Nope. For generations, we have been thinking of the environmental crisis as being in the ‘distant future’. Now, the ‘future’ is upon us. You’ve heard about the deadly floods and landslides in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand as well as the devastating typhoons in the Philippines in recent years. All of these can be traced back to climate change.

According to the National Youth Climate Change Survey Malaysia in 2020 by UNDP and UNICEF with support from EcoKnights, nine out of 10 Malaysian youth have experienced environment and climate-related effects in the last three years. This includes haze, water pollution, floods and drought.

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that the world has only until 2030 to keep global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C. If this goes higher, there’s a critical risk of global food scarcity, water stress, extreme heat, and natural disasters, among others (as if those aren’t terrible enough!).

We are the last generation to save our home from man-made climate crisis. Now is the time to act!

It’s easy to feel small; the environmental crisis is a monster of an issue. Some people also think that individual actions are meaningless because most of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from big corporations. Yes, corporations are responsible, but we, as consumers, are not off the hook. After all, we’re paying for the products and services of these corporations.

So individual actions do matter. Collectively, they make tidal waves of change! The National Youth Climate Change Survey Malaysia showed that over nine out of 10 youths in Malaysia are already taking personal action to reduce their carbon footprint, including reducing, reusing and recycling, planting trees, being conscious of electricity consumption, and changing to a plant-based diet.

Don’t brush these actions off. Through leading by example, you can gradually encourage your family and friends to pick up similar green habits. Then, they can influence others to do the same. With time, imagine the ripple effects your personal action can cause!

You can also amp up your contribution by volunteering or working for an environmental organization. Connecting with other youth environmental leaders to learn from them and exposing yourself to more opportunities in the space can even help alleviate climate anxiety. Where to find them? Start with the YELL directories of environmental organizations and youth environmental leaders!

Doing what you can is better than not doing anything at all. No one, not even seasoned environmentalists, are totally environmentally friendly.

Yet, every step you make in reducing your carbon footprint, and the challenges you face in doing so, allows you to better understand the realities of environmental work and the problems that need solving. Joining environmental programmes can also guide you on how to do more, effectively!