OLMOFATTORINI

BETTING ON THE FUTURE

Betting on the Future is a photographic project I began in 2018 to document the condition of men, women and children impacted by environmental pollution in the Indian subcontinent.

India has been known for the extraordinary creativity of its people who, for centuries, have utilized natural elements to create biodegradable items such as everyday household items, tools, containers for water and food and even ornaments. A significant change occurred during the latter half of the 20th century, with the rapid increase of the population, globalization and industrialization. And then came plastic. This rapid evolution has degraded the health of the environment and the people who live within that environment. The old habit of dumping into the ecosystem, ground and water, everything obsolete has not changed with this new evolution. But plastic and almost everything else produced today, is virtually non-bio-degradable.

Today, environmental pollution and climate change have taken center stage with every responsible country around the globe. Governments create agreements to reduce CO2 emissions and new companies are launched, to find new solutions, on how to recycle and preserve our planet. It seems clear that each of us can do our part to participate. To bring attention to what is clear. 

This project aims to impart how the education of young generations is an investment in our future. To take into consideration the binomial education-pollution, referring in particular to how a young person from a given community, can contribute in the short and long term to improving the place they live. To understand that a boy who lives near a river or sea should be more sensitive to the importance of water. As more litter flows into estuaries, fish species are declining. To understand that a mother who uses chemicals to wash laundry in those same estuaries must utilize alternative products or a more sustainable option to preserve the very environment she depends upon. This is the world I strive to illustrate. Hope in change, hope in learning hope in a future. India has a population of over 1.3 billion. The role it plays in our global environment is incredibly impactful. We should and must take notice. Perhaps the time has come for young people to take command of the environment around them, to take command of their lives, to take command of our lives. 

The question I have and we all should be asking is "Will education be the driving force that stimulates young minds to generate change?”