Preacing What I Practice

I sat in front of the laptop that December night watching the live webcast of the UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen. As I watched, I asked myself “What do you think Josh* is doing there?” I lost the writing competition to my best friend, making the difference between experiencing the atmosphere of the talks live on the scene in Copenhagen and having it flat on the laptop. I followed his blog posts on the conference very closely and it was through his writings that I learnt a priceless lesson.

I had flashbacks of the time I wrote my competition entry. Through the research I did, I learnt that I could do more to save the earth. Surely, I turn off the lights when I’m not in the room and I carpool to school. However, being in my youth, creativity and knowledge was my greatest asset. Doing research on climate change and innovating more environmentally-friendly products could not only help me in my quest to save the planet but also the efforts of the rest of the world!

I met up with Josh the following month. It was a good chance to ask him what he had learnt from Copenhagen. Knowing me for the past six years, he knew that I was all crazy about Youth Empowerment. With a hidden intention, he asked me “How old will you be in 2050?” That simple question is the name of a youth movement to combat climate change. The question reminds us that it is us, the youth of the world, and not the older generation that will be alive in 2050 when climate change takes its toll on the earth. He shared with me how huge the campaign was and how it all started with a student who was only 13. After that conversation, I realized something that had never crossed my mind.

Saving the earth, sure it starts from me, the little things I do to save a few watts of electricity and a few drops of fuel. But the question seldom asked it “Once I start, where does it go and where does it end?”

That conversation with Josh answered it all. It all starts with me, continues on with other people and it will never end. It’s about doing the little things that save the environment and inspiring others to do the same. They say that there are so many things that you can do to save the earth, but really, unless you invent some magical carbon-absorbing sponge or something like that, there are only so-many measures you can take. However, are you ever limited to the number of people you can motivate to do what you do? All it takes is to pass the message around that together, as a family of 5 billion people, in fact, 30 million species, do the little things that make a difference, like people are afraid of death because they want to live longer, there will be more generations to come.

You live your life to the fullest only if you make the world a better place. When we say “Saving the earth starts from me,” it means more than just the things we do ourselves. It refers to inspiring others to do the same, to have one common goal. It’s all about preaching what you practice and changing the world.

Yudhi Bunjamin [Indonesia]

*Names have been changed to maintain privacy