As a 15 year old, I believe that we should not have to imagine what it would be like to live in a better world, but rather we live in it.
For this, we must adapt and live sustainably because Earth is not only a planet, but our home.
Currently, most multinational corporations have chosen to ignore global warming and it’s impacts on our planet. You would think that due to the alarming rate at which our planet is deteriorating, measures would be taken to at least reduce a firm’s pollution output, but unfortunately not. Most companies are focused on maximizing their profits and growth. Being sustainable is costly, but not an excuse. Therefore, companies create decisions that negatively affect our environment. A minor portion of the initiative’s firms have, support a slightly sustainable future, however their fundamental values promote unsustainable practices.
One of the many environmental problems of large corporations is the amount of industrial and commercial energy usage. This includes the presence of mining-energy extraction projects, noise, air, and water pollution, as well as inadequate access to water.
In order to get the attention of governments and corporations, I believe that if everyone should engage in political advocacies, it would be easier to address this issue and actively participate to solve it. This includes the collective development of agreements, plans and mandates regarding the use of industrial and commercial energy usage. Furthermore, I expect corporations to start really paying attention to the critical amount of damage they have caused and start to come up with long term, sustainable plans to address these issues.
In my perspective, part of the reason of having a government is to provide social welfare and prevent/stop economic, environmental, and social issues by intervening. In my opinion, governments must first recognize us children as political actors in decision-making and take urgent measures to create spaces for diverse child and youth representation and participation. They can develop this agenda by creating spaces where, in addition to learning, we can reflect and make decisions about the present and future of our region in terms of sustainability and ongoing global conflicts.
Moreover, I strongly hope that governments of all nations must comply with national and international agreements that seek to eradicate (unless urgently necessary) deforestation for the purpose of sustainability as a fundamental right. In addition, they need to protect and secure mechanisms that guarantee larger corporations have a minimal amount of released carbon footprint. Additionally, the fact that people are saying that we are becoming greener without discarding the idea of single use plastic bags, proves how behind we really are, globally. I would like to propose that all governments and corporations use alternatives like envoPAP’s completely biodegradable, compostable, recyclable, marine degradable and energy saving bags (also known as 100% sustainable and green), instead of plastic bags.
I aspire that the government and large multi trillion- and billion-dollar companies see to their carbon footprint output and start to act on it as soon as possible, because otherwise, the occurrence of global warming will put our home along with us, at stake. Keep in mind when you are buying your next plastic bag, that there is no Planet B.
Once again, we should not have to imagine what it would be like to live in a better world, but rather we live in it.
Sincerely,
Tarini Chowla, 15
Bangkok, Thailand.
