On Environment
Happy New Year 2019!
At this time of the year, everyone should be busy making a list of New Year's resolutions and wishes.
But to make things a little new and less boring, on this New Year's Day occasion, I decided to change gears and discuss the topic of environmental issues.
Recently you probably have seen a lot of videos on social media about the harm of plastic bags - images of floating mountains of plastics in the sea.
Thinking back, I visited Vietnam, my country, this summer for the first time after 6 years, to see the parts I had never had the chance to see before. I wanted to see the beauty and nature of Vietnam so much, which were praised as "golden forests and silver sea" (rừng vàng biển bạc). Excited as I was, it was equally painful to see floating plastic bottles on Ha Long Bay water, or the plastic candy wraps littered on the mountain trails in Sapa city. It pained my heart even more to realize that, I wouldn't be able to change anything by myself.
Fast forward a couple months, I went snorkeling in Hanauma Bay in Oahu, Hawaii - only to see dead coral reefs. They were just rocks nowadays.
Watching the Hanauma Bay promotion videos of once-colorful coral reefs, I kept asking myself how we arrived at that point - and where would we go from here if we kept killing our environment.
If you have ever gone hiking and stood atop a mountain, you probably have felt so moved by the grandeur of nature - the feelings of being humbled in front of something so beautiful, so bursting of life; the feelings that you just want this beauty to never change - to keep mother nature young forever. These beautiful scenaries also reminded me that, it was not too late to make a change.
Since I was young, I have always believed that there's a meaning in this life - that we are not just simply born to die. I believe humans are meant for something. At the minimum, human race is the only species that has the power to ponder the questions of environmental issues. Should we act upon that power or should we just roll over and die?
During a discussion about religions with my coworkers, I realized that religions might differ, but they all share common beliefs. Without religions, society would be survival of the fittest - the strongest would be at the top of the food chain. But we are not taught that way: We are all taught to share this environment with others, to protect women, children, and the people in need.
We are taught to live with compassions and be mindful of others; and, I believe that, by protecting the environment, we'll also be protecting people around us, as well as future generations.
Currently on vacation in the UK, it warmed my heart to see disposable wooden spoons and forks being used widely - something I hadn't seen in the U.S.
It was so encouraging for me to meet friends that were also mindful about the environment, and that governments have started actions to fight against pollution:
- "The EU wants 55% of all plastic to be recycled by 2030"
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/16/eu-declares-war-on-plastic-waste-2030
- Just recently there were news of South Korea and Bali banning the use of plastic bags.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/bali-bans-single-use-plastics-aims-to-cut-marine-plastics-by-70-11062738
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/31/asia/south-korea-plastic-bag-ban-intl/index.html
- More and more artists are helping raise awareness about environmental issues.
(Leonardo DiCaprio in documentaries such as "Before the Flood",
Alan Walker in the song "Different World" - Btw, you must listen to this song)
Personally, last year I put small efforts into helping the environment such as avoiding bottled water (Instead, I was filling up my re-usable water bottle daily from a filtered faucet to bring home), limiting the amount of trash (by avoiding using disposable dishes/cutlery), bringing my own grocery bags instead of using plastic ones, and using aluminum cutlery instead of single-use ones when eating out.
Besides these small efforts, I still don't know how the hell I can make a substantial change to help the environment. I am obviously powerless by myself. But just a little bit, I want to be a better me everyday. In all purposes, this note is not me asking you, my friends, to have to do anything. It is just a way for me to celebrate this New Year's Day occasion.
Cheers to the New Year 2019, to a better us this year!
Coventry, UK
1.1.2019
At this time of the year, everyone should be busy making a list of New Year's resolutions and wishes.
But to make things a little new and less boring, on this New Year's Day occasion, I decided to change gears and discuss the topic of environmental issues.
Recently you probably have seen a lot of videos on social media about the harm of plastic bags - images of floating mountains of plastics in the sea.
Thinking back, I visited Vietnam, my country, this summer for the first time after 6 years, to see the parts I had never had the chance to see before. I wanted to see the beauty and nature of Vietnam so much, which were praised as "golden forests and silver sea" (rừng vàng biển bạc). Excited as I was, it was equally painful to see floating plastic bottles on Ha Long Bay water, or the plastic candy wraps littered on the mountain trails in Sapa city. It pained my heart even more to realize that, I wouldn't be able to change anything by myself.
Fast forward a couple months, I went snorkeling in Hanauma Bay in Oahu, Hawaii - only to see dead coral reefs. They were just rocks nowadays.
Watching the Hanauma Bay promotion videos of once-colorful coral reefs, I kept asking myself how we arrived at that point - and where would we go from here if we kept killing our environment.
If you have ever gone hiking and stood atop a mountain, you probably have felt so moved by the grandeur of nature - the feelings of being humbled in front of something so beautiful, so bursting of life; the feelings that you just want this beauty to never change - to keep mother nature young forever. These beautiful scenaries also reminded me that, it was not too late to make a change.
Mountainous area outside Sapa city
During a discussion about religions with my coworkers, I realized that religions might differ, but they all share common beliefs. Without religions, society would be survival of the fittest - the strongest would be at the top of the food chain. But we are not taught that way: We are all taught to share this environment with others, to protect women, children, and the people in need.
We are taught to live with compassions and be mindful of others; and, I believe that, by protecting the environment, we'll also be protecting people around us, as well as future generations.
Currently on vacation in the UK, it warmed my heart to see disposable wooden spoons and forks being used widely - something I hadn't seen in the U.S.
It was so encouraging for me to meet friends that were also mindful about the environment, and that governments have started actions to fight against pollution:
- "The EU wants 55% of all plastic to be recycled by 2030"
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/16/eu-declares-war-on-plastic-waste-2030
- Just recently there were news of South Korea and Bali banning the use of plastic bags.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/bali-bans-single-use-plastics-aims-to-cut-marine-plastics-by-70-11062738
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/31/asia/south-korea-plastic-bag-ban-intl/index.html
- More and more artists are helping raise awareness about environmental issues.
(Leonardo DiCaprio in documentaries such as "Before the Flood",
Alan Walker in the song "Different World" - Btw, you must listen to this song)
Personally, last year I put small efforts into helping the environment such as avoiding bottled water (Instead, I was filling up my re-usable water bottle daily from a filtered faucet to bring home), limiting the amount of trash (by avoiding using disposable dishes/cutlery), bringing my own grocery bags instead of using plastic ones, and using aluminum cutlery instead of single-use ones when eating out.
Besides these small efforts, I still don't know how the hell I can make a substantial change to help the environment. I am obviously powerless by myself. But just a little bit, I want to be a better me everyday. In all purposes, this note is not me asking you, my friends, to have to do anything. It is just a way for me to celebrate this New Year's Day occasion.
Cheers to the New Year 2019, to a better us this year!
Coventry, UK
1.1.2019
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