Dear Mother Earth,
I love the way your sky turns pink and orange in the sunset, the way your mountains give us plenty of minerals and fresh water from your rivers and streams never went dry for us. I can still recall and live the memories of my childhood when the sweet melodies of chirping birds started my day, the four seasons which you have bestowed for us had their essence on our healthy lives, and the delicious fresh food from your golden soil was the only reason of my good health. I still remember running barefoot on your soft, green grass, my feet sinking into the cool earth as the world felt boundless and free. The streams, clear as glass, sang their gentle lullabies, their waters reflecting the skies above, and I would often pause to marvel at how perfectly you held everything together. Life was simple then, but it was also full of gratitude for everything you provided without asking for anything in return.

But these days, you have seemed to be unhappy. The sunsets still paint the sky, but the colors seem dimmer somehow as if even they are mourning the changes we’ve brought upon you. The rivers, once so full of life, are struggling to flow freely, their banks littered with signs of our neglect. Your birds don’t sing loudly and their songs that once greeted me each morning fade into silence. Your soil is becoming prey to erosion and as per recent studies, 24% of global soil is eroded. I sometimes wonder if I used to count butterflies in my childhood and now I barely can see them, sometimes I also wonder if my fellow humans including me are responsible for this chaos that happened to you, and when I look into these facts that we humans have cleared about 46% of the world’s forests over the last 12,000 years (most destruction occurring in the last 100 years), our activities have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by 50% since the pre-industrial era, we produce over 400 million tons of plastic every year, with 91% of it not being recycled, we generate over 2 billion tons of waste annually and also around 7 million people die annually due to air pollution caused by industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, and burning fossil fuels, I feel like we are treating you as an option just in case that we have a Planet B although we have not.

But even as I pen these facts, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re losing more than just nature, we’re losing a part of ourselves. I read recently that since 1970, we’ve witnessed a staggering 69% decline in global wildlife populations. Imagine that nearly two-thirds of the creatures that once roamed, flew, or swam alongside us are simply gone and while we produce over 2 billion tons of waste each year, we still allow about 11 million tons of plastic to spill into the oceans annually. That’s like dumping a truckload of plastic into the sea every single minute. I think about the glaciers too, melting at an alarming rate due to rising global temperatures. In just the last two decades, Greenland and Antarctica have lost about 6.4 trillion tons of ice, contributing to rising sea levels that threaten millions of coastal communities. And how can we forget the haunting reality of deforestation? We’re still cutting down forests at a rate equivalent to losing a football field every second. These forests aren’t just trees; they’re homes to countless species, regulators of our climate, and sources of oxygen (the very breath of life).

What strikes me the most is that this isn’t happening in isolation. These aren’t random numbers. This is a pattern, a vicious cycle that we’ve created, thinking we could keep taking and never give back. When did we become so blind to the fact that our planet isn’t infinite? Every plastic bag, every felled tree, every extinct species is a reminder that Earth isn’t just a backdrop to our lives, it’s the very stage that makes them possible.

I remember the days when we stood side by side, raising our voices for the protection of what could not speak for itself. I, along with my comrades, tried to save Mangrove trees not because they were protecting our land from the tsunamis but because they were living things and they deserved to live and also protested against the illegal cutting of Karoonjhar Mountain ranges in the Sindh region of Pakistan not because of their aesthetic beauty but because those ranges are alive for millions of years and this will be the true justice if they remain alive for the future centuries and our coming generations witness their existence. To serve you best, we need to think collectively not on an individual basis and it’s clear to me now that justice for the Earth means thinking beyond ourselves. It means understanding that every tree, every mountain, every drop of water is interconnected, and so are we. Only through unity, shared responsibility, and unwavering commitment can we ensure that this planet thrives, not just for today but for centuries to come.

Even 50 years ago, no one even thought of buying water regardless of having massive rivers and plenty of streams today industries selling mineral water make billions and we should be afraid of the day when oxygen which is keeping us alive will be sold, this makes me afraid and it is already been started, Lahore and New Delhi (Big cities of Pakistan and India) are full of smog and are considered as world’s most polluted cities and people there are dying inhaling the smoggy air. I can’t help but wonder how we end up here. Was it our unquenchable thirst for development, the ruthless cutting down of forests, or just our sheer ignorance that led us to this breaking point? Maybe it was all of it. Cities like Lahore and New Delhi, once alive with vibrant cultures and rich histories, now stand as grim reminders of what unchecked human excess can do.

It’s like we’ve been fighting a losing battle between progress and preservation, and now the scales have tipped too far. The air we breathe, just like the water we drink, has turned into something you buy like a privilege for those who can pay for it and a punishment for those who can’t. It’s no longer a wild idea to hear about oxygen bars popping up in big cities. What once sounded like science fiction is now a harsh reality and that’s what stings the most, while we pour billions into building flashy cities with sky-touching towers and innovating cutting-edge technologies, we seem to have forgotten the basics. No matter how advanced we get, no amount of money or invention can replicate what nature gives us: clean rivers, fresh air, and fertile soil. These aren’t luxuries; they’re the foundation of life itself. And yet, they’re slipping away right in front of us.

Now is the time to rethink and propagate awareness regarding sustainable practices and environmental consciousness. We need to adopt sustainable practices in our daily lives even though on a very small scale for instance, Imagine if we all carried reusable bags instead of reaching for single-use plastic, or if we swapped bottled water for a reusable flask and tried to compost our waste or leftover food and look how romantic yet sustainable this idea could be if a couple is having a candlelight dinner on their compost garden and talk about life. Imagine instead of taking your partner to a restaurant by car what if we go on slow walks, we can also avoid carbon emissions while creating a memory. And isn’t it beautiful to think how small changes in our daily lives can ripple into something much larger? These aren’t just habits; they’re statements and choices that quietly but powerfully say, “I care.”

I am thankful to you O My Mother Earth! For what you have done for us till now. Yes, I consider you my mother, because you have taken good care of me, and fed me well from your amazing crops and when I will die I know that you will be accepting me into your womb eternally. I wish we humans understand that it is only we who can protect you from further destruction and no one else is coming to save you I promise you that I will be taking more steps to adopt a sustainable life in my routine for your greater life. I often think about the legacy we’re leaving behind. Are we writing a story that our future generations can be proud of, or are we scripting a tragedy they will struggle to rewrite? You’ve taught me that even the smallest seed if nurtured, can grow into a mighty tree. In the same way, I believe that even the smallest efforts, using less plastic, planting more trees, and conserving water, can grow into a movement of change. Imagine what we could achieve if everyone wrote their own ‘letters’ through small, meaningful actions. Leaving a question for every reader, what will your promise to Earth be?

May you live long!

With peace and love,
Your believer,
Ecommunity Activator from Germany Ammar Malik