Advocating for the environment: why we need to care
September 2, 2019 | Sophia Trout
In twelve years, I'll be 33 years old. I will have graduated from college, gotten a job and moved out of my parent's house. I might have gotten married and had a baby or adopted animals. The different scenarios of where my life could be in twelve years seem infinite until you look at the finite facts of climate change.
In 2016, nations around the world signed the Paris Agreement. It stated, among other points, that the governments agreed to "a long-term goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels." Approximately 186 countries have confirmed their involvement with formal approval, according to the United Nations Treaty Collection database.
The infamous twelve-year deadline to save our planet first hit the media during the Paris climate conversations. Environmentalists urged action while scientists presented the facts, and politicians spoke to the public about how they can help make a change. At the time, this seemed like a massive step in the right direction. Jump forward to 2019, and sadly, that isn't the case.
While the Paris Agreement is still in motion, humans are continuing to destroy the Earth. From fast fashion, meat consumption, oil drilling and more, our planet is suffering. There is a new wave amongst the younger generations to try to combat climate change by using metal straws, investing in reusable bags and going vegan for a few meals a week. Twitter is booming with news about the environment from Millennial and Gen Z advocates, which some big-name news outlets ignore. Young people are fighting for a better world, but if corporations and politicians don't listen, then it'll be for nothing.
We only have one Earth, one planet, one home. It's our job as human beings to protect Mother Nature, and that's why I decided to pick the environment as my topic for my blog posts this semester. I don't want this page filled with only the negative impacts humans have on the environment. Highlighting organizations and individuals who are going out of their way to make a positive impact deserve a stage as well.
I hope to do what I can to educate others about the environment and inspire people to come together for a cause greater than life itself. Because, if we fail our planet, we've failed every possible future for twelve years time.
Infographic: WWF Coral Triangle