If we go on the way we have, the fault is our greed and if we are not willing to change, we will

disappear from the face of the globe, to be replaced by the insect.

Jacques Yves Cousteau

At the unit we are learning is related to the environment, the quote I have decided to present
today is “If we go on the way we have, the fault is our greed and if we are not willing to change,
we will disappear from the face of the globe, to be replaced by the insect”, by Jacques Cousteau,
a very famous ocean investigator in the 80s whose research was very important for the study of
sea life. Translating into Portuguese: “Se continuarmos no mesmo caminho, ou seja, com os
mesmos comportamentos, a culpa é da nossa ganância e se não estivermos dispostos a mudar,
iremos desaparecer do planeta, para sermos substituídos pelos insetos.”.

As everyone knows, regular everyday actions are placing our planet near its breaking point, since
they put a strain beyond what it is designed to support. As news about natural disasters are
becoming more and more frequent, we must change our lifestyle and our daily habits if we want
to ensure our own survival. Otherwise, we will disappear from the face of the globe, to be
replaced by the insects, because they are probably the only ones who will survive from our
behaviours.

Over the last centuries, human actions have released large amounts of greenhouse gases into
the atmosphere. Do you have any idea of the amount of carbon dioxide that is released from
the burning of fossil fuels? It is massive! As a result, temperatures are rising and extreme
weather events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires and storms will occur more often.

At the same time, natural resources that were taken for granted are running out very quickly,
since we are consuming faster than the world can replenish. Now, as never before, we are all in
the same boat… If we go on the way we have, the fault is our greed and if we are not willing to
change ourselves, the environment will be destroyed. So, we must adopt more eco-friendly
habits if we want to protect our own world. For example, if we stop leaving the water running
as we brush our teeth or the lights on when we do not need them, we are already helping our
planet. That way, we cannot forget this statement that I think you are very familiar with: “Alone
we can make a difference. Together we can make a huge impact.”.