Treating the Planet with Care and Kindness
When we spend a lot of time in our own neighborhood or city, it can be easy to forget that we live on a huge planet made up of continents, oceans, mountains, forests, and all the diverse countries of the world.
As I write this article, I’m getting a chance to meet people from many of those countries in an Egyptian city called Sharm-el-Sheikh. Heads of state and government officials as well as scientists, people of faith, business leaders, activists, and others are gathering here for an important climate change conference. Our purpose is to build unity of action among nations to decrease pollution, promote clean energy, and better understand how vital water and agriculture are to the world and its people.
The UN's 27th Climate Change Conference (known as COP27) brought over 35,000 participants to Egypt to explore climate action around the world.
Conferences such as this help our worldwide community learn the best ways to respond to our changing climate. Equally important is how we respond to the needs of the natural environment as individuals, families, neighborhoods, and local communities.
Climate change can be a scary phenomenon. It may seem too big and too difficult to do anything about, with lots of unknowns. What we do know, though, is that humans are causing hazardous changes in the climate with a type of pollution called greenhouse gases. But we all have agency—we can take action to make a difference.
Be an Agent for Change
Knowing that we have agency means that change doesn’t have to be a difficult or scary idea. We can use our agency to create the changes that we think will help make the world healthier. In fact, little changes you make in your life can have big, positive impacts for the planet, its climate, and all of us who live here.
Just as we want to show our friends and family members kindness and respect, so too we can show the earth kindness and respect to help protect its environment. So, what are some of the ways to do this?
Investigate Electricity
Creating electricity can produce huge amounts of greenhouse gases. It’s important to find out where the power we use comes from—such as a nuclear plant, a dam, or a coal-fired power plant. Green sources of electricity, such as solar panels or wind turbines, create a lot less pollution. It’s a great idea to learn about green energy and encourage communities to use it.
Use Power Carefully
Regardless of where our electricity comes from, it’s a very precious resource, and we should try to use just enough. Leaving a room? Make sure the lights are off. Not watching the TV? Turn it off and unplug it at the end of the day. Getting a bit chilly? Put on a heavier sweater instead of turning up the thermostat.
The Bell Nexus electric Air Taxi, recently on display in Washington, D.C., is a developing concept for efficient air travel within cities.
Choose Green Ways to Go
How we decide to get around can be a big source of pollution, too. Many vehicles use fossil fuels, which create greenhouse gas emissions. Even electric cars can create emissions, since we have to extract minerals from the earth to make electric batteries.
Obviously, we can’t avoid driving all the time! And sometimes we have to fly to see family and friends or to visit new parts of the world. But for shorter trips, think about walking instead of driving—even if it takes longer and isn’t as convenient. Riding a bike is also a terrific form of transport (and it’s fun, too!). Neither walking nor cycling create any greenhouse gas emissions, and they have the added benefit of helping to keep you physically healthy.
Eat More Plants
Believe it or not, what we eat not only impacts us as individuals, but it also has a huge impact on the planet. Greenhouse gas emissions occur when food is produced, transported, and stored. Food production can change how we use land, impact the health of soil, damage habitats where animals live, and pollute clean water. Meat and dairy farming are particularly damaging to the planet. Deciding to sometimes eat a plant-based meal—one made up of vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains—can be a huge help to the planet.
Imagine a Better World
There are two other very important skills we can all use to help the planet deal with and recover from climate change. The first is to simply use our imagination. We can imagine the kind of world we want to live in. Maybe it’s a world where there is no pollution. Or every neighborhood is designed with all the services it needs, so people can make far fewer car journeys.
Talk About It
The second skill is to talk! When you’ve imagined the world you want and you have ideas about what needs to change, start to talk to people about your ideas! Talk to friends and family, people in your local community who make decisions, and anyone else who you think can help make your ideas a reality.
In closing, I’m going to ask you to use that imagination skill I mentioned earlier. Instead of thinking about Earth as a planet, I want you to think about it as a spaceship, traveling through space. No ship can function well if the crew members aren’t doing their jobs well and taking care of the ship. So imagine which crew member you would like to be. Then put on your spacesuit, grab your gear, and figure out how you can best support our Spaceship Earth!
Ian Hamilton is the Environmental Discourse Officer at the U.S. Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. He collaborates with other orgnaizations to promote dialogue on climate change, sustainability, and climate finance. Ian has a Master’s degree in Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility.
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