I have seen these things and I wince.  I believe strongly that we are to be stewards of this Earth.  Everything on this planet has been supplied for our use and to satisfy our needs and desires.  But, we must do so responsibly.  The Native American proverb, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children,” has much wisdom and is something we should always consider.  Although not specifically a Baha’i concept, the duty to prepare a world for our children that is better than the one we were born into is innate to every culture.

Unfortunately, I often see the problems that lead to such recklessness with our planet’s ecology as being driven by self-interest and greed.  If we could all learn to treat the entire planet as our home we would be better off.  As it is, the peoples of many nations are quite territorial and short-sighted—thinking only of themselves and not considering the destruction their pollution may be causing in other places.  If we continue on this route where we cannot see the forest for the trees, there may be not trees to see.