By Regina Trevino, Year 10
Recently, a tweet concerning the money raised for Notre Dame’s reconstruction has been circulating social media. It points out how the money raised for the iconic cathedral could have been used for various environmental issues, such as the plastic pollution affecting marine life around the world.
To many, Notre Dame represents one of the many beauties of the Western world and culture. Built 850 years ago, it can be described as the jewel of French heritage and architecture. It attracts over 14 million people from all over the globe every year, playing a huge role in Parisian tourism, on which many local businesses rely on. French billionaires and corporations such as LVMH and l’Oréal have pledged to donate copious amounts of money to restore the French national icon.
“This tragedy is striking all the French people, and beyond that, all those attached to spiritual values,” French businessman and CEO of Kering, Francois-Henri Pinault states. The mayor of Paris tweeted “#NotreDame est un lieu où l’âme de #Paris résonne : l’histoire de notre ville est liée à celle de la cathédrale. #le79inter.” 1 billion dollars have been raised since the blaze.
People started to ask themselves why anyone hasn’t felt the same sense of urgency to restore and clean our oceans, relieve air pollution or stagnate deforestation. A controversial discussion sparks as the donations for Notre Dame cathedral pour in. Why are people so apathetic towards environmental issues? Should that money be used for other issues?
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have estimated that it would cost between 122 million and 500 million dollars to hire enough boats to clean up the great Pacific garbage patch. “Yesterday, the world watched with despair and enormous sorrow how the Notre Dame burned in Paris. But the Notre Dame will be rebuilt,” the climate change activist Greta Thunberg stated. “Well, our home is falling apart and yet nothing is happening. We’ll have to switch to cathedral mode. I ask you to wake up and do what is necessary,” she stated. Recently, Swiss billionaire and conservationist Hansjörg Wyss donated 1 billion to help save the earth – a big step towards improvement, but nevertheless this cause still yearns for aid.
Most of the philanthropists participating in the funding for the reconstruction of Notre Dame were French, evidently, people who would have a personal connection to the monument. Environmental issues are crucial, but when an already underfunded establishment burns to ashes, the French are right to want to conserve their heritage.
