Are you one of Noah’s passengers? – Miss Write

Two international events have inspired me to write this week. 

1. The new film “Noah” is being promoted all over the place. It’s THE biblical Hollywood tale of the year, apparently!

2. The unusual air pollution levels we’re experiencing here in the UK.

So what?

We’ve all heard of Noah. He was a man, fictional or not, who faced a huge challenge when the God warned him of an epic flood. Realising the bigger picture, Noah took some on a whole lot of work and made some tough decisions, leading the way to save his family and neighbours, not to mention the animals who came onto his arc “two-by-two”. 

Now, I treat Bible stories with a pinch of salt. I believe they are picture stories constructed to teach us life lessons. Noah’s story is of someone who was strong enough to take on a huge challenge and who ended up saving the ‘world’. (I say ‘world’ because I think the flood in question didn’t affect the whole world, but a localised area. It may have seemed like the whole planet to Noah’s folk though!)

And what about air pollution? Why is this on my mind (and on the news)?

Air pollution has been a hot topic in the UK this week. These unusual levels of pollution are much more than the normal home-grown pollution a country like ours creates on a daily basis, and the emissions we import via European winds. This situation has been exacerbated this week by Saharan winds blowing particularly strong and effectively dropping part of the African desert into our atmosphere. Many people (mainly those with allergies, asthma, and the elderly) have had their health affected, but even on the smallest level, Brits are noticing the impact. Cars are filthy with a layer of the dirt, and visibility has been reduced due to the dust in the air. Take a look at how hazy Northamptonshire looked yesterday afternoon. These fields are normally a green and pleasant vista, but are now fogged in air pollutants. It’s not the resolution of the photo – this really is smog. 

I find it a bit scary that this might be the future of our air quality…

Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental issues our planet is facing, and has been facing, since the introduction of industry, transport and development. And it isn’t only the UK which is having problems. Only 1% of China’s 560 million city residents breathe air that is considered safe by the European Union. And, this severe air pollution problem, which has led to cancer becoming China’s leading cause of death, is no longer affecting the Chinese people alone – it’s spreading globally. 

So what does the advent of a new blockbuster and increased air pollution have in common?

The story of Noah and his arc was a tale of foreseen disaster and preparing for the ‘hit’. Noah was successful in saving humans and wildlife from the threat of extreme flood waters through planning, the support of his family, their understanding of the issue, and faith in his mission. 

You’ve probably worked out my point already: The situation Noah found himself in can be applied to tackling environmental issues – case in point, air pollution. Clean air is getting harder and harder to find as the years go on, and WE KNOW something has to be done.  We know there’s a problem, but it seems we’re sitting by and letting it get worse.

Like many environmentalists and scientists, Noah had his skeptics, but eventually everyone saw what was coming and pulled together. Sure, in this instance, all they did was jump on an arc when the hard work had already been done, but the point is made. When we all accept there is a problem and a serious threat to our environment, we can make a difference and fend off disaster. 

Question: Have you given some thought on how you can reduce the amount of air pollution you’re creating?

I dearly hope that enough can be said and done in the next months and years to help the powers that be recognise finally that if we lose our planet, we lose everything.

Working together, like Noah and his family, we as mere inhabitants of this Earth can overcome the issues of air pollution. Technology is out there which can help. Campaign groups have huge support for combating the problem. Ideas are forthcoming from our great minds. There’s certainly enough evidence to say something should be done!

CAUTION! We can’t stop at solving air pollution. It’s no secret that we humans have been causing damage to the planet for years. 

The world’s population is 7.2 billion, many of whom are intent on living unsustainable lives. 
Humans caused this. 

An area of rainforest the size of England, Scotland and Wales combined is being lost every year.
Humans caused this. 

538 million tonnes of waste is dumped globally every year. 
Humans caused this. 

African elephants will become extinct in 10 years time. In fact, 1 in 4 mammals is at risk of extinction. 
Humans caused this. 

We have borrowed time on disappearing land as sea levels rise – a result of climate change. 
Humans caused this. 

It’s not easy to find out who originally said this, but it makes a brilliant point, one of my favourite quotes ever. 

Get the picture? We’re destroying our own home, one leap at a time. And this is just the start. Treehugger has more if you want more gut wrenching facts about how human activities are damaging the planet. 

Like the story of Noah, I believe not all hope is lost. I believe with hard work, some investment and education, and some serious political barriers being broken, we can leave this planet in a better state than how we found it.

If the metaphorical flood comes, it won’t be just the third world who suffers. It won’t be a problem for descendants we will never meet. It is real; it is now. 

We’re all in this together – just like the animals and humans on Noah’s arc. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. If it’s made you think, please share it on Twitter, Facebook or send someone an email with a link in it. Last week’s post on bacon was a little bit informal, but I couldn’t be more serious about the issue I’ve written about today. 

Lou x 

Find me on Facebook
…And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist