The campaign takes inspiration from the United Nations’ (UN) sustainable development goals in its own #ActNow campaign, which urges individuals to do their own part to address climate change.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), all areas of the country will get warmer, more so during the summer months. As an archipelagic developing country, the Philippines has a lot to lose once the irreversible effects of global warming lands on its shores. Coastal communities are one of the most vulnerable as their entire way of life will be negatively impacted by rising sea levels and the changing climate. Even those living in urban areas will not be able to elude the consequences of global warming as flooding will be a more frequent occurrence and summer droughts will intensify.
A future of inaction is dismal and inhospitable. Fortunately, there is still something to be done for the Earth and its inhabitants. With the #WorldIsOurs campaign, everyone is encouraged to join the movement to preserve the environment by making their own advocacies known and to urge others to be conscious of their actions to attain a sustainable future.
Keeping in mind that people are still encouraged to stay at home in order to prevent further spread of COVID-19, Discovery launches #ActNow@Home to prompt everyone to remain vigilant when fighting for the environment even amidst hard times. After all, one of the lessons we can learn from this pandemic is that the health of both humans and the planet go hand-in-hand, and that taking care of Earth is as much of our job as it is to take care of our health.
Even with strict community quarantine guidelines being implemented throughout Luzon, eco-conscious individuals can still share what they can do and have been doing to help preserve the environment in the safety of their own homes by using the #ActNow@Home hashtag. Earth-saving actions can range from something as simple as bringing your own bags when buying groceries to more elaborate efforts such as planting herbs and fruits.
Eco warrior and 2016 Pearl of the Philippines first runner-up Sade Nicha has made her eco-friendly efforts known with her #ActNow@Home video posted on Discovery Channel Southeast Asia’s Facebook page. Planting her own fruits and herbs are only some of the things she does to live a sustainable life as she believes that it helps in lessening her use of plastics compared to when she buys them from the market.
“We can never reach total zero waste, but that is no reason to create zero action,” Nicha says.
Discovery Channel has also featured Filipino-American social entrepreneur Bryan McClelland and his socio-ecological enterprise, BamBike, that works with community members of Gawad Kalinga workers to build bicycles made of bamboo.
“Bamboo may very well be the most useful plant on the planet,” McClelland says in his video pledge. “It is one of our most important tools to mitigate climate change.”
BamBike has previously garnered interest through its eco tours around Intramuros, Manila that allows tourists to explore the historic city in an eco-conscious way by using handmade bamboo bicycles.
Every action counts, no matter how big or small, in this movement to save our only home planet. You can let the world know about your own efforts and challenge your friends to do the same by posting your own photo or video pledge on your social media accounts with the hashtag #ActNow@Home and #WorldIsOurs.
Check out how others have pledged to #ActNow by following Discovery Channel on Facebook and Instagram.
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