by Tyrell Gittens
It’s time for a revolution,
One that involves human evolution,
While you may see no need for hesitation,
It is high time we give it some deep contemplation,
You see climate change has been a rampant issue,
Like a disease to humanity’s tissue,
What we fail to realize however,
Is that the course of this issue can be changed forever,
It’s time to change the climate,
To what it was,
As we try to reverse our actions,
It starts with our conscience and doesn’t only end with our buzz.
Climate change isn’t a predicament as simple as our destructive actions but it runs as deep as our thoughts. To a great extent, focus has constantly been placed on creating rocket science solutions to climate change but simple solutions such as cultivating a climate conscious society, is still a viable course of action. Society’s views that our environment is merely a cookie jar, to reach into and take as much that can be taken, has truly held us back from making a substantial impact on climate change. Breaking free from fossil fuels is one way we can make an impact but how about breaking free from the mental moulds that certain comforts can only be achieved by exploiting every single resource.
How exactly do we develop a climate conscious society? We need to firstly understand that transitioning from fossil fuels will be a gradual process that occurs overtime and by partaking in simple actions, we can begin to chip away on its grip. A scenario of supporting imported vegetables, for example, is a silent show of support for fossil fuels. Vegetables that are imported not only have to be transported from the farms where they are grown but they also have to be flown via airplane from their point of origins to their destinations. This process may appear simple but consumes fossil fuels at every single step, not only in transportation but also in harvesting where machinery is used.
Is supporting imported vegetables/food product a climate conscious decision now? Think that importing goods still doesn’t affect you in any way? Harmful air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, are released into the atmosphere by airplanes transporting imported goods. Air pollutants in general not only increase your chances of developing simple respiratory ailments but according to the World Health Organization were estimated to have caused 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012.
Now do you have enough reason to make a simple conscious decision such as reducing dependency on imported goods? All it takes is a majority of society to reduce its dependency on imported goods, by planting home gardens and supporting local goods, to subtract the fossil fuels needed to support foreign products from our fossil equation. This isn’t impossible neither is it impractical, it is very much doable but we must collectively make a conscious decision. Cleaner air, minds and consciences, isn’t that a world you want to live in?
It isn’t difficult to say that we are going green but programming our conscience to think green requires a greater effort. It can be said but can a consistent effort be made to do it? Instead of speaking, as well as, being trendy let us focus on promoting a climate conscious where members of society will be mindful of the harmful effects their minute actions have on our climate and in a wider scope our environment. The only way a true change will be enacted is when we change our minds. It is time for us to develop a climate change conscience; this conscience should serve as a guide for us to be conscious of all our actions.
