Children's Category 1st Prize

THE EARTH CALLS OUT, "TREAT LIFE WITH CARE"

by Jiang Weiqiong
Shanghai, China, Age 14

Dear humans, I am the planet Earth.

Today I want to appeal to you as your mother.

Ages and ages ago in space I had many children. And after millions of years your ancestors were born. I have loved all living things very dearly. Under my loving care they developed and grew up as good friends. Human beings, animals and plants all lived freely with the blessings of nature. It would have been better if this situation could have lasted forever, but when the humans began to prosper everything gradually changed.

You have fought many wars and my lovely body is scarred all over, but you don't stop your foolish behavior. Didn't I always teach you "not to be cruel to other life"?

You have been too greedy and you cut down so many trees that many natural forests have become deserts. My body is covered with freckles. Don't you want to live?

You have killed many animals that were once your friends and you have enjoyed your life at the expense of others. Animals come daily to tell me about their suffering. I am now full of wrinkles and my nature has become rough. I have sent lots of warnings through earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions, but you do not change at all. Where are the good children I once knew? I never thought you could behave so badly.

On top of this, you have poured dirty water into the ocean which is my blood, so it is now polluted. And you have infected the air with unhealthy gases so my body temperature has gone up, my skin has been peeling and there is a big hole over the South Pole.

Of course, I cannot allow you to disrespect your parent. You have not only killed many living things but you are in danger of destroying all life in the world. Where are the intelligence and reason you are so proud of?

You are my children after all, so I do not want to see you suffer. I want all the countries, who are members of my family, to stop wars and help other members who are in difficulty.

These days, there are some wise people who are trying to cure nature of her illness. Please make me healthy again. You cannot separate human life and your survival from what happens to the rest of nature. In order to live you must look after the natural environment. Humans must think carefully about what to do. If you go against nature you will not only get no profit from it but you will not be able to survive.

As a mother nothing can make me happier than to see my children growing up safely. You are the cleverest of all of them and I am proud of you, but you are not my only children and I love you all equally. So I want you to respect the other living things. I do hope you will listen to me and have long and happy lives and be good friends of nature.

From your mother, Earth