Monday, 23 July 2007

Climate Change

I have always been complaining about how warmer the earth has become and how inconvenient it is to stay outdoors. It has become a liability to expose myself to the sun. The skin gets burned and my head comes to a bursting pain.

In Phnom Penh, I am put to shame at how shallow I am when it comes to the issue on global warming. Technically (intellectually perhaps), I could connect the issue to climate change to the warming of the earth. I also put this into action by avoiding the installation of an aircon in my home. However, it is just simply an act of avoidance as I spend most of my warmer times at work and my office enjoys the airconditioning.

I can be alarmed to the point of fear and freeze in mobility or do something drastic and put more passion on this cause. I can also try to change my lifestyle a little bit more. But in truth, as I type on this blog, I put the fan on.

What can we possibly do? Reduce consumption and use, REUSE the things that we used, RECYCLE in order not to burden the earth and, OFFSET what cannot be avoided. We have grown so complicated to the point of sophistication. We are more vain. So, the idea of offset is more plausible.

The What and the Hows of Offsetting

For me to travel to other countries, I have to take the flight. However taking the plane uses up more energy and fuel than any other mode of transport. But this cannot be avoided in my context as I live in an island. So, I have to pay inorder to offset my carbon credits.

In the payment, I have to choose groups that would fully make use of the credits and gave back the most of it to its people. This is ethical living to the maximum level.

There are also groups who looked into some projects that would help reduce the emission carbon dioxide to the air. I think it is worthwhile to do this.