How to Help the Future of Our Planet Earth
“Why should I be studying for a future that soon may be no more, when no one is doing anything to save that future? And what is the point of learning facts when the most important facts clearly mean nothing to our society?” —Greta Thunberg
Climate change is one of the biggest crises that humans have faced and it has largely been ignored or denied until now. The planet needs wider, bigger action and it is needed now. Many teens, including myself, view the future we are heading towards as apocalyptic at best, if we continue to look the other way when it comes to the planet. Young people have collective power, especially during this digital age. Global school strikes inspired by 16 year old Greta Thunberg, depict this. She is one of the loudest voices amongst climate crisis activists and has lead the way for passionate individuals to take a stand.
Personal Rebellion
Action against climate change is hard at first because it means changing the way we live in the modern world. Therefore it is advised to view personal action as a rebellion, a revolution to make the world a better place. A revolution always begins with one person’s action. According to the BBC, “It takes around 3.5% of the population actively participating in (non-violent) protests to ensure serious political change.” Personal actions range from small to big; both make a difference. It can feel like you are alone, so school communities are a way to gain a feeling of greater purpose.
According to Dazed Digital, an online news site, many teenagers are experiencing anxiety and depression as a result of their fear of the future. And in a 2017 report by the American Psychological Association, ‘Eco Anxiety’ is defined as a “chronic fear of environmental doom.” These symptoms include “feelings of distress and anger, obsessive thinking, loss of appetite and insomnia.” This overwhelming feeling is one of loss; a grieving for the death of the earth. This is the point in time where we must support young people in the fight by uplifting and validating them. This way, our younger generation won’t fall, but will rise to be part of the fight to save the earth.
Personal action begins within your own home and school. These actions can be taught to students when they ask how they should act to start saving the planet and would have an exponential impact.
School Resources
School work requires many resources, the most harmful of which is paper. If you provide paper resources to your students or use it in the office, look for the FSC logo as this signifies a sustainable source of paper that wasn’t taken from a rainforest. If you don’t provide resources, encourage parents and students to look for the same logo when buying their school stationary. Paper and cardboard can be recycled or composted, so provide opportunities for both.
Diet
Many scientific reports recommend eating less meat as the second most important change you can make to lower carbon emissions. Just reducing beef and lamb consumption would make a significant difference to your C02 footprint. Cows and sheep emit copious amounts of methane which is a dangerous greenhouse gas currently warming the globe. By becoming vegetarian or vegan you would be lessening your carbon footprint up to twenty percent.
Overfishing is destabilising the ecosystem of our oceans driving species to extinction. Try to look for sustainably sourced fish, preferably non-white fish.
Avoid products that contain Palm oil. This single ingredient is driving the destruction of rainforests and native animals all over the world. Companies labelling often try to conceal their use of it by renaming Palm Oil as PKO (Palm Kernel Oil), PKs, Palm Kernel Olein (PKOo), PHPKO (Partially hydrogenated Palm Oil), FP(K)O (Fractionated Palm Oil), OPKO (Organic Palm Kernel Oil) or Palmitate and Sodium Laureth Sulphate.
Plastic Packaging
In many countries around the world plastic is quickly becoming a problem, if not for us, then for the countries where it is exported. Malaysia became a key destination when China banned exports. Since 2018 a vast amount of plastic is being burned, which pollutes the air and soil and is causing respiratory diseases. Recycle numbers one or two are the only types of plastic that are recycled in the homeland and that excludes plastic bottles and up to 90 percent of all other plastic packaging at local supermarkets. The best way to combat this is to petition the supermarkets and the government to come up with a solution for the problem with some degree of seriousness instead of relying on us to “make better choices.” However, making better choices is still our best option until the government takes action. Glass, paper, cardboard, aluminum and steel packaging are widely recyclable, so recycling is still worth it. Buying at
your local market is another option, as long as you remember to bring your reusable bags, as produce is largely cheaper and not wrapped in unnecessary plastic. Some areas offer foods in bulk so if this is available to you it’s a good option. When eating out you can bring tupperware, reusable cups and cutlery to avoid plastic most of the time.
Healthcare
For healthcare products look for recyclable plastic. Some companies are now providing soap bars instead of bottled. The biggest polluters are plastic toothbrushes, razors and cotton buds, nappies and menstrual products.
Bee Friendly
Worm composting is the easiest way to introduce a form of composting to schools and the ‘juice’ can be used as plant fertilizer. If you have available space on your school grounds, planting trees is great way to offset carbon emissions. Planting flowers to attract the bees is also highly recommended.
Not so Cool Fashion
‘Consume less’ could be applied to any area of life and when it comes to fashion, this philosophy is essential. Simply buying less stuff is a good way to cut carbon emissions. A single t-shirt is equal to two to three days of power consumption. This is due to the manufacturing and shipping of product, as well as its source. Fast fashion is usually made in sweatshops and they don’t last very long. Buying a more expensive item that is going to last you longer is morally, economically and sustainably a better choice. If you want a cheaper option, Charity or Op shopping is a good way to buy clothes in a sustainable fashion. Fast fashion values trend over style and durability making products to throw away as soon as the next trend comes along.
Water
By saving water you will be lowering your emissions drastically as large amounts of energy go into heating and treating the water we drink and wash with. Fixing dripping taps may be an investment, but it will reduce your water usage. Consider taking shorter showers, turning the tap off while brushing your teeth and dry lining your clothes. Small changes like these may seem ineffective, but over time these make an important difference. For schools, encourage students to bring plastic free water bottles and invest in refill water stations.
Activism
This is perhaps one of the most important points of action: Keep the pressure on your politicians to invest in renewable energy and remove their finances from fossil and coal fuel. By refusing to back oil and coal companies, we can drain their monopoly. Governments won’t have much choice if the majority of people show that we care about the future of the planet.