Our catch phrase is on its way.

Dear Fellow Earthlings,

When something is no longer useful, we just throw it out! But nothing ever really goes away. Cigarette butts just go to the pavement – but they do not disappear. Car exhaust fumes just go into the air – and end up choking us! And even if we use electric cars, they too will have to be disposed of when all is said and done — along with all of the chemicals used in their manufacture. Recycling those chemicals involves technologies that have yet to be perfected. Plastics are dumped into landfills and we think that they “are gone”. We must not delude ourselves: those plastics are still with us – and they are polluting the Earth!

The same goes for human beings. Not only should we welcome new babies into this world, but we should also celebrate the passage from middle age into old age as a form of rebirth. Old people who once were our caregivers often come to be seen as burdens. Many people shun them or even blatantly abuse them.

Thirdly, how do we deal with our possessions that grow old? Do we just toss our beloved teddy bears into the trash? Those items that we can preserve and continue to use should be protected and maintained – and those that we can’t should be recycled. If we do not appreciate “old” objects”, “old” people, “old” ideas – in short, “old” values – then we shall lose connection with all that has preceded us and has caused us to be who we are.

Thus, please harbor respect for the battered laborer as well as the elegant elderly lady – for they have given of themselves. Likewise, languages and cultures should be preserved so that they can serve and enrich us. Similarly, the chickens that we consume and the forests that we exploit should all be treated with respect.

Steve Walker, Earthsaver and Jingles Creator

© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.