In trying to digest the many - seemingly indigestible - sides of the debate, 'Global Warming' can become a confusing term to understand. To oversimplify, and hopefully depoliticize, global warming refers to the planet's continually mounting average temperature. With the biting frost of the Canadian winter lingering on the horizon, one might be found wondering 'why this is a bad thing?'
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN-commissioned scientific community tasked with qualifying the responsibility of human activity on climate change – or David Suzuki – would be swift to respond with a thorough brief, outlining the must know details and dire consequences.
The brief would be sure to profile many of the underlying issues such as arctic shrinkage, rising sea levels and altering weather patterns, and likely reference relative facts like the near doubling of category four and five hurricanes over the past three decades or the growth in the percentage of disease cases related to altered temperatures, like malaria for instance. It would no doubt make a compelling case for action as it carefully underlined the devastating effects these phenomena continue to have on the delicate balance that sustains our fragile ecosystems.
But controversial topics, by definition, are never clean-cut and the {inconvenient} truth about the state our global environment is no exception to this rule. The politics surrounding, at times engulfing, our governments’ tangible commitments to environmental change can be frustrating to say the least.
Monumental leaps often begin with important first steps. These first steps must come from sustained grassroots eco-activism, as our natural world is simply too precious to be left in the fumbling hands of opportunistic politicians.
It is only too easy to hide in the crowd of the collective. An eco-active community must embrace three fundamental principles, the three Bs of eco-activism, if it is to establish roots and force the hand of change.
be aware. Understand the issues.
be accountable. Take ownership of your eco-footprint.
be the change. Think outside of the {recycling} box.
Engage your imagination in your efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle. Whether you are chatting with friends about inventive ways to recycle rainwater, starting a Facebook group to promote eco-active trends or taking your cause to the streets in protest of insufficient clean air initiatives, make your voice heard and influence felt. Gandhi meant what he said when he challenged us to be the change we want to see in the world and our planet is a better place because he did.
If we are to make a monumental leap forward toward environmental sustainability, we must begin by making that first step. And the time has come for our community to make that step through awareness, accountability and change. The moment is {y}ours. The question is, however, will you be…? {w}
the {great} leap forward: volume i, issue iii
/// {voice} of the urban community ///
the {warehouse} magazine would encourage its community of readers to share commentary about articles read in this magazine - or elsewhere - and observations about the {insert adjectives here} world we live in.
This is YOUR platform. So be sure to read out {LOUD}.
