Eco-Educating Yourself
How to Increase Environmental Awareness
No one is born an environmentalist.
Even Greta Thunberg, the face of youth climate activism, first encountered climate change with a sense of helplessness. It wasn’t until she continued reading and learning about the issue that she decided to do something: “the more I read about it, the more I understood the basics, I read even more and finally I could no longer ignore what was going on”.
The idea of participating in demonstrations and strikes can be daunting, so a smaller step we can all take is to educate ourselves about the climate crisis, pushing ourselves (and others around us!) to make small changes. If you’re aware of the severity of the climate crisis but feel overwhelmed and helpless to do anything, there are many resources about this issue and how to deal with it.
Learning methods come in different shapes and sizes - think back to when you were a child. Playing with toys, singing songs, and reading picture books involve different tools, but they are all educational methods nonetheless. Similarly, environmental activists and creators spread their passions through many different pathways. Regardless of what medium you prefer, whether it be audio, video, or print, plenty of resources are available at a close distance. For example, following social media accounts that promote sustainability means more related posts in your feed, so if you use social media on a daily basis, this is a great way to submerge yourself in green knowledge. After all, the information you take in shapes who you are. If you are an avid reader, pick up a book written by a climate enthusiast, or browse through eco magazines to build sustainability into your life.
In this digital age, we are flooded with information everywhere - a quick search on Google for “sustainability resources” yields around 258 million results. Given the wide range of sustainability-related topics and the abundance of information everywhere, educating yourself is a process of constant un-learning and relearning. In fact, as John Maynard Keynes said, oftentimes “the difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones” which have been ingrained in our minds since childhood. Evaluating and identifying harmful mindsets, trying to develop new habits, dropping old ones -- the cycle is never-ending. It can feel hopeless or tedious at times, but the breadth and beauty of Mother Earth always remains a humble source of motivation to keep digging and discovering.
In order to stimulate active and sustained changes, it is extremely important to be educated not only on the global environment, but also region-specific issues relating to social, cultural or political factors in your local community. With a deeper understanding about why sustainability is not already an inherent part of the society, it becomes easier to combat stigma and push for both individual and systemic change. Hopefully, this brief post - which is by no means an exhaustive list - will help you figure out how to kickstart your journey!
Social media
There are many informational accounts that focus on different aspects of sustainability. Some people run vegan foodstagrams as a starting step for followers to bring plant-based recipes into their lives. Others share their expertise through infographics and fun videos. Even if you don’t watch every single video, following these accounts will still allow you to subconsciously pick up on important events, movements, and the saddening truth of our climate crisis. You can set yourself a goal to thoroughly read the caption of two posts a day, or go through the posts shared on an account’s story.
To get started, here are a few international accounts:
Greenpeace @greenpeace
Nature Conservancy @nature_org
Bye Bye Plastic Bags @byebyeplasticbags
Chicks for Climate @chicksforclimate
Blogs and websites
Apart from social media accounts, activists may also run blogs or websites, while online magazines keep readers updated about sustainable developments in different areas. Lengthier than social media captions but shorter than books, blog posts often explain new concepts and offer practical advice for sustainable living. Likewise, magazines contain in-depth articles about the latest updates and trends ranging from fossil fuel regulations to interviews with conservationists. An example of this is Green Queen, an award-winning online media platform based in Hong Kong which targets readers in Asia. They also run articles as part of a partnership with Covering Climate Now, a journalism project targeting climate stories from around the world.
Suggestions:
Podcasts
If you are more of an auditory learner, fear not - we have podcasts! These spoken word series are packets of information that you can bring with you anywhere. The verbal and casual qualities leave a longer impact on some who retain information better when there is a more personal aspect. Even though lengths can vary from 20 minutes to one hour, podcasts are actually extremely time-efficient. With only a pair of headphones (or even without), you can slip away into the voices of climate activism while doing household chores or commuting.
Suggestions (available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts):
The Everyday Activist hosted by Eugenia Chow
Green Dreamer hosted by Kamea Chayne
Sustainababble hosted by “Dave and Ol”
Documentaries
Furthermore, there are many films and documentaries surrounding sustainability, relating to topics such as diet, fashion, and activism. Through such films, directors reveal shocking images and shameful truths about the agricultural and manufacturing industries. The visual aspect of documentaries can often make the effects of climate change and manufacturing malpractices more tangible, thus providing a greater incentive for us to take action.
Suggestions:
Earthlings (10th anniversary edition currently available for free)
An evaluation of human relationships with animals as pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and tools for scientific research
Cowspiracy (also available on Netflix)
An investigation into the hidden face of the agricultural industry
A look at human rights and environmental issues in the clothing industry
Events and Action
Lastly, consider attending local events, making lifestyle changes, or calling for action. Implementing your knowledge in real life can have a positive effect on soothing anxiety, while also contributing back to educating others about sustainability. Such experiences can bring about new revelations, as you are more likely to be influenced by others’ passions when it is a first-hand encounter. You can start with simple things such as gardening, beach clean-ups, attending a documentary screening, or sign up for workshops, participate in panel discussions, and strike for change.
