Kitlyn Woo Yern Yu (Hu Enyu) 404
“It’s worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.” – Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. What small steps can you take to help tackle the climate crisis?
The climate crisis is something that I feel very passionate about. As a child, I would watch nature documentaries, enraptured by the beautifully intricate ecosystem on the screen, and as a tween, I would enjoy frolicking in the parks at sunset, watching the birds fly home to their nests and feeding their nestlings. However, this idyllic imagery has been shattered by the harsh reality of the climate crisis. What was once a pristine and vibrant environment is now marred by the relentless onslaught of ash and smog, the consequences of our destructive actions. As a young dreamer, I would often lay awake at night, dreading what life would be like for any being. Bird, tree, me. But as a problem-solver, I have a fierce resolve to help with this crisis. As an individual, there are many methods I can take to help bring us a few steps closer to solving the climate crisis. The actions that I take may be small, but the impact for the environment are giant.
A small step is to embrace a change in habits, allowing every action to be a step towards a greener future. Are plastic bags really necessary, when carrying one large tote bag can suffice? Is that straw really necessary? Exchanging the future of our planet, for convenience, for comfort, is not worth it. Cutting down on a fraction of individual plastic use as a society may be a slight inconvenience for us, but it may be critical for future generations. Using tote bags has never felt like a burden. Humans currently produce more than 350 million metric tons of plastic waste per year. The small and simple act of cutting down on the use of plastics will drastically decrease this number, only if society can give up this luxury. Plastic is everywhere in our daily lives, yet it is not that hard to give it up. Such a simple act, yet such a great impact.
Another habit to change is consumption habits. Buying second-hand, believe it or not, decreases greenhouse gas emissions. Thrifting items has become a trend amongst the youth lately, which has many more pros than just looking stylish. According to A sustainable guide to thrifting by University of Colorado Boulder, “One pair of jeans is estimated to use about 1,800 gallons of water in the manufacturing process and cotton growth. Thrifting keeps clothing in use for longer, which can help limit wasted resources through decreased demand for new products.” This conserves resources, minimises waste, decreases greenhouse gas emissions and keeps you looking stylish at a cheaper price. Changing the source of my clothes does not have to be a burden, and it helps to bring us closer to solving the climate crisis.
Reducing our energy consumption is particularly impactful in combating the climate crisis. Switching from air conditioners to fans, using LED lights, using energy efficient devices, all of these can make a huge impact in our global energy use—the more of us who make the switch, the bigger the impact. Additionally, using public transport over cars and other forms of private transport is more cost efficient, as well as energy efficient and produces much less carbon emissions. On average, a gasoline car emits about 4.6 metric tons of CO2 per year while emissions from bus transportation averaged 0.39 pounds of CO2 per passenger-mile in 2019. In comparison, buses are definitely more environmentally friendly than cars. In fact, I find taking the bus much more enjoyable than a car. The journey is slower, sure, but the serenity of a long and silent bus ride is gratifying, leaving me time to look out the window and enjoy the scenery; how the houses along my street are bathed in golden sunshine as the bus brings me to my home, how the trees dance with the wind, the flocks of birds flying home; the beautiful intricacies of nature. In the journey to solve the climate crisis, every small action taken by individuals contributes to a brighter, more sustainable future.
In these modern times, there have been newer and more efficient methods that have bigger impacts on the climate crisis– social media and technology. Interestingly, there are many creative ways to make small changes in our free time. There has been a rise in websites that contribute to solving the climate crisis while browsing on the internet. An example of such would be Ecosia, a Google extension that plants a tree every 50 searches. Sure, that does sound like quite a lot, but as a student, this is definitely not a problem! Another example is OceanHero, which similarly, is a search engine Google extension that picks plastic bottles from the ocean for every few searches as well. These examples are not just helpful for getting closer to solving the climate crisis but it is aesthetically pleasing as well. Making the switch to these extensions does not even affect our browsing experience, and is a no-brainer. It is simpler than actually planting trees or going to pick plastic bottles, yet we are also not using much time to contribute. Technology and human creativity have truly become a wonder!
As a teenager, the idea of the planet I call my home being destroyed due to humanity’s indiscretions fills me with a profound sense of urgency and responsibility as an occupant of earth and as a member of the future generation to advocate for change and protect our planet. I strongly believe that advocating for change is extremely vital for making a real impact. Advocating for change online gives us a platform for global outreach and the ability to spread awareness. Greta Thunberg is a great example. Not only does she protest for action against climate change in real life, she also spreads awareness online as well. She has amassed over 14 million followers on Instagram, where she posts about her protests and shares other posts about climate change. This helps to bring attention to the issue at hand to other social media users, and allow more people to learn and also join in on advocating for the cause. This then creates a movement that harnesses the power of online activism to effect change as it allows more people to want to take action towards solving the climate crisis, and pressure towards people in power to take action towards taking bigger steps towards solving the climate crisis.
Advocating for change online in today’s modern world is extremely important especially for climate change as it is a global issue and thus global outreach is also essential to compel others to take action against climate change. A small step of sharing a post about climate change can lead to others following suit, which can snowball into something much bigger. Online advocacy could potentially inspire global action and mold a more sustainable future for humanity.
The small steps that we take may not seem like much, but the impact will ripple into something much bigger, and last much longer. Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II said it best herself, that our small steps can and will bring about the most lasting change. For a greener future, I will do my best for our planet, for our future.