AAYP 2019 Youth Ambassadors Scholarship
Katherine Chen
Our world is anything but perfect. Every day we are surrounded by many serious issues, including racism, gun violence, poverty, and drug abuse. These are all problems that need to be addressed immediately, but an emergent one is environmental change.
Our Earth is rapidly declining; we are polluting our atmosphere and oceans, and our natural ecosystems are dying. Unfortunately, many do not see the severity of this situation. This is a problem; Earth holds 8 billion people who aren’t doing enough to save their planet.
This is why I believe climate change awareness is important: people need to understand the consequences of their actions so they can adjust their living habits to relieve their harm to Earth. People need to be educated, and action needs to be taken before it’s too late.
My first solution is to install recycling systems in every country. I am thankful that in New York, there are recycling bins everywhere, and allowing me to do my part at any time. I was raised to always recycle, and I am grateful that my city has implemented such a system to limit pollution. Thus, it disappoints me when I travel elsewhere to see that that area does not recycle. Every summer, my family travels to South Carolina for a week. During that week, we continue our routine of cooking and cleaning: as a result, we end up with trash to dispose at the end of the week. Unfortunately, South Carolina does not have a recycling system like New York; in fact, they do not recycle at all. I didn’t realize until then that not every state in the U.S. recycled. Actually, very few countries did.. How is recycling, such an easy and beneficial concept, not mandatory in the majority of the world? Just imagine how much less pollution there would be if every country recycled. This is why I believe the first step should be for every country to enforce recycling.
My second solution is to make laws regarding deforestation and reforestation. One recent disaster was the burning of the Amazon rainforest, which is absolutely shocking, given the forest’s wet foliage. One of the primary causes of forest fires are human interactions; our world is growing rapidly, and as a result, many industries have been growing as well. The demand for resources has never been higher, and businesses need to expand in order to keep up. However, there must be a limit to this expansion. Humans are cutting down trees and clearing land by the acre, carelessly paving through our earth’s natural resources, which we depend on. Laws need to be put in place to limit deforestation; it is necessary to preserve the life that is left, for humans and animals. At the same time, laws for reforestation also need to be implemented to relieve the damage that has been done. In fact, planting trees should be done everywhere, not just where it is already too late to do so.
My third solution is for everyone to participate in. Many factors that contribute to climate change have to do with humans and our actions. Besides recycling, we could improve our environment by using less energy. If a destination is nearby, we should walk instead of drive. At home, we should be mindful of how much electricity we use. Nowadays, solar panels are a very innovative way to conserve energy. While it is unlikely for everybody to do this, even one person can make a difference, and our world depends on it. Any little thing that can be done to help, I believe, can go a long way.
Just a few days ago, a climate strike took place for students and adolescents across the world. Although I could not participate, I encouraged my friends to go. Seeing the coverage and support that came together on that day, it truly inspired me. I felt proud to be able to live in a world where multiple generations could come together and unite as one. I may be just a seventeen year-old from a small town, but there are hundreds more like me out there fighting for the same thing I am: a future.