We are selfish and forget that we can’t keep abusing nature, says Bhumi
As a climate warrior, the state of the planet and how people are casual about nature, worries actor Bhumi Pednekar. On the occasion of World Nature Conservation Day, the actor says she strongly believes that our generation has to be the generation that regenerates and restores our planet.
“We’ve reached a brink where we’ve pushed our planet to a point where things have gotten out of control. If you see what’s happening around — the flash floods in Germany, parts of Maharashtra and China — it’s all bad. There are forest fires in the US, there’s heat wave in Canada. It’s important to understand that we’ve pushed it beyond our control and if we don’t set things right, and then the future is not going to be good,” cautions Pednekar.
The 32-year-old says it’s unfair to all children and young adults to not have the kind of life that she and others have had like “not having the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water or enjoy nature the way we did”.
She adds, “Today is about realising that what we are left with needs to be protected and regenerated. That’s our duty towards future generations. We were born in an abundant planet and now we’ve reached this point… We need world leaders and the general public to acknowledge that what we’re doing right now isn’t okay. Humans are so selfish. We forget that we cannot keep abusing nature and its resources.”
Working at the ground level with various people, the Pati Patni Aur Woh (2019) actor says that there are many challenges that she faces, especially about educating people on the seriousness of conservation of nature.
“The difficult thing is when you tell people about it and they say, ‘Oh climate change isn’t real, and it’s all made up.’ My response to them is that they’re so comfortable in these lies that they don’t want to face the truth. They don’t want a life of inconvenience,” she adds.
However, Pednekar is optimistic and feels that there has been a shift and change in the way people look at it.
“In the last two years of the pandemic, we’ve learnt a lesson. It came at a heavy cost but people are discussing the topic. They are being compassionate towards nature, but it’s not enough, we need a lot more,” she stresses.