Can we stop climate change? Today, we face a future of uncertainties.  Mainstream media is propagating the idea that a catastrophe is coming in the near future. But we are living in the present, and it is now that we have to act. Over the course of my studies, I have noticed climate change campaigns have always focused on the effects humanity has had on the environment.  Very little, if ever is mentioned of how we can stop it.

Research from the United Nations shows that we are the last generation that can stop global warming. Further, youth are the most environmentally consciously aware demographic. My approach differs from this as it focuses on the rate of change, rather than the change itself. Climate change is already happening. Just this year, Nairobi, Kenya’s capital experienced scanty seasonal rains. Elsewhere around Mt. Kenya, a storm of hailstones rained down on farms over Kenya’s highlands, destroying crops. These are small reflections of what has taken years of human induced activity to occur.

This leaves us with the most valuable currency we have, time. What matters most now is how the youth can slow down climate change and possibly reverse it before the damage is irreversible.

1.ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS ECONOMICS

These subtle economic decisions can range from buying bio degradable clothes to reducing our carbon footprints with small things such as walking.  As youth, we may not have the power to hold multinational companies accountable for environmental pollution, but we can sway their habits. 

The impact this can have on an individual basis is small. Working together, youth can be a voice so strong that big industries can listen. The key idea is that demand always feeds supply. 

2.EDUCATION AND ACTION

Even though climate action is often viewed as the answer to climate change, climate education is equally important. We as youth often venture into tree planting campaigns without even knowing whether the trees we plant are suitable for that particular eco system. Imagine planting eucalyptus trees next to a seasonal river. The river would inevitably be worn out.

These suggestions are not exhaustive, but merely an insight into the dynamic ways in which the youth can take part in protecting the environment. Climate change is already here with us. However, we can slow it down. Like most efforts, it’s not only about the intensity of our actions, but rather the consistency.