

improve depending on what kind of change and choices the individual is

creating. Some human beings are not as educated and aware about the human potential

and impact that we create and have on the planet. Human beings are connected to all

life, for life’s survival, water is a key element.  Research has been performed on

the intelligence of water, and what important role it plays in human life,

How water structures reflects human consciousness.

 “Water has a very important message for us. Water is

telling us to take a much deeper look at ourselves.”” Mr. Emoto's work we are

provided with factual evidence, that human vibrational energy, thoughts, words,

ideas and music, affect the molecular structure of water, the very same water that

comprises over seventy percent of a mature human body and covers the same

amount of our planet. Water is the very source of all life on this planet, the

quality and integrity are vitally important to all forms of life. The energy or

vibrations of the environment will change the molecular shape of water. In this

sense water not only has the ability to visually reflect the environment but it also

molecularly reflects the environment.” (Reiko Myamoto, 2004)

Human thoughts and feelings create human actions, the outside environment

begins with the inside environment. If you take care of your health, you will have the

strength and well being to help and take good care of others. A human that is healthy

and balanced can be successful with parenting, working, and caring and nurturing for

the surrounding environment. Caring for the environment and living responsibly has

become vital for our planets survival.  Listening and knowing the needs of today and

acting accordingly is important for creating the ground work that must be done, in

order for future generations to be successful in life. Recycling and replacing chemical

cleaners, light bulbs, and using filters on water faucets is just a very small part of what

must be done to ensure future generations a safe, clean, and healthy living

environment.

All human must learn to be self-less and sacrifice and share their gifts, to create

the kind of environment that children and families around the world deserve to

experience.  Challenge is a given, and must not be taken lightly, but having a good

sense of humor and good work ethic will get us through these very difficult times.

“Peace and survival of life on earth as we know it are threaded by human activities

which lack a commitment to humanitarian values. Destruction of nature and natural

resources results from ignorance, greed and lack of respect for the earth’s living

things.”( Dalai Lama, 2006)

If parents want to see their children grow up to be healthy and have a family of

their own, small steps must be taken every day to create an environment worth living in

and making sacrifices for, it is up to each individual to decide for themselves what that

sacrifice and service is, and how it will help contribute and replenish the planets current

condition.