The Tale of the Lorax

The story of the Lorax is a sad one. A beautiful forest teeming with life and rich of resources is mercilessly torn down by the greedy Once-ler. The Lorax, the guardian of the forest, warns him that if he continues, everything will be destroyed. The Once-ler ignores the Lorax’s plea and builds a massive company that depends on the Truffula trees of the forest. One by one the trees are cut down until there are no more and the once bountiful land is decimated. Time skips forward to reveal a polluted, grimy town where a young boy visits the Once-ler to ask why the world is so dirty. After telling his woeful story to the boy, the Once-ler gives him the last Truffula tree seed. He hopes that if the forest is restored, all the animals of the forest would return, including the Lorax.

In today’s world of consumerism and consumption, this story speaks volumes. Day by day we continuously waste Earth’s resources with no plans for the future. Our planet is not regenerating, eventually all the fossil fuels we are so dependent on will cease and our way of life will change drastically.

There is hope, however. Just as the Lorax who spoke for the trees, there are people and organizations throughout the world trying to change the wasteful habits that make up modern industry. It will take time and effort, but persistence in this endeavor will save the planet. This is why it is important to contribute to efforts such as going green and recycling. After all, in the words of the Lorax, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”