Everyone in the world has taken part in climate change issues. All people from different backgrounds talk about this problem; scientists, politicians, economists, students, and even housewives. But the fact is that, with all the people involved, it still did not give a real impact on climate change.
Country leaders from each country have had plenty conferences specifically talking about climate change which began in 1990, named UNFCCC (United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change). Every country leaders and delegates gather in a country that hosts the conference. The activists also conduct various campaigns to oppose the increase and terrible impacts of climate change. They would perform various campaigns in the streets, handing out flyers, hang posters, and others.
But do they realize how much energy was spent for those activities? How much fuel was burned when every country leaders fly on their private planes? How much fuels were spent to run every presidential car and their sixteen presidential bodyguard cars? How many papers and chemicals are wasted to print posters? How much fuel is burned to produce the papers used for flyers? And even if we use recycled papers, it takes more energy to be produced compared to the manufacture of new papers.
I feel that, conferences conducted since tens of years ago and the campaigns that are very often spoke by everyone, anywhere, and all the time are not very effective in making impacts to reduce the worst effects of climate change. In fact they only waste more energy, compared to doing nothing, they might save energy.
Actually, congress and the campaigns are not required if we are aware of the exact problems. In fact, from year to year, we never really know the results of each congress, and feel the real impact from them. They are slow. Therefore, it would be better if we can act locally but think globally at the same time, rather than doing a global action which can’t be applied in our respective countries.
I believe, the root cause of climate change is human activities where individuals practice overconsumption lifestyles. I think the anti overconsumption action and holding the principle of simple living is the solution to all the problems. If we buy just enough clothes for us to wear, then companies do not need to produce so much clothes to meet our demanding needs, therefore, there won’t be so much fuels needed to run production machines which emits carbon
If only we do not buy too many goods, then plastic companies do not need to manufacture so many plastics just to wrap the goods that we buy, consequently, less fuel would be burned too. Suppose we lead a simple lifestyle, then we do not need to do extra work to earn more money to meet the never ending desires of our lives, and we do not need to use extra vehicles, computers, and air conditioners. All this uses a huge amount of electricity and again, the excessive burning of fuels to cater the generation of electricity.
I know that it is a human nature to always ‘want’ something. But do we really need them? Hence we should know the limits and reduce our over consumption life. This simple thing that we do will definitely be more effective than attending world conferences.
(Many thanks to Chyna Yong Suit-B)