Imagine yourself as a plant. Daily, you would be crushed and stepped on by indifferent yet aggressive sneakers. You would witness your companions suffocating from droughts and dying from abundant rain and water. That was the day I put my cactus to death.
On a typical day after school, my class made a field trip to select a plant we intended to nurture. Lacking the concept of raising a plant, yet with an overthrowing confidence opting for the most exotic plant in the store, I decided to select the cactus. Frequently featured as an exotic figure, cacti were a plant I often stumbled across in fantasy novels and geographical literature. For this factor, it captured my fascination.
I immediately watered the cactus after returning home. I was aware that providing plants with enough water is an essential component of plant growth. I watered my plant every day, during the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening. Regardless, my cactus drowned in the water it was given when I discovered it leaning on the side of the flower pot. It did not pass the two-week mark with me.
Subsequent to this incident, I wished for the utilization of a gadget that would ultimately enhance my gardening experience. I longed for this gadget to sense the plant’s sentiments by analyzing the subtle environmental changes, regulating hormones, and notifying me of any potential risks. Acting as a plant-to-human translator, this gadget would help develop a sustainable agricultural practice as every plant holds a unique status based on its specified requirements of sunlight, water, and fertilizers. This innovation would be called the GreenThumb.
Consisting of a thin brown environment-friendly message board that connects with the plant’s root, this apparatus would assist me in preventing harm toward potential plants and indicate the plant’s requisites, thus granting me knowledge on developing and enhancing my plant-cultivating capabilities.
In addition to my personal use, I anticipate the application of the GreenThumb to grow globally. This is owing to the notion that people should minimize the quantity of food squandered by utilizing the information that crops offer. For instance, Washington should implement the GreenThumb given that Washington is currently facing a drastic potato shortage.
This issue resulted in a diverse array of dining markets such as McDonald’s selling fewer French fries, causing a stir and chaos among residents relying on fast-food products. In this case, agriculturalists can utilize the GreenThumb to comprehend the nutritional requirements of the potatoes and prevent them from perishing.
Additionally, making the plants and greeneries more affordable is another beneficial result and attribute to which the GreenThumb contributes. By producing and cultivating an extensive supply of plants and natural nutritional products, the GreenThumb will be able to reduce the expense of food. With a severe spark in current food costs, developing nations like Africa would profit from the GreenThumb initiative. Increasing the number of plants and vegetables grown will potentially assist developing nations that lack necessities by supplying more affordable and available food sources.
Now imagine yourself as a plant again. Prior to the invention of the GreenThumb, you would constantly be fretting over the amount of water and sunlight provided. Watching some of your companions bloated from excess water, while others shriveled under constant sunlight, the incident wherein I purchased a cactus and unintentionally drowned, inspired me to wish for the presence of the GreenThumb.
As a result of my lack of thereof and experience, initially, my goal in coveting this tool was to avoid harming and endeavoring to empathize with my plant. However, I want to extend the use of GreenThumb to assist people globally with a more sustainable and harmonious coexistence with nature.
By: Taeyoung Kim
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