Global warming, deforestation, and pollution. These topics constantly come up in our daily news, yet they never seem to get solved. We have become numb to these warnings that the earth has been sending us. We continue to live by our short-sighted actions, even knowing that it will come to get us one day. We choose to neglect the situation, thinking that it’s all a hoax. 

Well, the Climate Clock says otherwise. Created by artists Andrew Boyde and Gan Golan, it is located in New York, Seoul, Rome, Berlin, and Glasgow. The clocks show the exact time left to stay under 1.5℃ warming, which has to be achieved in order to prevent the irreversible effects of global warming. The campaign aims to grow awareness of the severity of global warming and show that we do not have a lot of time in our hands. However, despite the efforts of people like Mr.Boyde and Mr.Golan, national leaders and organizations seem to fail to come up with a bold solution to this issue. The efforts of corporations are also key in taking the first steps to solve climate change. If corporations continue to selfishly chase their profits and damage the environment in the process, it will not only have devastating effects on the environment but also on the corporation’s future revenue. Therefore, companies have to not only think about their current interests but also their long-term interests and act accordingly.

Personally, it has come to my attention that many people, including myself, find problems like global warming and pollution intimidating. This is probably the main reason behind people hesitating to take action, in fear that their efforts may end up being futile. Taking public transport, turning off the lights that I don’t use, and taking short showers are some ways that I have tried to help solve the environmental problems mentioned above. While taking part in these actions, I have often questioned myself about how much impact my actions have on the environment. Even though I try to do my best for the environment by sacrificing my convenience, I lose my motivation whenever I turn on the news just to see that glaciers are melting at rapid speeds or runoffs from factories flowed into a nearby lake, killing all the wildlife inhabiting it. Even though some say every small action makes a change, I feel like I am fighting a lonely battle. In Chapel class, my school pastor told me that faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the belief in things not seen. I think a lack of faith is the right description for what I am experiencing, as I try to combat these issues. I have full faith in what I do when I start, until days, weeks, and months pass, just to see that everything is the same, or worse. This is when I start to lose motivation, as little things chip off my faith, little by little. I feel like the only kid that’s trying to finish the work in a group project, which tempts me to just not care as others do. What we need most right now are not ambitious plans by governments that end up shutting down in two or three years or unrealistic pledges from corporations just to give them a better reputation. What we need most at this moment is a sense of togetherness. We must wake up from our messianic dream that somebody will just resolve all. Instead, let's take responsibility and walk the talk, all together, as people that share our planet.