Hug the trees, kiss the earth for the sake of future generations

Green is the catchword. The media constantly talks of the need to conserve the planet, its precious resources and promote sustainable development. These are words and adjectives that would crop up during our daily encounters with stories, and one almost took them for granted.

But after spending over a decade in China amid fluctuating weather patterns, encountering pollution and watching with trepidation the wanton destruction of natural resources across the globe, I have enough reason to be concerned as to whether the future is indeed bright for my children or their children.

Most often I am torn between hope and despair. Happily, however, I am no Cassandra and there is still that lingering positive streak and two recent developments point to a silver lining.