Brasil

The call for "help!"

Hello, I would like to introduce myself: I am Biguaçu, a small city in the State of Santa Catarina. I am located just next to the capital.

I was born 174 years ago. Surrounded by mountains, my lakes and rivers acted as mirrors. There was green everywhere. Young, happy and beautiful, I was like this.

I still have beauty, but I feel mistreated. My hills are not as green. The buildings are taking over them. My son, who bears my name, Rio Biguaçu, is pure sadness. He is polluted! Oh, what suffering! When that rain falls, I just cannot handle the situation. The lakes and rivers overflow, roads and houses are flooded, crops are lost. It is not my fault, nor the fault of Mother Earth. People were coming from varias parts of Brazil and even other countries. I opened my heart and arms to receive them, but they did not respect me. They threw rubbish everywhere, polluting my soil, my rivers and the sea, my partner. Even the air is polluted. The sewers are not treated, and the water tables are more damaged. Until when shall we have water? This is very serious!

Let us wake up!

We need to be aware. Look at me, I don't breath as easily as before, sometimes I don't think I will withstand all of this. But I have ideas in my heart. Small attitudes are what can make me more beautiful, healthier, and with a bright future. Such as when we wash dishes, why don't we soap them first and then rinse them? Oh, are you tired of hearing that we waste water when we bathe, when we brush our teeth? Washing cars only with buckets. These are small actions that help me a lot, also helping the planet which is calling for help.

The other day, I dreamt about something so simple: All of the neighbourhoods were very organised, they had their residents associations and together they would go from house to house to make people aware of the importance of saving the planet. To begin with, they would ask everyone to keep their cooking oil leftover from frying and in this way it wouldn't be thrown on my soil, polluting the water tables. This oil would go to a shed converted into a soap factory! First, this soap would be distributed to institutions which look after needy people. Then, many unemployed people would benefit, including by working in the factory. A simple idea that could help me a lot. This idea would keep growing as we introduce it to neighbouring towns, thus making the world a better place.
I wish this were true. Please be aware. God made me perfect. I know I should be preserved. You are destroying me. You are lacking love in your hearts, and so I cry: Help! Help!

Let us wake up! There is still time to save me and Planet Earth, too.