The imperative need for various, and often opposing, forces of society to join hands in the protection and conservation of the environment cannot be overemphasized.  We are all in the position to either build or wreck our future on the only planet known to host humankind with any degree of survival.

The widely recognized adverse effects of climate change makes action on all our parts even more urgent.  To paraphrase US President Barack Obama, our generation’s response to the environmental challenges before us today will set the tone for the future and that future may very well be bleak and catastrophic if and when we fail to act swiftly, boldly and together.

Thus, we should push for more linkages between the worlds of science and the arts, both of which have roles to play in environmental initiatives from setting national and international policies to educating the average individuals about their roles.  When we can harness the talents, abilities and knowledge of many individuals, we have greater opportunities for new technologies, wider venues to explore and higher levels of success.  Indeed, we can achieve more when we work together.

On one side, we have the scientists who can study the forces of nature and environment in quantitative and qualitative terms.  Thus, we have geologists who can study Earth’s history and, hence, giving us a glimpse into what may well be our future.  We have archaeologists who study ancient civilizations and their relationship with their environment that may or may not have led to their demise.  We have biologists who study the flora and fauna on land, on sea and on air to determine how human activities and the natural cycle of things have changed and will change.

Indeed, we have many more types of scientists who have dedicated their lives and professions in advancing our knowledge of the Earth we live in.  They have their talents, skills and abilities that will help all of us find the right ecological balance.

On the other side, we have the members of the humanities and the arts.  Through them, scientists can better communicate their research studies, findings and analysis, most often in ways that even the average individual will understand and, hence, be motivated to take action.  After all, scientists are generally not known for their communication skills especially where quantitative and qualitative analyses are involved.

To put it more bluntly, we need scientists to understand the losses to the environment in scientific terms devoid of speculations but we also need the experts in communication who will communicate the losses, conflicts and feelings to the general masses.  Otherwise, the scientists may not be able to communicate their valid fears for humankind and the communicators will not know that there is indeed something alarming that needs to be disseminated in an urgent manner.

If there ever was a time to set aside our differences in religion, race, class and gender, then the time is now.  We are not fighting only for individual human rights but we are fighting for the right of all humanity to live in the only planet that we can all call home.  Now, that’s a fight worth fighting for!