Time is running out, but still, Hope reigns amidst environmental issues

Danielle Margareth Piler

"Our lives are specks of dust falling through the fingers of time. Like sands of the hourglass, so are the days of our lives." - Socrates

Humanity has come a long way. Life was so simple back then, and the people relied heavily on farming, fishing, and other agricultural practices for survival. Although it was indeed the good old days, we can't deny that life in the early years was tough. As humanity progressed, further advancements took place. However, choices would always be made in every step of industrialization; when more sacrifices are committed.

One of the biggest problems now is climate change and global warming, which seem almost unattainable to control as civilization advances. People, especially the corrupt and self-centered ones, will want more now that they can see how sophisticated and technologically evolved our world is. Those who think highly of themselves and want to be on top of everything are the same type who will not hesitate to sacrifice every piece of Mother Earth. They are too absorbed in their social media and their own lives, barely appreciating the beauty of the night skies as the stars are scattered and how picturesque the cloud formations are in the daytime. When there is a major crisis involving the environment or animal welfare, they will express concern, but nothing after that. How will we continue with this? As long as we're all slaves to capitalism and industrialization, we cannot change the world. Do we only care about the environment because it's a trend? Will we only take action if it's too late already?

According to a study published on August 24, 2016, by Abram, N., McGregor, H., Tierney, J., et al., the scientific community agrees that human activity began to significantly influence climate change and global warming in the latter half of the 19th century. Burning fossil fuels and trash, illegal logging, dynamite fishing, illegal mining, overexploitation of natural resources, cruelty to animals, CFC use, and poor waste management are some of the many ways humans negatively harm the physical environment. Even more worrisome is the fact that on April 8, 2022, after the release of the new report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), over 1,000 scientists from 25 different countries staged protests.

"We've been trying to warn you guys for so many decades," Peter Kalmus, a NASA climate scientist with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said tremblingly. "The scientists of the world have been ignored. And it has to stop. We're going to lose everything." To avoid catastrophic climatic effects, the IPCC report that alarmed scientists warned of the need for swift and dramatic cutbacks to greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. It's awful that over 100 police officers surrounded the protesters and rounded up all the scientists. Some people on the internet were even laughing at them, claiming that they were exaggerating the seriousness of the situation. The warnings sounded by scientists concerning climate change and global warming are undoubtedly not overreactions to the data and findings they have accumulated. They worry about the prospects of humanity. Up to deforestation, coral reef bleaching, melting of ice in arctic regions, the fossil fuel industry, and extinction of species, why aren't people alarmed?

It's frightening that we've reached the point where we can say that climate change and global warming will soon be nearly impossible to stop. But it is also good to hear that some people still genuinely care about our planet's well-being despite humanity's dark side. Earth Hour, which was conceptualized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), encourages people worldwide to address environmental concerns and protect our planet. With its humble beginnings as a lights-out event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, Earth hour has expanded to involve millions of supporters in over 185 countries and territories, motivating people to take action for the environment and influencing significant legislative changes through the power of the public. The one-hour lights-out event has become the symbol of a growing dedication to protecting the environment and natural resources. Many environmental campaigns are spread all over the globe, such as the “Clean and Green Campaign,” which promotes environmental cleanliness and awareness; “London Greenhouse: IUCN Bonn Challenge'' which helps people and ecosystems recover through tree planting; “Earth911: Foodprints in the Future” which seeks to inform people on the climate effects of our food system and inspire them to take action to lessen those effects through their own decisions, and the like.

We all need to grasp the complicated process of societal alterations that cause global warming and climate change to be better prepared to deal with the difficulties it poses. Each of the problems we're facing right now is significant and can disrupt people's lives in various ways. Striving for progress is acceptable, but we shouldn't destroy Earth. Even though our sands of time are somehow running short, hope remains for us. Persistence in performing small and simple acts that benefit our environment is the key to making a positive impact. It needs to be more of a giving-and-taking gesture than a receiving one. Mother Earth will give us what we deserve if we are consistent stewards.

It all relies on humanity. We must make choices and take steps to address them. It's better to start now than wait until our sands of time run out.