BUILDING NEW LITERACIES

Mary Nell Azura

1. What environmental issues and concerns move you and provoke you to action? What efforts
and practical steps do you do to influence others to take action?
 In today’s situation, it is very obvious that the major environmental issues to be
concerned about is climate change and pollution. Our earth is facing this severe problem
for the last couple of decades and it is still getting more and more worse. As a student, I
am still not able to do big things to reverse the effect of this issue but as a concerned
citizen, I always follow the ways on how we can protect our environment. As what
Napoleon Hill said, “if you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way”.
Recycling, reusing, and reducing are seen as an effective way to help lessen the effect of
this problem. I also don’t like throwing garbage anywhere because I feel like I am an
irresponsible citizen. Also, as an officer of the school’s organization, we like to volunteer
for cleanups in the community. I am a big sister and I always educate my siblings about
this issue and tell them the possible consequences of their actions. My family also love
planting trees in our farm. When I also joined Ms. Maydolong Tourism 2017, my
advocacy was about environmental conservation. It was a great platform for me to
spread awareness. Doing those efforts to help heal our earth, I think I did influence
others to take better care of the planet we live in. Those are small things but maybe for
our mother earth, they were a big thing. Your actions and efforts doesn’t need to be big.
As long as you know that those small ways will help solve the problem because
sometimes small things effects are extraordinary.

2. What is your own definition of sustainability? Explain

 For me, sustainability means living in such a way that our consumption does not greatly
outnumber our contribution. If us, people who are staying in this planet temporarily
take care of the earth, then the earth will take care of us as well. It is a give and take
type of a relationship. If our actions always result to the wellness of our environment
since day 1, then these environmental problem won’t even exist. God, the creator of all
of these wonderful things never said not to take any from the nature. The nature is the
reason why we are breathing and God made the nature for us to stay alive and it is our
job to take care of it. Being a sustainable person means appreciating these resources
and just take a little of it depending on how we need it maybe then we wouldn’t be so
quick to waste them and not run out of supply. If we only are sustainable persons, we
wouldn’t be suffering from these environmental problems.

3. What personal greening initiatives would you propose to your own campus, community, and
home?
 I will propose eco-friendly practices such as recycling, reducing and reusing. Tree
planting, water conservation and walking or using bike whenever I go is an eco-friendly
practice that I would like to propose in every setting. Posting environmental messages
everywhere will also help inspire others to do their part. Let’s not forget proper waste
management and using eco bag instead of plastic bags. Teaching the future generation
these practices is also a great idea.