Why Care?

By Brennan Amofah

Why should anyone care about climate change or global warming? Why should anyone want to reduce their energy consumption and ecological footprint? Why should you want to take the time to recycle instead of just throwing everything in the trash? These questions are becoming increasingly difficult to answer when addressing young people on the challenges our generation will face in the next few decades. 

One of the perks of being a young person is not having to worry about the issues and life stresses of being an adult. But what happens when these adults downplay the effects of climate change and leave young people with the burden of addressing it? This downloading of responsibilities onto future generations is exactly why young people need to be involved in the discussions on climate change.

Students pay tuition, buy lunch frequently and pay fees for things like the Athletic Centre expansion and for what? To get an education in order to be better off than our parents. How does this make sense when our parents and the generation before them are ignoring the facts and denying that the environment around them is changing? How can we be better off than our parents when the adults and senior business executives of the day are making conscious decisions to leave us with a planet that is in worse condition than when they inherited it? So, if I asked you why care again, would you tell me you didn’t?

Why is this relevant? Students ask me that question when I talk about these issues and I tell them it’s important because it’s our future that’s at stake. If you want to learn more, a good place to start is the campus Sustainability office, located in room SW217. Also, pay attention to updates from the DC Sustainability/Green Team. Students are always able to drop by and volunteer if interested.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/livinggreen