If the plane could speak, what would it say?
The plane would convey to me its immeasurable guilt.
The plane would express disdain about having to exist with its own dramatic irony.
It exists as a means for travel, global connection, and cultural enrichment.
The plane is what will allow for me to study abroad at university in England.
But the plane is also a danger,
It is also a threat.
For the connection it provides comes at a cost,
And that cost is the damage to the world it allows us to embrace.
If the plane could speak, what would it say?
It would tell me my flights to England and back will emit 6.8t of CO2,
A high figure that causes detrimental harm to the climate.
This means the plane and I must both face the damage our actions cause.
English wildlife is vast and diverse.
Alas, climate change is wreaking havoc upon this beauty.
By 2070, English summers are projected to be warmer.
By 2070, English winters are projected to be colder.
The future holds more intense weather events, more severe rainfall, more heatwaves.
All at the cost of the planet.
If the plane could speak, what would it say?
It would express its agony and despair.
It would mourn the state of the planet and its own role in its degradation.
But it would also tell me how to make amends.
It would inform me on ways to protect the planet I so dearly love,
And ensure the wellbeing of the lands it transports me to.
If the plane could speak, what would it say?
The plane would implore me to be conscientious of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
To take action to mitigate the impacts of climate change, as per Goal 13.
To achieve this by educating myself about ways to live sustainably.
To read resources like ‘Friends of the Earth’ which instruct on how to buy sustainable fashion and avoid products containing palm oil.
To ensure my consumption of resources is in harmony with nature, as per Goal 12.
To achieve this by consuming plant-based meals and using apps such as ‘HappyCow’ to locate sustainable restaurants.
To utilise apps like ‘Too Good to Go’ to reduce waste by buying surplus food from restaurants at the end of the day.
To access and consume information sustainably by using search engines such as ‘Ecosia’ which designate advertising revenue towards planting trees.
To ensure I travel sustainably, as per Goal 11.
To achieve this by using ‘Google Maps’ to find public transportation options such as buses and trains to cut down on my carbon footprint.
If the plane could speak, what would it say?
It would tell me that I can meaningful change whilst studying abroad.
It would tell me a sustainable future is in reach.
It would tell me that there is hope.
References:
1. https://co2.myclimate.org/en/calculate_emissions
2. https://co2.myclimate.org/en/calculate_emissions
3. https://sdgs.un.org/goals
4. https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/live-sustainably-how-be-conscious-consumer
5. https://www.happycow.net/
6. https://www.toogoodtogo.com/en-au
7. https://www.ecosia.org/
8.https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/live-sustainably-how-be-conscious-consumer
