IT is beyond doubt that Mother Earth is the only home that we have.
Yet, how seriously do we actually think, feel and act about this?
Perhaps we could start by asking ourselves some simple questions, like are we consuming more than what we need, or are we acting as if we had more than one Earth?
A talk conducted by the Tzu Chi Foundation during the kick-off of Youth Green X-Change seminar last year should serve as an eye-opener, given that very little lifestyle adjustments could bring about huge beneficial changes.
The essence of the talk was about integrating or taking pledge on ‘Three Green Acts’ – to practise mindful eating, to live environmentally-friendly, and to choose frugal living.
3 Green acts, get engaged: decision in your handsAct
1 : Mindful Eating
Less Meat, More Veggie: Try vegetarianism; or if becoming a vegan is too much to ask for, eat more vegetables and reduce consumption of meat because our diet options contribute to global warming. Livestock rearing is among the largest contributor of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) through global food production, with cattle known to be the most GHG-intensive among all livestock-rearing categories. With meat, especially beef, being one of the staples in a typical Malaysian diet, a high percentage of the it is still being imported from other parts of the world.
Buy low-carbon food: In a way, low-carbon diet minimises the emission of GHG from the production, packaging, transportation, preparation and disposal processes. The characteristics of a low-carbon diet are, among other things, are choosing to consume less meat and dairy products such as cheese, eating more locally grown food and those that are less processed, as well as consuming proper portion size to avoid waste.
Reduce food waste: As much as Malaysia is a food heaven, apparently it is also a giant ‘food dump’. Thousands of tonnes of food and kitchen waste end up in the landfill every day, which simply indicates that we are consuming more than we need – a form of resource wastage. At the same time, the thrown-away food and kitchen waste generate GHG during decomposition. As such, eating compassionately is extremely important.
Act 2: Environmentally-friendly Living
Environmental-friendly living helps to heal Mother Earth and conserves resources. Simple changes to our lifestyles can curb unwanted environmental changes. It is not impossible, although changing one or two simple daily habits could seem very difficult.
Riding a bicycle to work, walking to destinations that are near, practising more car-pooling and taking public transportation whenever possible would greatly help in reducing hazardous smoke emissions from vehicles and keeping the climate cool. It is known that the transportation sector is a major contributor to carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in the country. There are also other positive spin-off benefits, such riding and walking promote good health, while car-pooling and using public transportation encourage socialising.
Conserve water and electricity. Adjust your air conditioning unit to a comfortable 26°C to 28°C, where it runs at the most optimal level. Remember that every drop in degree Celcius utilises more energy.
Reduce paper consumption. Consider reading news via online and if you need to print, use both sides of the paper. Every 50kg of newspapers is equivalent to pulps from a 20-year-old tree.
Act 3: Frugal Lifestyle
Live simple and healthy, buy only what you need. A well-planned shopping day saves money and resources. This includes buying items from a thrift store. Do your bit by donating and recycling to extend the lifespan of products.
Choose to stop using disposable products. Instead, opt for reusable products. Practise using reusable bags everywhere you go.
Better choices benefit the ecology, society and the economy – now and in the future. We are all in this together and with some changes in perspectives, thoughts and action, Mother Earth can certainly continue to provide enough for everyone for a longer time. The key is for all of us to make that choice together – the choice to give Mother Earth a chance to heal.
The Youth Green X-Change is a programme by Natural Resources and Environment Board Sarawak, Angkatan Zaman Mansang Sarawak, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia, Environment Sarawak Department, Teacher’s Education Institute- Batu Lintang Campus and Trienekens ( Sarawak) Sdn Bhd.