Climate change: the hot topic of the century, literally. Massive flooding in New York City, forest fires, hurricanes, glaciers melting, rising ocean temperatures and fires in Hawaii… The list goes on. To the people who don’t think climate change is real, stop living in denial and look around you. I promise there is evidence of climate change everywhere. And to the companies who claim to care but are just looking the other way while frequently dumping toxic waste and plastic, it would be great if you took responsibility and started caring about our Earth.
To the “eco-friendly” TikTokers, it’s cool that you’re using compostable paper straws. But once you’re finished with that caramel apple spice latte, where are you putting that straw? The idea of ditching plastic is great, but how about the rest of your “sustainable habits”? Remember the VSCO girls of 2019 and how they were “against” climate change? While I love turtles and I’m all for saving them, the VSCO girls didn’t do anything at all to help them, despite their motto. If you truly want to help save turtles, don’t leave plastic bags on the beach and pick up your trash. Putting those words into action would be much appreciated, thank you. How hard is it?
And don’t even get me started on Starbucks with their crappy plastic cups (sorry, it’s true). Those cups alone contribute to so much waste because they are not being recycled when they should be. It’s ironic that Starbucks uses paper straws (which decompose as you are drinking from them, by the way) as if that would make a huge difference. Because once people finish their Starbucks drink, guess where they put it: the trash. Next time you head to Starbucks, recycle your plastic cup. Overall, Starbucks isn’t doing anything to really help curb climate change. Encouraging people to recycle their plastic cups and making compostable packaging for their delicious croissants and baked goods would be a good start.
Onto Panera, where food waste reigns. Some workers of Panera have shared photos and videos on social media of mounds of bread loaves being tossed in garbage cans at the end of the day. Besides the rancid smell of moldy bread, food waste is a major cause of climate change. While Panera has programs to donate excess baked goods, at some locations, employees have shared videos of their excess food getting thrown out instead, so the extent to which this program is followed remains unknown. Food waste contributes to greenhouse gasses when being decomposed, leading to climate change.
At KHS, we have our own issues. From the idling of cars in the parking lots to students leaving their Chick Fil A trash lying around, we are contributing to climate change as well. I get that you want to have a few minutes to chill before rushing to first hour, but you will be okay even if you turn off your car while you’re still in it. And there’s no excuse for littering your lunch trash in the parking lots, it’s gross and bad for the environment. Put your food wrappers in the trash where it belongs. It’s not that hard.
Climate change is something that affects everyone, and the way we are currently handling it is by doing practically nothing. But hello? Our climate is growing steadily warmer. How long is it going to take for climate change to take over completely? Look around you, it’s already happening. To those of you who deny the issues our society has created, you’re part of the problem. So stop ignoring this issue, there is no planet B. And before you say, “Mars!”, nope, not going to work. We are left with the earth we have and it’s the only one we’ve got. Start taking responsibility for your own mess. Leaving this to future generations is unfair. Don’t be the person who claims to care about climate change, while at the same time, taking 20 minute showers on a daily basis, failing to recycle or idling in your car. If you truly care, put those words into actions. No excuses.
