On April 6, 2022, NASA Scientist, Peter Kalmus, alongside other environmental activists, were arrested after holding a protest cautioning the impending ramifications of the ongoing climate crisis.
With NASA Scientists protesting and warning us about the dire situation the planet is currently facing, and with 4-5 years left to counteract these effects, the world scrambles to find ways to help prevent climate change from becoming irreversible.
With that, here are some ways you can help save the environment:
Hold big corporations accountable
The first step in saving the Earth is acknowledging that even if every single individual on the planet were to somehow stop the usage of plastics and go eco-friendly, the majority of accountability still lies on the big corporations that abuse the environment. We can adopt eco-friendly lifestyles all we want but so long as large companies continue their production of plastics, as well as their large emissions of carbon into the atmosphere, then our efforts would only achieve so much in comparison to the large-scale harm that capitalist structures cause.
Use ECOSIA
Ecosia is a search engine that uses its income from ad revenues to fund the planting of trees. By simply using Ecosia, individuals from around the world are able to contribute to the reforestation of the planet. It takes roughly 45 searches to plant one tree. Your search count may be visible in the upper right portion of the screen. To date, Ecosia has planted 147+ million trees.
To learn more about Ecosia, visit this website
Delete your emails and stop supporting NFTs
Every email that exists in the digital space requires the consumption of electricity. As we continue to use fossil fuels in generating our electricity, deleting dozens to thousands of unwanted emails also means reducing the carbon footprint produced by accommodating them.
Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, have also been subjects to public concern in recent times due to their negative effects on the environment, as the process of mining cryptocurrencies are notorious for their high consumption of electricity.
Click here to learn more about NFTs.
Conserve energy
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| Image from Columbia Journalism Review |
The more electricity we use, the more fossil fuels are burned. This adds to the pollution of our atmosphere, affecting our environment negatively. Even if the device is currently off, keeping them plugged consumes electricity. Removing the plugs of appliances and electronic devices from their outlets, especially when not in use, help reduce our electric consumption.
Speak up
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| Image from city a.m. |
As communication majors in a time where it is easier to have an audience through media, it is crucial that we use our platforms to speak up. Use your voice to inform others and bring awareness concerning climate change issues.
Because social media is a fast-paced digital space, it may only be a matter of time until people forget about the Kalmus' protest and shift their focus on the new trends. We should take on this responsibility and push forward with determination to speak up and help save the planet—our only home.
The planet's situation is dire. We cannot afford to ignore scientists and experts again, or else it would be too late to reverse the consequences of our actions or lack thereof. There is only have 4 to 5 years left to do something about the worsening state of our environment and with scientists getting arrested, it is also up to us to make a change and hold the powers accountable. Should we still allow governments and big corporations to dismiss the global crisis, as what they’ve always done in the past? Our time is limited, let’s not waste it.
