Today's story is about the importance of being aware of what we humans throw away. In elementary school, we are taught about the life cycle. The life cycle is essentially about balance. Life must be balanced otherwise humans and the Earth will be impacted negatively. By keeping a balance in the natural world, we prevent a disruption of the cycle of life to human beings.

Hopefully, this article will be useful for readers and can be motivational for us to teach children to be conscientious and not throw away garbage carelessly.

It is important to strive to protect nature and avoid throwing garbage away in careless ways. We humans must change our culture and the practice of dumping garbage in nature. Property, ranks, titles, and other aspects of human society cannot save us from natural disasters caused by human activities. Salvation can only be achieved by building and raising awareness of the importance of nature as part of human life itself.

The Story of The Fishermen and The Rice Papers

One day a fisherman went out to sea but came home complaining about his trip. What caused him to complain about his day? He could not catch any fish.
Three days later, the fisherman still couldn’t catch any fish. He thought maybe the fish were hard to catch because of sprouts he threw away after lunch. He threw them overboard so he thought he scared the fish away.

What the fisherman didn’t know is the true cause of the disappearing fish…newspapers. Every day fishermen in that area bring a traditional lunch of rice wrapped in newspaper. They eat their lunch near the beach, and then afterwards, throw their leftover newspapers into the sea. Fish are smart creatures you see. They started reading the newspapers and learned that modern fishermen use advanced technology, such as trawlers, sonar detectors, and GPS to catch more fish.

The practice of throwing newspapers into the sea became the scourge for fishermen because it helped make fish more intelligent. The fish left the areas near the beach to flee those fishermen who use technology.

Reflections From A Fisherman About Polluting The Sea

As a result of over-fishing and the throwing of garbage into the ocean, some species of fish have decreased in number. Some are even extinct. Coral reefs and other underwater areas that are homes to marine ecosystems have been permanently damaged or destroyed.

This is all a result of human activity. Human have a dependency on the sea and because of over-fishing, we are destroying natural resources. I often hear housewives complaining about the high price of fish, but I don’t hear people being compelled to cultivate a rescue movement for the safety of marine ecosystems.

Humans need both vegetation and meat to survive. One of our major food sources for meat is the ocean and other waterways. When food sources from the sea are disrupted, or inadequate to basic human needs, it is certain that the supply of these elements into the human body is reduced. This means that when meat is scarce, there are needs of the human body that are not met. This leads to a unbalanced processes in the human body. The imbalance can cause various diseases, weakness, sickness, and more.

Over-hunting is only one problem. Littering and polluting waterways also destroys important resources and ecosystems. Cans and plastic waste is a great example. Many sea creatures are killed by human waste dumped into waterways. From the story of the fisherman it is evident that throwing garbage, like newspapers, into the sea has negative effects for the balance of humans and nature.

Rice Papers And Fish

At the end of the story of the fish read the newspapers and become smart so they know to run away to avoid fishermen with advanced technology. In real life this isn’t the case. Newspapers fall into the ocean and settle on sea floors, get eaten by sea creatures, and decompose in the water. Rice papers are a danger to the ocean and sea creatures. In reality, the fish don’t disappear because they run away. They disappear because they are killed off from over-fishing and pollution.

A Cultural Lesson About Rice Wraps From Aceh, The westernmost country Indonesia

A rice wrap is white rice and a side dish for one person wrapped in a paper-based banana leaf and is designed to be brought and eaten elsewhere. Rice wraps are not a food name but a way of packing food. If rice and side dishes are packed in boxes from cardboard, then it is called a rice box. Banana leaves are used as a wrapper because they release a fragrant aroma when exposed to hot food. Paper used for packaged rice can be newspaper or food wrap paper. The types and quantities of side dishes can be selected by the buyer, and can be beef, chicken, fish, or eggs. One or two types of sauce or vegetable dishes are often added by the seller without being asked.

Different Cultures Produce Different Waste But It All Harms The Earth

When thinking about my own culture I see ways that people where I live harm the Earth in every day life. Fishermen over-fish and they throw waste over the sides of their boats. In different places all over the world, humans have different ways they destroy natural resources in their day to day activities. Even though pollution and destructive ways differ depending on cultures, in the end it all harms the Earth. We must work harder to achieve balance and protect the natural world. If we destroy too much, then we risk destroying ourselves and the world we live in.

Photo Credit: Pixabay;

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