Being An Environmental Advocate: What It Is And What It Isn’t

    I don’t think I had a lightbulb moment that made me decide to advocate for the environment. It was more of a gradual process when I was appointed to a position in one of my student organizations, the Ateneo Environmental Science Society. Through that experience, I was able to attend talks, events, and handle partnerships that gave me a lot more knowledge to work with. One of my most memorable experiences was attending an event organized by Masungi Georeserve which featured National Geographic explorers and grant receivers who talked about their respective professions. I got to listen to scientists, writers, photographers, etc. I brought home a lot of new information that day that I really needed to become a better advocate. Over time, I was able to connect and volunteer for other organizations like Save Philippine Seas, WWF Philippines, and the Philippine Eagle Foundation. I am also currently an officer in Bye Bye Plastic Bags Philippines, a global nonprofit organization led entirely by the youth which advocates against the use of single-use plastics. I was fortunate enough to have done my undergraduate thesis under them, and now we continue to plan projects that aim to educate as many people as we possibly could in order to deepen their appreciation for nature and to motivate them to act. The past three years have been years of continuous learning and growth. I don’t regret any mistake I’ve made because every single one made me a better advocate than I was back then. If you’re just starting out on your journey, or even looking for ways to improve your advocacy, I’ll be sharing what being an environmental advocate is and what it isn’t.

What it is:

It is about constant learning

    Advocating for the environment doesn’t mean knowing everything about it right away. We start by understanding the importance and the gravity of what we stand for. There is a monumental amount of research that we have yet to explore, and being an advocate means making conscious efforts to know more and to communicate that problem in ways people can easily understand. Stay up to date with current news, both environmental and not. It can surprise you how many of these issues relate to how humans treat nature. Read books, watch films, and gather resources. Talk to people who are credible and experienced. Make learning constant and intentional, and it will fuel creativity and innovation. I personally learn more by having discussions with my peers and attending discussions from experts in the field. The latter offers solutions that are logical and grounded in science. It also helps to hear how they have accepted that they can’t change everything all at once, and it’s more about focusing on what you can currently do with the resources that you have. This doesn’t make them less passionate about the environment, it’s just taking on a more practical and sustainable approach to saving it as well. Another thing that I’m working on now is asking more questions. We’re afraid of being judged by what we ask, but I think every question that is asked with the intention of learning is always a good one. There were a lot of times where I didn’t understand some parts of the talks I’ve attended, so I either ask or take note and research later. There is nothing embarrassing about learning, and it’s okay to admit you didn’t know better because being more aware of what you need to do already puts you on the right path.

It involves having difficult conversations

    Being an environmental advocate could be on the easier end of the spectrum if you’re having a conversation with fellow advocates. But having those same conversations with people who are skeptical about environmental issues is a test of both patience and knowledge. You have to know enough about what you’re advocating so you could formulate your own opinion and communicate information that is both correct and encouraging for those who do not know better. It’s important to know that not everyone has the same knowledge nor priorities. A struggling artist could be spending most days building a portfolio that learning about the environment may not even be an afterthought. A person working a full time job with a family to take care of at home cannot always prioritize sustainability either, so use every opportunity you have to approach the conversation well. I used to be a more aggressive advocate in the sense that I let my passion and frustration get the best of me. I learned that instead of focusing on why people “couldn’t just do it”, I had to understand why they weren’t. That made all the difference. I recall having a conversation with somebody who didn’t see the harm with large corporations. It was a tough one for me to have because I knew there were people who needed jobs or were fit for those places in terms of interests and skill set. So instead of insisting on how big companies are bad, I talked about the value of CSR and having ethical practices in the business. This involves giving workers livable wages, providing them benefits, and allowing them to work in a healthy environment. There was opposition to what I said and it became a lengthy discussion. So some conversations are still difficult but now I can approach them more calmly and think about communicating in a way that could be more effective. It’s not always what you say, but how you say it. 

It is about action

    A true environmental advocate walks the talk. Use your platform to speak not just for issues that personally inconvenience you, but also for the indigenous people who lost their lands, our farmers and fishermen who struggle to make ends meet, and our animals who are continuously exploited all in the name of profit. You can donate to various environmental causes if you have the financial resources. You can volunteer for organizations to actively participate in environmental efforts. You can write to your local government and urge them to give more importance to our environment. Write articles and blog posts, make art that encapsulates your advocacy, make changes in your lifestyle. Every single one of us has the power to influence others, so coupling your sentiments with action can be effective in getting other people to do the same. I’ve been on this journey for almost three years, and that’s not a very long time but I’ve seen how much I’ve grown through the actions I’ve taken. There were so many times I wished I could do more than what I’m doing now. I want to be physically present in every protest, donate to every organization I support, and save every endangered animal. But I think being an environmental advocate comes with a lot of pressure with regard to the choices you make, and you have to learn how to differentiate too much pressure with the needed nudge to make you a more responsible advocate. Use your skills for your advocacy. Continuously build your knowledge. Do what you can and what you KNOW you can, and it will open many doors for you.

What it isn’t:

It is not living a zero-waste lifestyle

    A common association with environmental advocates is that they lead with zero-waste lifestyles. While that would be ideal, there is no such thing as zero-waste and living a 100% sustainable lifestyle is  impossible. There will always be waste from the things we consume, even if they come in small amounts. We may not use plastic bags, but we’ll need that band aid every now and then. We may refuse disposable cups but we’ll still have that chocolate wrapper for when we want small treats. Living with minimal waste is possible but zero-waste is not and that is perfectly okay. Even zero-waste shops produce waste in their processes. The demand for more sustainable items is not at par with personal and household items we get from groceries either, making them more expensive and less accessible to many Filipinos. And not every environmental advocate can afford to buy these on a regular basis. Similarly, not every advocate has gone vegan or quit beef, pork, or dairy. A lot of factors come into play when it comes to diet, with personal health as one of the primary concerns, so it is important to make the changes that are sustainable for you as well. What works for me is setting targets to live a more sustainable lifestyle. I started by bringing my own items (cups, containers, utensils) if I know I want to eat something that will be served in disposable packaging. I moved to my skin and bath products like using soap savers, spray bottles and reusable cotton pads, and natural scrubs that have no harmful additions (like microplastics in exfoliants). I also began only eating grass-fed beef before removing it from my diet altogether last year. Choose a place to start and move on from there. Replace the pressure you put on yourself with goals you want to achieve that are good for you and the earth.

It is not one-dimensional

    Being an environmental advocate is not one dimensional, and environmental issues are not black and white. These issues are deeply rooted in poverty, and fighting for the world means fighting for our people. Millions of Filipinos cannot afford the sustainable options some of us have access to, so they have no choice but to use disposable items. They cannot prioritize the environment when they have debts to pay and are burdened with the struggle to put food on the table. It is important to understand the importance of improving the overall quality of life to address environmental problems. For instance, many of our local fishermen know the dangers of destructive fishing methods and what it means to keep certain species left in the wild. But how can they switch to better methods or choose an alternative source of income when viable options are not accessible to them? How can they direct their energy there when their financial needs are more immediate? Environmental issues have been and always will be political. There are countless organizations and groups pushing for environmental reform that is ultimately at the hands of the government. In the Philippines, some of major environmental laws are the Clean Air Act (RA 8749), Clean Water Act (RA 9275), and Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003). But these are just the bare minimum. There could be more priority on eliminating single-use plastics, better management of hazardous chemicals, and breaking ground on renewable energy to push environmental concern further into the political sphere. This could all be possible if there is a strong political commitment to do so. At the end of the day, environmental issues are still tied to many societal, cultural, and political factors that we have to continuously look into in order to truly understand the depth of what we are advocating for.

It is not an easy journey

    Environmental advocacy, like many other advocacies, has its fair share of frustrations. A lot of this comes from seeing inaction from people in power, having encounters with people who refuse to acknowledge environmental issues, or even feeling so strongly for your advocacy that you just wished people felt the same. There is the stress of continuously coming up with ways to try and get people to engage with your advocacy, the fear of not knowing whether more forest cover will be taken down, and the pain of seeing people and animals die as a result of our mismanaged waste. These are things I personally experience all the time. I wish people could see the earth the way I saw it and understood why there was such a need to save it. One of the hardest things for me is seeing more bad news than good. It hurts seeing everything you’re fighting for not being fought for by other people who could. Out of all environmental issues, I feel strongest for wildlife. For marine wildlife, marine animals cannot live in any other environment. They can’t be moved or placed in tailored cages and tanks. So seeing them have no choice but to swim in garbage and eat garbage without even knowing it, then dying from it later on is one of the most heartbreaking things to read. It’s the same for terrestrial wildlife who are forced out of their homes for urban development or expansion of different plantations worldwide. Animals are also used for zoos and entertainment parks where they are kept in small spaces with little to no interaction. It’s difficult to stomach all of that on top of many other ongoing issues. I think other advocates will agree when I say that what keeps us going are achieving small wins like seeing animals saved, seeing the smiles of the people who benefit from our projects, and seeing people becoming more concerned and conscious of their actions. Those are irreplaceable wins for us advocates and for the earth. 

There has been debate on whether or not individual actions have an impact on the environment. Some would say that it is in the hands of the government and the big corporations. But imagine just 1% of the world’s population refusing a plastic bottle and using a reusable jug instead. That would save 78,000,000 plastic bottles from ending up in landfills and oceans. So if you are just starting out, your refusal to single-use items is already a big contribution. Start from there and climb up the ladder. Do not keep your knowledge and your practices to yourself because people can learn from you. People can correct you and help you improve. Every action intended to help the environment matters, and those individual actions could help both people and the planet and the planet, thrive not just for our generation, but for future generations to come. And while you fight for our earth, remember that passion does not always burn brightly. Sometimes it can burn you out, but that comes with loving something and loving is not always easy. Take the rest you need, then go back to the earth that loves you right back.

Written by: Abby Ng