Anthony Radic
Our environment is our sanctuary, our refuge, our home. How can that possibly be true when we do not protect it?
An innocent child walks past an overflowing, stagnant bay, covered in waste. Plastic litter adorns the now lifeless and desolate body of water. In the distance, dense smog blankets the nearby city. The sky remains as dark as the hearts of those who let pollution deteriorate this once picturesque landscape. The formerly vibrant and diverse coastal paradise has become nothing more than a distant dream. A small seabird slowly flies overhead, abruptly landing in a pile of discarded takeaway containers, for she cannot fly as her wings have become caught in a plastic bottle cap. Pointing to the beach, the curious child looks up to his mother and says, “What is that mummy?” His mother’s heart skips a beat, she turns and says “That’s a poor sea turtle, who suffocated on someone’s waste and died.”
Although bleak, and to many unimaginable, this is the unfortunate reality that humanity has established in many parts of our world. Detached from the consequences of our actions, we often pride ourselves on our planet’s vast treasures, however, a world where we continue to pollute, deteriorate, and destroy, cannot coexist with a world of beauty and sustainability. One cannot hold dear an elegant rose by leaving it to perish in the freezing cold or scorching heat. If we truly do respect our precious home, then why do we support its demise?
Humanity has corrupted the environment through a range of ways. Deforestation, countless forms of pollution, and climate change, all contribute to the fact that since 1970, humanity has wiped out 60% of all fauna species according to United Nations reports. Moreover, the UN warns that we only have 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change. Not only will climate change disrupt global food chains, but will lead to the demise of millions of humans and animals alike.
Evidently, our actions are making a catastrophic impact, although what can our generation do? Each day we make a choice to act and think in the way we do, to better our lives for ourselves and others. We choose to stay in contact with friends and family to express our care for them and the importance they hold to us. Why then, can’t we make the daily CHOICE to care for our environment?
UN General Assembly President, María Garcés, is quoted as saying, “We are the last generation that can prevent irreparable damage to our planet.” Ultimately it’s our generation that must break the chain of global environmental destruction, by actively choosing to do so daily.
Firstly, writing and supporting environmental initiatives are key to supporting a better world, as they help instigate change. Even though individuals may have a base understanding of environmental issues, by passionately vocalising our impact, countless more can be inspired to actually make a difference. There exist countless ways of doing so; petition websites, public speaking and writing competitions, social media, and community functions, are all mediums which one can use to spark action for the environment.
For instance, Greta Thunberg is one of many students who saw that things immediately needed to change. As a student, she felt powerless to stop environmental destruction, however, instead of believing she was insignificant, she began writing. Additionally, she organised protests in front of her nation’s parliament, Sweden. She did not stop until her voice was heard, seeking immediate action on climate change. On March 15th 2019, an estimated 1.4 million students in 112 countries joined her call in protesting for this issue, causing worldwide reforms concerning climate change strategies. She thought that she was unimportant, that her ideas were simply a needle in a haystack of the billions on Earth, however, by writing for change, she made a difference.
Imagine if all of us were to follow in Greta’s footsteps. Governments represent the will of the people, if our generation’s will is to take action for our planet’s wellbeing, change must come. Although it may seem ambitious, our voices are meaningful. Therefore, by writing and protesting for the environment, we are standing strong for our planet’s wellbeing. Save our nature for our future.
Secondly, when we refuse to reuse, it’s the Earth that we abuse. Our generation must lead the way in biodegradable, reusable, and sustainable solutions to combat the toxic plastic that has infiltrated all aspects of society. Plastic takes hundreds to thousands of years to break down, causing it to pollute our environments, kill millions of fauna worldwide, and contaminate our waterways. According to ASEAN Post, “Globally, it is estimated that over 100 million marine animals are killed annually by plastic waste.”
By reusing and refusing plastic, we are able to once again introduce simple actions to make global changes. In Australia, only 36% of plastic drink bottles are recycled, causing approximately 373 million bottles to be wasted annually. It simply isn’t enough to recycle, but to incorporate long-term measures to restrict our plastic epidemic. For example, we are able to utilise metal straws and bottles, as well as reusable fabric bags and food containers, to prevent unnecessary plastic use. Re-thinking our attitudes to plastic is crucial in our step to a cleaner future, we cannot treat this product as inexpensive and plentiful but rather as destructive and cancerous. Thus, actions against plastic is another prominent way of supporting sustainability. Save our nature for our future.
In summation, our environment is our sanctuary, our refuge, our home. We are only able to protect our home if we write and speak out in support of its conservation, taking actions daily to prevent its demise. Change simply will not occur without us all making a difference. We are the environment, what we do to it is what we do to ourselves. So let’s help form a world where no child’s fresh air, clean beaches, and abundant wildlife are stolen by our greed. Save our nature for our future.
