Respected Principal, Beloved Teachers, and my dear

Friends,

Lend me your ears; and close your eyes for a moment. As

you open them again, let me call your attention to the
beautiful blue and white jewel that spins its way in space
around the sun. The Earth we live in, God-designed perfectly
for human life.

The atmosphere, land and waterwhere countless number of

birds fly, animals live, and fishes swim; provide this earth
with an ecosystem unmatched and unparalleled in the entire
known universe.

The brown soil, the deep blue oceans and the vast endless
skies, the snow-capped majesty of the towering mountains,
the greenery of the vegetation, the beauty and the fragrance
of the flowers:

On this earth live Men and Women, the crown of God’s

creation. But all is not well. The News is bad. Earth is reeling
under pressure of Man’s greed and selfishness and
thoughtlessness. Tomorrow looks bleak.

Pollution is the main villain. It comes in all forms. Air, water,

food; all are contaminated. Plastics, pesticides, fossil fuels;
all contribute to the problem. Once upon a time, if it was the
green trees that dotted the landscape; now in its place have
risen skyscrapers. Deforestation has spelled disaster.

On the one side are natural calamities and disasters.

Tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes all create
havoc. Scorching heat at times, torrential rains that flood on
other occasions; life is becoming more and more
unpredictable. Clean drinkable water sources are fast
disappearing and we are buying water in plastic bottles.

The debris that is dumped into the oceans is disturbing

marine life too; while the debris we have left behind in space
as an aftermath of space exploration programmes also will
create trouble in coming years.

Who or what is to be blamed? Certainly, man’s selfishness

and his greed and exploitation of natural resources.

Without doubt; climate change, global warming, emission of

greenhouse gases, damage to ecosystems, rising sea levels
are all matters of great concern. Not to mention the threat of
a nuclear warfare, and possible takeover of the human race
by robots empowered by Artificial Intelligence!

My dear friends, life is not going to be easy in the coming

years. Not all problems can be solved. But we can certainly
make an honest attempt. It is the fruit of trees planted by our
forefathers that we enjoy today. So, we owe our next
generations a generous giving that they too may have a
chance to live life with dignity.

The change will not begin in international summits; it can

begin only in the backyard of our homes. There is something
you alone can do. Do not wait for others to do it. Let life
continue; for there is no other planet which sustains life in
the entire universe. We have been gifted this earth as our
home!

So friends, let us make a brave effort to preserve something

of the beauty and richness of our Planet Earth for the next
generations. Thank you.