Currently, climate change and plastic waste are trending topics that are hotly discussed by the world, especially Indonesia. Many people complain about extreme weather, natural disasters that have happened recently, there are also many oceans of garbage/sea filled with plastic waste, and the death of land and sea animals/fauna due to ingesting a lot of plastic waste. Of course, phenomena like this become a warning as well as a threat to the safety of the earth and the survival of human life.
Many of us are actually aware that this extreme climate change occurs because of human activities that cause carbon emissions in the atmosphere to increase, such as the use of motorized vehicles, the use of electronic devices or those that use electricity, greenhouse construction, and other activities. industry in factories and offices. Not only activities that increase the concentration of greenhouse gases, but also many human activities that inhibit the absorption of carbon gas by trees, including clearing land for agriculture and industrial areas, clearing mangrove forests for ponds, and logging without reforestation. The phenomenon of the ocean of garbage is also caused by the excessive use of plastic by humans. However, this awareness is not accompanied by concern, for reasons of necessity so that many of us still carry out activities that can cause environmental damage.
It should be noted that climate change is caused by global warming, namely the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases (CO2, NO, NO2, CFC) which causes the temperature on earth to increase (the greenhouse effect). Climate change will actually continue to occur, but because the human activities above that contribute a lot of carbon emissions can accelerate climate change. As is the case with plastic waste which will continue to grow every day if there are still many people who use plastic.
Indeed, we cannot completely avoid climate change and 100% do not use plastic in our daily life because humans also need it in economic activities (fulfillment of needs). However, we can reduce the impact/slow down the occurrence of climate change and reduce plastic waste in order to maintain the safety of the earth and the sustainability of human life.
There are many things that humans, especially the younger generation, can do to prevent the occurrence of extreme climate change that is sustainable. Why the younger generation? Because the younger generation is the biggest actor and factor in the development of world civilization, especially in the digital era like today where the biggest users of technology come from young people. The important thing that can be done is to implement and live conservation values. Here are various ways / steps that can be done, among others;
Becoming a conservation influencer who can make everyone aware of the importance of conservation, and invite the public to be more concerned about nature conservation by supporting the conservation movement and campaigning for these activities as attractively as possible on social media using hashtags, because nowadays people will be more enthusiastic in supporting and doing if it goes viral on social media. Currently, there are actually many conservation movements such as Global Earth Hour, which is a global conservation movement initiated by the largest independent conservation organization, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). plastic straws, eco-bags, drinking bottles and paid plastic in various minimarkets/supermarkets, energy efficiency with the 6R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair, Refuse, Rethink), and the application of the smart city/smart environment concept, namely the expansion of Green Open Space in development an environmentally friendly city, the application of conservation values in education such as the Semarang State University (UNNES) which incorporates conservation values into its vision and mission which is implemented in its conservative programs, such as paperless work, planting trees together every year, holding lessons /conservation courses and conservation workshops on a regular basis. There is also an awareness movement to save the earth with songs, for example a song called ‘Earth’ performed by several world singers.
One more thing, if we look at the causes of Climate Change, the main and biggest factor is economic activity. This should be a motivation for Economics Faculty students who learn daily about how to fulfill economic needs/activities, in creating a new innovation of a more efficient, effective, and environmentally friendly system of meeting needs (economic activities) through research and research, for example in terms of development. industries that as much as possible do not damage forests and air pollution due to exhaust fumes, innovate conservation products at affordable prices so that people can gradually abandon plastic, not only thinking about a profit but also a good impact on the environment in order to create a conservative Indonesian economy civilized.
Of course these conservation movements must be supported and carried out jointly by all human beings in the world, because from their own understanding, conservation means maintaining together, for that conservation cannot be done by just me, you, or them, but must be done by all of us. By upholding the value of conservation means that we participate and contribute in maintaining and reducing damage to this earth. Because if it is damaged, not only me or you or those who feel the consequences but all of us. Let’s Love Earth, Let’s Care for Earth because Earth is our planet, Earth is our home!!!
Muhammad Hanif
UNNES Conservation Cadre