Hear Us Roar

When you become wrapped up in trying to understanding global climate change due to human impact it can be overwhelming and disheartening.

I remember in fifth grade my teacher told us that scientists suspected human impact could cause a warming of the Earth's atmosphere. She explained that the scientists didn't know for sure yet, and that many were working hard to study the relationships between human industry, ecosystem health, and global temperatures.

This was my first introduction to what is now one of my deepest fears. As a college student who now understands the unequivocal fact that human activity and industry impacts the Earth in many, many ways, it is extremely frustrating to see the easy dismissal some people have of the subject matter.

When I was younger I wasn't scientifically literate, but I did have common sense. When the younger version of me tried to picture how big the world was, I couldn't quite fathom its scale, I knew it was beyond my comprehension. However, I could imagine just how many people were living and breathing....and driving cars.

Coupled with my fifth grade teacher's explanation of the "global warming hypothesis" and how gases from cars and factories trap heat in our atmosphere, and knowing just how many people drive cars and rely of factories for energy and material things, I immediately fathomed the merit that these scientists had.

It is as frustrating as ever now, to have been wrapping my mind around this phenomenon for most of my life and to see very little by means of progress regarding mitigation of CO2, the transition to cleaner energy, or planning for resilience.

By saying this I am not discrediting the multitude of efforts made around the globe to do these things, but I do mean to harshly criticize the efforts set forth in the United States.

We need voices to speak for environmental justice, not doing so should be considered a threat to our National security.

After spending time reading the current state of affairs regarding the radical depletion of federal funding for the Environmental Protective Agency one can be utterly ticked off (this is a technical term).

Rather than feeling discouraged and apathetic, it is imperative that we proactively harness this anger and frustration in our own communities, state and local governments, and perhaps most importantly, in our conversations.

We know that people power is the greatest strength a nation has, we know that the only way to create changes is to work together, and we know that the time is now.

There is no time to waste, we cannot, cannot, I repeat CANNOT be silent. If we fall into thinking that things will take care of themselves in the future, we may be sacrificing the health of people yet to be born, and even our own health down the road. We must be agents of change, and perhaps our greatest weapon is our voices both individually and collectively.

As the climate science consensus shows, we don't have time to waste.

Perhaps we need to understand what inspires us to speak in order to

We can ride off the wake of the inspirational energy we feel from people that have created positive changes in their communities, in their governments, and in their own lives. Drawing from the success of others to help us fight for more victories regarding both environmental and social justice, as they are inextricably liked, will help us pave way for a sustainable future.

It is easy to feel like your voice is too small, and that the noise around you drowns you out (por ejemplo, the Trump Administration), but none the less we still have immense power.


After all, the idea of a sustainable future has to be met with a generation that embodies the culture of stewardship. Shifting cultural values as a society can take a millennia, but seeing that we live in unprecedented times where information and technology are rapidly altering our ways of life already, this is reason enough to have a bit of faith or hope that humanity will recognize the importance of valuing the Earth. Many see the Earth as a means of something abundant to exploit and develop, which seems to be the dominant cultural value (at least here in America). When we fail to respect the ecosystem services provided to communities across the world, we won't actively work to protect and conserve them.

When an individual becomes aware of the intrinsic value of wetlands, per say, and understands the significance of its functionality to a human society, many feel inclined to share their knowledge in hopes of protecting these places.

Using your voice as a means to guide the thought and action of others in a way that benefits humanity is never something you should hold back.

Sometimes it takes a great deal of time and effort to fine tune your voice to a specific audience, however, you'll never be confident in expressing your stance on ecological security if you never start speaking your piece.

For some of us that means casual dialogue with friends, or parents with differing views, or raising your hand during a class to bring up an environmental risk or hazard, while others prefer writing poems or even typing Facebook posts and comments.

No matter where you start, just remember that your voice can carry far. People who were once "nobodies" have created legacies and projects that will outlast their lifespan, and will inspire others to do the same.

Let yourself be inspired by these stories and their voices to use your own.

Together we will be heard, and together we can cultivate a culture of sustainability.