Holidays... : Save the Environment!

When we were young, we were always advised to save the environment. Until today, we are bombarded with messages such as 'Save our rivers', 'Save our earth', or 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle'. I've never understood the importance of conserving greens until the day I arrived at Tasik Kenyir.

The moment one arrives at Tasik Kenyir, the very first thing one will notice are the bald trees, all chopped right down to its very core. It is a pitiful sight indeed. It looks as if these trees - the guardians of the forest - were beheaded for just being caretakers of the jungle.

When we inquired further, we found out that when the prime minister came to Tasik Kenyir for a site visit, he found overgrown trees with leaves on its billion, zillion branches absorbing all the natural light, casting a dark shadow over the rivers. Thinking of it as unsightly and deeming it unsuitable as a tourist spot, the prime minister ordered all the trees to be cut down. Naturally, the respective ministry acted on the orders and embarked on a mission of chopping of trees that were submerged in the river.

Today, what's left of these trees are its roots and thick trunk. In fact, these trees are of superb quality. Proof of its strength and long durability were evident. The trees, despite being submerged in water since its birth, are still standing upright, tall, strong and sturdy, bringing to mind a famous proverb 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me'.

The trees in Tasik Kenyir fetches high commercial value because it is long-lasting and able to withstand termite attack. It is often processed into furniture and construction material for houses. Hence, logging activities are often carried out upstream of certain parts of the river, speeding up the deforestation process. In certain parts of the river downstream, the water is murky and brown, with lots of foam floating on the surface. It looks extremely polluted and, it just gets hotter by the minute. All for the sake of monetary gains while exploiting some of our natural resources.

I now realize that global warming is very real and it's escalating by the second. Despite our attempts at approaching paperless society, discarding the utilization of plastic bags, and recycling efforts, trees are still being cut everyday. Perhaps, these seemingly futile efforts might make a difference in saving our porcupines, tigers, eagles and hornbills, just like the famous starfish story by Loren Eiseley, an American anthropologist.

Witnessing the drastic sight of deforestation right in front of my eyes, and having experience dfirst-hand the results of it all, I resolve never again to print on papers unnecessarily and support wholesome efforts in saving Mother Earth. After all, there is only one earth. The survival of our human race depends on its continuity.