We must choose our environmental legacy right now

Herald Malaysia

2 days ago

World Environmental Day reminds us annually, but environmental stewardship must become a daily practice woven into life's fabric Jun 05, 2025
More than 2,000 events are taking place across the globe, with many focused on ending plastic pollution on World Environment Day. (Photo: unep.org)
By Dr. John Singarayar
I watched my neighbor install her third air conditioning unit last summer while complaining about unprecedented heat. Two blocks away, another family planted a vegetable garden and installed solar panels. These contrasting responses to our changing climate reveal where we stand as a species — caught between denial and determination, between old habits and new hope.
On World Environmental Day, June 5, we face a choice that will define not just our generation, but everyone that follows. Will we be the ancestors that future children thank, or the ones they struggle to forgive?
We are extraordinary creatures living on an extraordinary planet. We have split atoms, touched Mars, and connected minds across continents. We have created artificial intelligence that surpasses human thinking in many ways. Yet we struggle with something apparently simpler: living harmoniously with our natural world.
This paradox reveals our greatest challenge — our intelligence has outpaced our wisdom.
Indigenous peoples have always understood what we have forgotten: we are not Earth's owners but its caretakers. Our identity intertwines with coral reef health, ancient forest whispers, and mountain stream clarity. We inherit millions of years of evolutionary gifts while bearing responsibility for an unfolding environmental catastrophe that defines us as creatures capable of profound wisdom yet prone to devastating shortsightedness.
The current landscape paints a complex picture. Environmental awareness has grown dramatically, renewable energy technologies advance rapidly, and youth movements demand change with unprecedented urgency. These developments offer genuine hope.
But shadows loom large. Amazon rainforest destruction continues at alarming rates, carbon emissions hit record highs despite decades of climate summits, and we face undeniable tipping points where consequences become irreversible.
Into this tension has stepped an unexpected but powerful voice. Under Pope Francis' leadership, the Catholic Church has emerged as perhaps our most influential advocate for environmental action. Ten years after his groundbreaking encyclical Laudato Si' , the pope continues to challenge us with uncomfortable truths about our relationship with Earth.
He positions ecological care as a fundamental moral imperative, insisting we face not two separate crises — one environmental, the other social — but one complex crisis that is both. This integrated vision transforms climate action from a political issue to a spiritual calling.
The Church's influence extends far beyond its 1.3 billion members. Catholic institutions worldwide are implementing sustainable practices, divesting from fossil fuels, and investing in renewable energy.
When the pope declares that climate change deniers ignore scientific reality, he provides religious cover for believers to accept climate science without betraying their faith community. His genius lies in grounding environmental action in spiritual language that transcends political divisions, presenting Earth care as fundamental stewardship rather than liberal politics.
This moral framework helps bridge a critical gap in environmental action.
Yet this moral clarity faces practical resistance. Some argue that technological solutions will save us, that human ingenuity always finds a way. Others claim individual actions matter little against corporate and governmental inaction. Both perspectives contain truth, but both miss the crucial point: we need everything — technological innovation, policy changes, corporate responsibility, and individual transformation — working together simultaneously.
Moving forward requires fundamental shifts in how we live and think. We must transition from exploitation to reciprocity, recognizing nature's intrinsic value beyond its utility to humans. This transformation begins with daily decisions that collectively reshape our world.
Practically, this means choosing renewable energy providers, eating more plant-based meals, buying less and repairing more. It means supporting companies that prioritize environmental responsibility over maximum profits and voting for leaders who understand climate science. These aren't sacrifices — they're investments in a livable future.
But individual action alone is not enough. We must also reclaim the wisdom we have lost. Indigenous communities carry centuries of knowledge about sustainable relationships with Earth, solutions our modern world desperately needs but often ignores in favor of technological fixes. When we listen to voices that have stewarded land for generations, we discover that sustainability is not about restricting human potential but about aligning it with natural systems.
Critics might say these changes sound overwhelming or unrealistic, questioning whether individual actions matter when major corporations continue polluting. This thinking represents exactly the trap we must escape. Environmental protection is not an either-or proposition between individual and systemic change — it requires both, working in concert.
When can we act? Only now. Environmental action cannot wait for perfect conditions, unanimous agreement, or technological silver bullets. Every decision matters, from morning coffee choices to career paths to retirement investments. World Environmental Day reminds us annually, but environmental stewardship must become a daily practice woven into life's fabric.
My neighbor with three air conditioners represents one possible future — denial and consumption despite mounting evidence. The family with solar panels and gardens represents another — adaptation and responsibility in the face of crisis. Each of us chooses which neighbor to become.
Our planet has shown remarkable patience, absorbing decades of abuse while continuing to provide life's essentials. But that patience is not infinite. Earth speaks through melting glaciers, burning forests, and rising seas. We must listen and respond with appropriate urgency.
The story of our species will be written in how we respond to this crisis. We can choose to be remembered as the generation that finally understood our place in the web of life, or as the one that knew what needed doing but failed to act.
Picture your great-grandchildren walking through a world shaped by the choices we make today. Will they breathe clean air and drink pure water? Will they know the songs of birds and the rustle of ancient forests? Or will they inherit a planet stripped of its wonder, forced to explain to their children what we used to call "nature"?
The choice is ours. The time is now. The future is watching — and counting on us to choose wisely.--ucanews.com