"Facepalm"

Considering the grandiose stories envisioned by the classic sci-fi authors of the 20th century for the 21st century, I find it incredibly pathetic that the importance of forests is only now coming into the spotlight. This level of ignorance is absolutely staggering, making me want to bury my face in my hands. It's absurd that living humans can't grasp the need for a living environment to sustain life, and that only global threats can prompt some action. I have immense respect for the tree-planting movement, but globally, the deforestation of ancient forests is still happening at an alarming rate. Just look across the border to Romania, where you can see forests of high ecological value being destroyed, leaving you stunned.

They've lost their minds! More precisely, all of humanity has lost its mind, believing that consumer society can satisfy all needs, as long as you have enough capital. This is a fallacy. Just think about palm oil, a popular additive for which we sacrifice rainforests. Serious damage is done to wildlife for the sake of your comfort. And the cycle of destruction is closing, meaning we are now beginning to pay the price for our foolishness. No one is prepared for the collapse of our civilization. Not even me. We've been so softened by consumerism. We've become incredibly weak, careless, and ignorant, despite our modern communication tools. Additionally, it's alarmingly easy to confuse us with deliberately crafted fake news and fearmongering. Or to lull us into complacency...

I'm sorry to disappoint you if you thought of the country's "significant" forest cover as a refuge. Last year, I had the chance to forage for mushrooms in the Bükk Mountains and gain valuable insights into the effects of continuous forest management. In short, it's a disaster. We have no untouched forests, the forest ecosystem is severely damaged, and its vulnerability is increased by rising temperatures and erratic, prolonged droughts. Tree planting is a great initiative—I planted two pedunculate oaks on my plot—but trees need water to grow. Water is already a key issue for forestation. That's why drought-resistant native tree species, like this year's tree, have come to the forefront.

What does the future hold? I believe we are witnessing the final days of a consumer society that maximally exploits individual selfishness and sets the pursuit of material wealth as its desired goal. Global changes will kick down our doors and grind us into the dirt. No one should think they can go it alone or buy another's help with money. Our financial markets will vanish surprisingly quickly in the era of drastic changes. Actually, we have everything we need to survive if we push aside our selfish goals and look around to see what can be done. The future imagined by the classic sci-fi authors of the 20th century will never come if everyone is engaged in a deadly race for senseless goals. Look at the grand family houses built in the 80s! Children scattered, heating a poorly insulated house is a financial disaster... and two elderly people, or just a lonely woman, shiver inside. I could give countless examples of how our senseless desires later backfired!

I have only one wish: that after my death, the wheel of life turns on as before, with the blue petals of the starflower blooming in the spring, the morel mushrooms emerging under the poplar trees, the first flush of mushrooms fruiting in early summer, and the wonders of nature continuing. I don't want to rest on a garbage heap, amid ruins, but rather return my materials to the cycle of life. I am but a small, peculiar variation of the great life, a tiny chattering wave that returns to its source at the end of its journey. I've had the fortune to see the richness of life, and no one can tell me that the pile of junk gathered in our malls, destined to become future trash, compares to it. Because this is our specialty—turning real value into disposable waste. We are actually the most destructive beings on the planet. I watch with curiosity how the climate change we've generated will affect the others. It's an instructive story. Too bad most are incapable of learning... facepalm.

P.S.: This article was published in Hungarian on 26 January 2020. The English translation was done by ChatGPT.