A Line in the sand…
There comes a time when it is time to just say something, when you reach that point, the breaking point that so called ‘line in the sand’ and when it comes to the environment we are already there.
This weekend there is the opportunity for the people of Jersey to send a resounding no to development on our beautiful coastline, to let the guys in our government know that sacrificing the environment for development will not be tolerated. It does make me smile and also a little confused when the politicians advertise Jersey as a quiet, sunny, stunning holiday destination and yet seem quite content to build all the houses they can on the small channel island.
Doubters and critics will say ‘what is the point, no one will listen?’ or ‘they do not care anyway’ and ‘money always talks’ but if we just sit back and moan and do nothing then why are we alive? Why bother with anything? If the good people sit around and do nothing then they are no different than anybody else. Knowing what is right is nothing, doing what is right is everything, action matters. Surely doing something is always an improvement on doing nothing? It all boils down to whether the cause you believe in is worth the tears, the fight and the struggle. History has taught us that change can be made by a few and if you are dedicated enough and believe enough then in the end your efforts will not be in vain. Even if the politicians say no and ignore us then we learn our lessons, dust ourselves off and move on to the next battle, in the end it is just about doing the right thing. If you take out all the bullshit that comes with the environmental movement about taking sides, stopping prosperity, stopping the economy, holding society back, then all you will see is the essence of truth. That everything we take for granted and hold close to us is due to the planet we live on and all we are trying to do is preserve it for the future. Why is that so bad and ignored by so many?
It may seem like a small fight to stop development on a small piece of coastline but if the public cannot make a stand on a well developed, well educated island then how are we going to change anything else? All journeys start with small steps and the environmental movement is no different.
But, why the same battles over and over again? Why the same arguments? The same environmental destruction? In the end, we only conserve what we love, we will only love what we understand and understand only what we are taught.
The planet we live on is fragile, delicate, intricate, and beautiful and if the line in the sand is not drawn soon then environmental collapse will happen. Then many years from now our children and our children’s will ask us why we did not do anything? Why did you sit around while the planet that supports us was destroyed? Why do nothing when the science said we had to? If you can live with yourself by saying you could not be bothered or did not want to then you’re a stronger man than I am.
If not then please make yourself heard and come down to La Braye this weekend (details in the JEP) to take part in a movement that is all about doing the right thing.
