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Small steps can help save the Earth
To help Mother Nature, we should not wait for the help of politicians or big companies who act in their shareholders' interests. Instead, the fight is in the hands of ordinary citizens like you and me.
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A cartoon depicting Earth Day 2020. (JP/Budhi Button)
W
e commemorated Earth Day on April 22, Kartini Day on April 21 and other special moments throughout the year to remember the brilliance of people and Indonesian history, as well as the beauty of our diverse cultures.
On Earth Day, we are supposed to recall what we have done for our planet. It should be a time to contemplate the Earth, our home. The day serves as a reminder that if we don't act soon, there won't be many more Earth days to celebrate.
How did we come to this environmental crisis? Nature has a way of replenishing itself: where one tree is cut down, another blossoms; when carbon emissions are released, plants photosynthesize to absorb the molecules.
Nature is a system of reciprocity, yin and yang. The Lion King wasn't entirely incorrect in the song The Circle of Life. However, humans have decided to break the delicate balance in nature.
The world today isn't in a state of yin and yang but rather of “bin and bang”. Humans throw reusable things away and light them up to get rid of them – or perhaps stick them in a landfill somewhere.
Over the century, the total carbon emission level has rocketed from less than 1 billion metric tons of carbon in 1900 to nearly 10 billion metric tons in 2010. While carbon emission levels were relatively constant from 1900 to 1940, the number massively increased after 1950, when large corporations began to take over and start their destructive paths.
Now, we seem never to run short of news about forest fires, food waste and other human-made environmental disasters.
Yet, on Earth Day, there is still cause to celebrate. Movements around the world have started and have been fighting for change. From the Sept. 29, 2019, environmental rally in Indonesia to Greta Thunberg's impassioned speech at the 2019 World Economic Forum, many have started to fight against the degradation of the environment.
I also believe that the spirit of entrepreneurship should not be overshadowed by the fear of further destroying mother Earth. What we need to have is the mindset to go the extra mile and to have a holistic approach in dealing with the environmental impact caused by our businesses. Entrepreneurs need to think more about the waste they produce.
I apply this mindset in my coffee business to go a step further in managing ground coffee waste. Instead of throwing it in the garbage, I have developed a method using mild pyrolysis, or torrefaction, to turn the waste to coffee briquettes. The thermal process converts biomass, the coffee grounds, into a coal-like material that has better fuel characteristics.
I then sell the product to satay sellers and online buyers. Of course, this invention is nowhere near enough to power Indonesia's fuel needs. But Greta showed us that no one is too small to make a difference. I believe these kinds of grassroots movements will be the vanguard in the fight against climate change.
To help Mother Nature, we should not wait for the help of politicians or big companies who act in their shareholders' interests. Instead, the fight is in the hands of ordinary citizens like you and me.
Greta has taught us that small steps do matter. Something minuscule, like carrying a water bottle while on the go instead of buying water, counts. The undying spirit and willpower to fight global warming is all that matters.
Rome wasn't built in a day; it was built on the backs of people with a vision for Rome. That is what we need in the fight against climate change. Happy Earth Day.
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British School Jakarta student and young entrepreneur
