Contributor : Satesh Sookhai
Most of the times when we think about the environment, we often only limit it to the physical landscapes. Few acknowledge the oceans and to a lesser extent the atmosphere. But did you know we as humans also make up part of the environment? Do not worry, I didn’t consider it either. With that said, it goes without saying that anything that happens to the environment will undoubtedly affect us. This is very important to understand. We as humans play a major role in what happens to the environment. I don’t know about you but for the past couple of years, I have been very sacred with the direction we are heading towards. The world as we know it is changing, unfortunately for the worst. In recent articles, we are predicted to face serious problems with climate change in the next 10 years. Seems far, but is it really?
One of the biggest problems we are facing right now is Climate change. This problem is a global one and all persons are affected by it. Many factors contribute to its occurrence, but the main one is mankind’s ignorance. We believe that we do not contribute to this problem. We believe that we will die soon, therefore it would not be our problem. We believe that it is not real. Smell the coffee and wake up! The ice caps are melting, smalls islands like ours here in the Caribbean are losing their shorelines year after year. Many marine species are becoming extinct. And the list goes on and on. If you are not scared yet, I am definitely.
While climate change effects have been making its way in mainstream media, many people still do not have any considerations for the environment. We are still using single-use containers that are not recyclable. Have you ever wondered where all these plastic cups, straws, plastic bags and the like goes? If your answer is to landfill, you are very off buddy! Most of the bottles end up in the ocean and rivers. Plastic bags are consumed by marine animals. And as seen on many social media platforms, straws are harming a lot of turtles. Yes! Your poor disposal methods have effects. Maybe it’s time to change your ways.
Once you understand that you are the main problem in this climate change equation, making a difference is the next step. We are talking about reducing the amount of trash you use. Buy reusable containers and of course the famous metal straws. Using reusable bags makes a huge impact and they come is some exquisite patterns. Planting trees can also help with this problem. Every year the forest is depleting, and we are making no effort at all for reforestation.
As a tourism student at the University of The West Indies, I am fortunate to have gone on many hikes and beach cleanups around Trinidad. Sadly, the amount of trash I have seen left me thinking that we are doomed. Can we really combat this global problem we are facing? One of my lecturers said that we are simply borrowing this earth from our children. Therefore, this means if we fail to protect it, we are leaving our children at risk. Do you really want that blame on your hand?