It is important that we do our part to combat the climate crisis. I have been thinking about and reflecting on this a lot lately. Though it is not the job of ordinary citizens to completely change the world — hello, top companies leading the way: Corporations account for 71 percent of carbon emissions — there are still ways that we can help the planet.
For starters, try to limit your waste. I have cut out a lot of plastic in my life by taking reusable bags to the grocery store, using reusable cups and straws; I try to take quicker showers and do the dishes with not too much water so as to limit my water usage; I turn off appliances and lights whenever I am finished using them. I’m really trying the whole “reduce, reuse, recycle” thing.
It may sound a bit kitschy, but it is actually so important to live our lives following this mantra. I still have a ways to go. I drive my car more than I use public transportation — though I do try to carpool — I use my Keurig for coffee (the single use cups are not the best for the planet), I buy from bigger outlets instead of thrifting all the time, thus contributing to the fast-fashion industry.
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Not only do I try to implement these practices into my life, but I have found that getting involved with sustainability groups on campus has had a positive impact on my way of thinking about the environment. Through volunteering at the gardens here at Mason, I have reflected on the ways in which food can be grown and harvested locally and in a manner which preserves Earth. I have learned about different vegetables and spices, yes, but I have also learned what a pleasure it is to be able to live off of something you have cultivated. And it is fresh, too! You can sign up for volunteer shifts here.
Even taking one of the many environmental-based classes here at Mason is a good way to improve your knowledge of things that can be done to combat climate change — or at least how to live more sustainably yourself. Sustainable World (INTS 210) is a fantastic class to really immerse yourself in — it is how I got started volunteering in the gardens on campus.
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I am in no way perfect. Sometimes I cringe when I think about how little I am doing for the climate. But then I remember that I am trying; I remember that I am doing what older generations did not do. They left us with this crisis, the fight is ours now. It makes me angry to think about the fact that people have known about our harmful effects on the environment for decades and chose to do nothing to mitigate such effects. But for now, I will do my best to change the things I can, and to get better at changing what I haven’t already.
Though it is frustrating that many do not seem to care about the damage they are evoking, imagine how frustrating it has been to Native nations; to people in underdeveloped or developing countries who have to bear the forefront of climate change effects. Now, more than ever, we need to uplift their voices and recognize that they have been fighting the good fight long before anyone else took notice; they have been promoting climate awareness long before the rest of the world. Now it’s just up to everyone else to catch up.