Environmental Activism: Can It Make A Difference?
Intro
Environmental activism is a group effort to protect the Earth that we love by putting a stop to environmental problems and making a change by turning ideas into concrete actions. Climate change has become a growing problem and is greatly affecting our food, water, health, and economy worldwide, which is why environmental activism is so important. Because these impacts affect communities across the world, the need for activism is more important than ever. When communities come together, small ideas can bring big change.
Environmental activism matters because climate change, biodiversity loss, and increased pollution have become a growing issue that impact many. Without a push in the right direction, change will never be made.
There are a few core pillars of activism to ensure that things run smoothly, effectively, and keep the main ideas in mind.
Education and awareness- Education and awareness are fundamental for any type of activism but especially in environmental activism because it educates individuals and allows them to understand the complexity of ecosystems and humans impact on the environment. Better educated people are more adaptable and open to learn and act on new ideas and can empower individuals to want to make a change!
Community and organization- Having a community is essential for environmental activism because it creates a collective power and amplifies the impact being made, rather than having individuals who feel isolated or disconnected. There is also a shared responsibility that come with a community which allows individuals to hold each other accountable and can create solutions that are specific to that environment.
Policy advocacy- Policy advocacy is vital for environmental activism because it shows public awareness into the legal changes that activism cannot achieve alone. It is extremely important to write to local representatives to let them know your concerns, attend council meetings to understand what is happening within the community and to make your voice hear, and to support climate friendly legislation.
Action- Taking action is the most crucial step in environmental activism because it is putting ideas into motions. Action is activism is what pressures decision makers into creating and implementing greater environmental regulations. Action can be taken through peaceful protests, petitions, sit-ins, and local organizations coming together to get their point across.
There are many success stories of environmental activism on both small and large scales that prove that activism can make a difference for our environment. An example of local environmental activism is in San Pedro, Chile where a community decided to organize weekly clean up walks, set up free water refill stations, and lobbied to ban single use plastic bags in stores. Within two years of their initial efforts, they were able to reduce litter caused by plastic bags by nearly 80 percent and saved roughly 3 tons of plastic from the landfill. Another example of local activism that proves that activism can make a difference, no matter how small, is the adopt a river program a non-profit group in Birmingham, Alabama does. In this program businesses, churches, and schools become responsible for removing litter, monitoring water quality, and reporting violations to sections of the Alabama River. Since this program has started, visible trash in the river has dropped by 63 percent and this community has become stronger and more connected. These example shows that even small changes such as stopping the use of plastic bags in one town and cleaning trash out of a river can have a huge positive impact on the environment.
Some examples of environmental activism on a large scale include the plastic bag ban in Kenya that was done by activists running a multi-year campaign to ban the use, manufacturing, and importing of plastic bags. within the first three years 7 billion plastic bags were taken off the market and plastic bag clean up reduced by 90%. Another example is the Global Plastic Pollution Treaty of 2024 which was adopted at the 2024 UN Climate Conference by over 120 countries and hold these countries accountable for achieving a 70 percent reduction in plastic waste and a 75 percent reduction in certain single use plastics.
These example shows the importance of environmental activism, no matter how big or small. Not all acts of activism will be successful, but it is vital to continue attempts at environmental change.
Conclusion
Through my research I have come to the conclusion that environmental activism can bring change. It is the bridge between ideas and action and turns the threat of climate change into solutions for change. Even though every idea and act will not bring change, it is important to keep fighting for the cause that you believe in. When individuals come together as a community, even the smallest ideas can become grand ones that determine the future for our planet. Without environmental activism, we would not have groups such as Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, and many more.