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CLIMATE CHANGE: WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?
CLIMATE CHANGE: WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?
Personal responsibility is the key to averting disaster By: Panwad Sukviboon Published: 24/05/2009 at 12:00 AM Do you feel that it is getting hotter every day, and wonder why it is raining more often this summer? Why are strange natural phenomena, such as snow in some parts of western Asia, or drought in agricultural areas, occurring with greater frequency? Sometimes little things can turn into big things. Think about brushing your teeth. If you don't brush for one day, nothing bad will happen. But if you don't brush your teeth for one month, you may get tooth decay. If temperatures rise above normal levels for a few days, it's no big deal; things don't change much. But if temperatures continue to rise over a longer period of time, then the earth may have some problems. Global warming receives a lot of attention in the news, with many declaring the end of the earth as we know it and insisting that we take action immediately or it will be too late. It is something that we are reluctant to admit or take action on, however, and while in Antarctica and the North Pole ice caps are melting, animals are dying, the water is rising and the temperature change is becoming so dangerous that it is making us suffer, we need to stop talking and take action. One day, I went shopping at the mall. Passing a famous fast-food restaurant, I saw bags of rubbish, full of paper bags, foam cups, plastic lids, etc at the back of that restaurant, and I wondered why such a small restaurant had such a large amount of rubbish. Most of it is not easy to recycle. And around the world how many restaurants are there like this one and how much rubbish do they produce every day? This is only a small example; what about the pollution from chemical factories, or general environmental destruction for land and resources? I think personal responsibility is the key. Simple awareness of the numerous things that can cause global warming is a great way to help people modify behaviour that can harm the planet. There are many good books and websites that can help you learn about the environment and climate change. For example, you can help the environment by buying recyclable products instead of non-recyclable ones. Look for the recycle mark; three arrows that make a triangle on the package. Recyclable products are often made of things that have already been used, and it usually takes less energy to make recycled products than to make new ones. The less energy we use, the better. The good news is that the world community seems to be aware of climate change and is coming up with action plans, which - while not enough to reverse the impact - can generate awareness and spur collective effort. An example was the exhibition "World in Our Hands", held to celebrate the recent Earth Day on April 22, a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the environment. This initiative brought together local corporations, the government and educators to work together on conservation efforts. More than 12 exhibitors attended - the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Sathon district, EGCO Group, Bureau of Aids, Think Earth, Green Leaf Foundation, Change Fusion, The Network (Thailand), Gateless Gate by Star Maker, the Rajapruek Institute Foundation, the Sueb Nakhasathien Foundation and the United Nations - giving us an opportunity to learn how companies and individuals can become environmentally aware, reduce their carbon footprints and conserve natural resources. Global warming was the main theme of this seminar, trying to find the cause, solve the problem and save our earth. The exhibition is an example of the concerted effort to solve the problem of global warming. We can expect to see similar action from the corporate sector. Companies and organisations are putting information and details of campaigns to solve climate change on their websites. Keep a lookout for their activities on fighting global warming and climate change. It's time to cool our earth down. |
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