Do we really change? is the world changing?

"Change". Just a word. And sometimes words make all the difference. As a noun, this word means a change in something. For instance, " a change in Portuguese policy" or "what we need is a change of attitude on the part of politicians". As a verb, "change" means exactly the same, that is "when something changes, it becomes different". For example, "politicians should change laws to make the world better."
The main issue is to realise that every single second, we change and everything around us changes to. For worst? For better?
Recent studies show that as far as the Earth's climate is concerned, Man has done absolutely nothing to change it. When it comes to contaminated land sites, pollution of watercourses, household waste production or the huge amount of new roads and new housing which are under construction, the idea of building a fair society and a strong economy is without a shadow of doubt a kind of private joke heard among Members of Parliament and Prime Ministers all around the world.
Given the fact that the Earth's climate is changing dramatically and seasons are becoming wetter or hotter, Man shoul act immediately. Yet to ACT or to CHANGE is slightly different. In order to ACT, governments must ACT which means that they have to create solutions and putting them into practice. Does this really happen?
Portugal is an extraordinary example of the lack of creativity, commitment, truth and work. It is a territory where everything can happen and no one, absolutely no one, especially the governments, is punished. In the seventies, a dictatorial regime was replaced by a democracy (a very young one unfortunately) and still, the social and economical situation is far from being resolved. Education and Health are perhaps the two major problems. Despite the number of reforms which has been taken place, the results have been catastrophic. The authority has been taken away from the teachers in a ferocious way in this last decade. Discipline, study methods are no longer important. The most sophisticated IPOD, DVD or mobile phones and parents without any control over their children are a reality. Students are always right, even if they don't study. The fault is automatically given to the teacher who wasn't able to "reach the mind nor the psychological problems" of the poor kid! Hospitals and Health Centers are being closed every single month. As a consequence, five thousand people waiting to be put on a waiting list in a Health Center in Lisbon is just an example. Basically, governments have been promising to give back "some" authority to teachers or to cut hospital waiting lists , but in reality it is exactly the opposite. People are constantly being deceived by those who pretend to govern their countries.
To sum up, we really have to ask ourselves if something is being done to change societies. Man think that he is changing the course of Humanity by innovating, accelerating science or technology. However, all this high life change is just an illusion. By being overwhelmed with such changes, Man can't adapt himself to this new reality. Anger, anxiety, apathy, depression, despair, fear or fright are the REALITY. The Earth is indeed changing but those who inhabitate it are no longer having control over it.
So, is the world changing? For worst? For better? Are we really prepared to face these changings?
Maria Antónia

HOMEWORK

Your homework tonight is to watch Celtic beat Benfica ! , and to savour the atmosphere of football in Scotland - a full stadium, everybody singing, (everybody drunk) and hopefully no fans running on to the pitch this time ! good luck to all my benficista students - but i don't mean it - i am just trying to be nice . GO ON CELTIC !!!! (Mcdonald to score one, maybe 2)