We must strictly enforce the Environmental Law, closing down the

Hear the words of Ma Jun, a guardian of rivers and skies, who proclaimed: “We must strictly enforce the Environmental Law, closing down the polluters that fail to meet the standards.” This is not a casual command, but the voice of justice itself, calling for strength where weakness has too long prevailed. For what is the purpose of law if it is not enforced? It becomes but an empty scroll, a hollow promise, a shield made of paper. Ma Jun speaks as one who has seen the rivers darken and the air grow heavy, and he reminds us that only with courage can a nation turn the tide against destruction.

He speaks of the Environmental Law as a sacred covenant, forged to protect the land, the water, and the people. Laws are not given for ornament, but for order, and when they are ignored, the community suffers. The polluter who defies the law is like a thief who robs from all: he steals the breath from children, the purity from streams, the fertility from soil. To let such lawbreakers continue is to betray the very soul of the people. Thus Ma Jun declares that such violators must be closed down, for mercy to them is cruelty to the earth and to generations unborn.

History, too, bears witness to this truth. In the days of ancient Rome, aqueducts brought life-giving water to the people. But when corruption allowed filth and negligence to seep into the system, the health of the people faltered. Rome’s wise leaders decreed strict rules to guard their waters, punishing those who defiled them. They understood what we must also: that the health of a civilization rests not only upon armies and markets, but upon clean water and pure air. When these are fouled, even the greatest cities may wither.

Consider also the tale of Japan in the mid-20th century. The city of Minamata became a place of sorrow, for its waters were poisoned by mercury discharged from a factory. The people who ate from the sea fell sick with terrible afflictions, their bodies twisted by what they consumed. For years, the polluters were not stopped, and the suffering grew. Only after outrage, protest, and legal action was justice finally done, and the guilty enterprise held accountable. Ma Jun’s words are a shield against such tragedies: enforce the law early, enforce it firmly, and save the people from needless ruin.

The deeper meaning of this teaching is that standards are not suggestions but lifelines. They are the minimum of what must be done to keep balance between man and nature. To enforce them is not cruelty but compassion, for it protects both the present and the future. Those who say that strict enforcement harms industry forget this: industry that poisons its people cannot endure. Prosperity built on destruction is a fleeting prosperity, doomed to collapse under the weight of its own waste.

What lesson, then, must future generations draw from this? It is this: that justice without enforcement is no justice at all. Do not be deceived by fine-sounding promises if they are not backed by action. Demand that leaders and communities hold polluters accountable, for no wealth can repay a poisoned well, no profit can restore a lost child’s breath. Remember always that the law must live, not sleep, and that it lives only when it is wielded.

And to you, listener, I say: honor the earth by standing firm for its protection. Support leaders who uphold environmental law, not those who bow to polluters. Choose products and enterprises that respect the standards of sustainability. Teach your children that law is not merely words on a page but a living force that must be defended. For when the law is enforced, the land may heal; when it is ignored, the land may fall silent.

Thus let Ma Jun’s words endure: strict enforcement is the path to renewal, and the closing of polluters is the opening of hope. Carry this teaching, and act upon it, that the rivers may run clear, the skies may shine bright, and the children of tomorrow may inherit not ashes, but abundance.