I believe that people who cut down trees are a certain type. The type who have no issue with using 20 plastic bags when they do their shopping. The type who eat meat for dinner nearly every night and their daily vegetable intake is in the frozen peas. A person who can end the life of a living thing is the same person who grunts as they lump their overweight body into the car, having forgotten that key to increasing life expectancy is exercise. This person drives to the shops that are under a kilometre away on a perfectly sunny day and when there is no rush, and their daily coffee is a huge, non-recyclable cup filled with an animal based milk that should really be in the mouth of its offspring.

They might be the person who still hasn’t realised that smoking cigarettes exists for the benefit of major cooperations and no one else, and because they put their plastics in the recycling bin, they believe they are environmentally aware. This person might have a pet that doesn’t really get the attention it needs, and inside their house you won’t see any potted greenery. Their diet is based on the outdated food pyramid and the idea of a person being vegetarian is “rubbish.” This person is not open to learning; they did all of that at school and there’s no need for any more. They know all they need to know and that’s that, thank you very much.

One of my new neighbours cut a giant gumtree down from her front yard this week. That tree was home to so many birds; particularly magpies and black cockatoos. Today my son pointed from our home as we watched the magpies bounce around on the dirt where that gumtree stood just a few days ago. The birds were no doubt pleased with all the upturned earth providing many worms, but also displeased and wondering where their nice tall dwelling had gone. Upon entering our street now, one has the awfully unobstructed view of a high voltage power line.

The reason for the destruction of this life source remains that the gum leaves were too untidy on the neighbours driveway. It was going to be too much maintenance.The homeowner? A nice enough lady who certainly doesn’t fit all of the above criteria, however there is no doubt that a little more environmental awareness might have saved that tree, and hundreds of others like it. This is one of the reasons our society has huge planetary problems. People don’t care enough about what is happening to the living things around them…to the point that they are willing to destroy the very thing that is providing them with clean air to breathe; providing them with life itself.

You see, making a difference is down to us. It’s the task of us “young people,” to be educated, and in turn educate our children. Kids are often a product of their parents; of their values and morals. It’s what we instill now that is going to make a difference to their future. Let’s heed Michael’s advice… “If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change.”