Saving the Earth starts with me and you

A great cry was heard to save the Earth when at the 2019 UN climate action summit, Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg demanded for emergency actions. Unfortunately, no substantial changes followed for the crisis. Instead, things seemed to have fallen back to usual.

People, world leaders included, have become used to blaming others or being blamed. Thunberg herself was doing it at the summit by saying, “You have stolen my dreams and childhood with your empty words” and “you are failing us.”

Not only among people, countries are doing the blaming game as well. CBC reporters were heard blaming China and the U.S. for discharging more pollution, and demanded they cut emissions first.

Since we are hundreds of times more polluting than smaller countries like Fiji, those countries should do nothing? After all, every one of us has been causing the accumulation of emission that is causing climate change. It is like Mother Earth has too many children that are discharging noxious gas, but she is not aware of who or which country is choking her.

All pollution is originating from three types of activities: industry, travel and heating — all of which are important as they all relate to human rights, survival and a good life style. Who can explain, or convince, others that a Canadian is entitled to more emissions than a person in a different country?

Too many times we entered the blaming game, but we should never have done so when it comes to protecting our home Earth. We must stop doing it now, as any delay in action could push past the critical point of averting a disastrous consequence.

To make things worse, we are so dependent on fossil fuels, which produces the pollution. Globally, it is still the main source of energy, with others being either uneconomical or unreliable. Until our mainstay of energy is clean, we all have to start practising right away the three Rs — reduce, reuse and recycle. Every one of us has the responsibility and the capability to do the three Rs.

For a practical self-check, if you feel your garbage can is too small, or find it full on pick-up day, you are surely using too much. Could you try to use less or reuse to reduce waste? Also, have you tried to avoid driving when walking or biking is an option?

This past election could have been our special opportunity for this matter. We should have shouted loud and clear to make it the top election issue. We want money spent on innovation for clean energy! Our government must commit fully to reducing emissions for the long haul, and never allow a fiasco like the escape from the Kyoto Protocol to happen again.

The climate crisis is coming if we behave the way we currently are. Either we try our best now, or it will be too late to do anything.

We must bring the matter into our own hands to avert the disaster for our future generations. The responsibility for action shoulders on every one of us, and the time to act is right now!

Born and raised in Asia, Leigh Gao has been working as a scientist in Canada for the last 27 years to provide technical expertise for companies to develop and expand markets in the world. As a volunteer of community work and an observer of world affairs, he has been an active promoter of East-West understanding and Canadian values and interests everywhere.