Can anyone bring about change in this worldly crisis?
For years, people have been gradually progressing with the idea of protecting the earth. From complete obliviousness, countless individuals and organizations are working together now to advocate for environmental justice. In hopes of convincing millions of people to the cause, advocates emphasize that anyone can be a catalyst for change.
Today, the fight grew massively. With more than a hundred thousand partner organizations, it is safe to say more people are now involved with this movement, amassing approximately one billion individuals.
Still, environmental problems are a huge threat to the planet; it is now considered a worldly crisis. Left and right, natural disasters have come more often and become scarier, devastating countless places and lives. So then, how far have our efforts taken us?
The True Enemy
The regular populace has been consistent in trying to be more “green.” Everyone is taught to care for the planet—looking forward to having a future where the air is still breathable and the oceans are safe for humans to swim in.
At least within the idea of persuading them to become aware and change their ways, the participation of countless individuals has paid off. Yet, massive collective efforts are still overpowered by the biggest contributors to global warming. Huge corporations are not always willing to be on the same side—they continue to mass-produce products and toxic wastes that are harmful to the environment.
In fact, some of these corporations also pretend to care for the movement, while still not batting an eye to the irreversible damage they have done and will continue to do so. With these, individuals and corporations alike should be aware that this crisis is not a matter to be solved by simply tossing a coin.
Locally, this global warming emergency is now being addressed by numerous factions and organizations. These include the establishment of environmental protection agencies and the implementation of pollution control measures.
In 2021, Carlos Dominguez III, then secretary of the Department of Finance, raised the urgency of providing a solution for the impending crisis.
“Science has accumulated enough evidence about what is happening and what all of humanity needs to do to reverse the apocalyptic course of planetary warming,” said Dominguez.
This further proves how the problem would be impossible to solve alone. Considering how we are currently experiencing stronger typhoons, drastic earthquakes, and frequent wildfires, it would not be a shocking fact that we have yet to escape the path to self-destruction.
The youth also started making a change. In celebration of Earth Day 2023, over 160 students and faculty members from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) launched “Climate Justice through Arts,” where artists advocated for the positive impact we can achieve even with the simplest efforts.
Annually, Earth Day is given specific themes that could increase the masses’ interest in the event. For this year’s theme, “Planet Vs. Plastics,” the campaign’s purpose is to decrease plastic waste by 60%—at least by 2040. Here, they emphasized the grave danger this environmental issue could pose for our planet.
False Solutions
The world's largest corporations play a significant role in driving global climate change, producing just about everything we buy, use, and throw away. However, the majority of the world’s biggest companies have done almost nothing in the past five years to cut their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.
Numerous major corporations have introduced programs with the goal of decreasing their carbon emissions and minimizing plastic consumption. These efforts vary from investing in sustainable energy to establishing recycling schemes.
For instance, corporations like Google and Apple have promised to run their activities using entirely renewable energy sources. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have vowed to enhance the utilization of recycled materials in their packaging.
Despite their commitments to reduce plastic pollution, many corporations prioritize downstream waste-reduction strategies, such as recycling and lightweighting, rather than addressing the root cause of the problem—which is the mass production and use of virgin plastic.
This approach does not lead to a net reduction in plastic pollution, as companies may end up producing more plastic products overall, even if they are individually lighter and less plastic-intensive.
Between 1950 and 2017, it was revealed that global plastics production increased 174-fold, and it is projected to double again by 2040. However, only 9% of plastic waste is ever recycled, and only one-tenth of that amount has been recycled more than once over the last 50 years. This argues that recycling delays plastic disposal and pollution and that a comprehensive solution needs to target virgin plastic production and use—rendering these solutions made by big companies useless against combating climate change.
The time to act is now. These big companies need to be called out for their false solutions. They should be held accountable for the damage they did to the environment and make up a sustainable and absolute solution to the problem before it is too late. With their vast resources and global reach, they have the potential to enact meaningful change, rather than stick to their greenwashing propaganda.
Also, big corporations may connect with consumers on a personal level, helping them understand the importance of making sustainable choices. Besides investing in a more effective environmental program, it is also important for these companies to inform consumers about the harmful impacts of plastic pollution and climate change while offering practical solutions and alternatives.
Steps For Change
The annual Earth Day serves as an important reminder of the environmental challenges our society faces and opportunities for collective action. Despite the emerging figures indicating an impending doom for our environment, there is significant progress that we achieve each year we celebrate this event.
Over the years, this has catalyzed various actions and initiatives, including the improvement of environmental awareness and education, which resulted in increased awareness in people that can lead to changes in behavior, such as adopting sustainable practices or supporting environmental causes.
This celebration has been instrumental in advocating for policy changes on local, national, and international levels. It mobilizes communities and encourages the youth to participate in environmental activities such as tree plantings, clean-up, and recycling drives, and calls for accountability where it is due. These activities foster a sense of collective responsibility for everyone and can have tangible benefits for local ecosystems, which can be determined as a natural responsibility for each individual.
Article: Franchesca Grace Adriano & Gabrielle Cruz
Graphics: Cathlyn De Raya
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