Pantanal is the most breathtaking place I have ever been to. The lively fauna stretches past acres and acres of land, with wildlife roaring as it completes its natural cycle right before your eyes. It almost makes you forget about the destruction lurking within the sacred depths of this tropical wetland — almost. But when you do realize it, something inside of you, your perspective of our planet, seems to shift completely.
Growing up, I have always maintained a close relationship with nature; it has always been a part of who I am in one way or another. Even as a little girl who didn’t quite grasp the extent of the demolition and terror our ecosystem was facing, I was always determined to “save the planet” in my own little ways. One tiny voice in the midst of all the destruction wouldn’t change anything. So, as I grew older, I felt that part of myself, the inspired little girl trying to make a change, slip away. In the grand scheme of things, I thought my actions couldn’t alter an outcome much bigger than any of us. However, this changed when I saw the ashes and ruins of a place we’re supposed to call home, the diminishing and dying livelihood our country has to offer. I realized something I never had before.
Every big movement we know of today started with one person and a dream. Visiting Pantanal and learning about the various organizations led by individuals who dedicate their lives to causes that will remain long after they’re gone was incredibly inspiring. It made me realize that I, too, could possess influence and reminded me that my actions can impact those around me. It really can take one person, one initial spark, to ignite something monumental. At Graded, we find ourselves in a privileged position, able to speak our truth and create our legacy. In our school, there are countless community service clubs– such as GAA, FALA, Casa Venezuela– that would greatly benefit from another pair of hands or a leading voice in order to foster a larger change; there are also multiple educational clubs you can join in order to obtain more knowledge about something you are passionate about to later use what you have learned to spread awareness and educate. Whether that be making a club that sustains our cause or engaging with faculty to garner support for our ideas, we are fortunate enough to impact not only the Graded community but also far beyond it.
We need to stop sitting on our hands, especially when it comes to protecting the environment that too many of us often take for granted, using the measly excuse that “one voice won’t have an impact”. The truth is that our voice and determination are often all that’s needed. In Mato Grosso do Sul, I learned that as soon as you find the first person willing to join you in making a change, you become a leader. By becoming a leader, you gain the ability to shape anything you set your mind to.
In our school community, numerous initiatives are gunning to implement environmentally friendly alternatives on campus. These initiatives encompass changes such as replacing conventional trash cans with composting units, which significantly reduces methane emissions, installing solar panels – a far more eco-friendly energy source than hydroelectricity – and establishing electric car charging stations to promote the use of environmentally sustainable transportation. All of these changes took place because of voices that fought to make this community a place they are proud of, voices who didn’t care about how others perceived them and instead cared about the issue at hand. I saw firsthand the saddening impact that inaction can have, especially on our ecosystem, and when I finally saw the people who were doing everything in their power to fix and change things, that little girl buried within me resurfaced.
The act of making a difference appears to be subjective. How substantial must a change be for it to make a difference in society? From my experience, I’ve come to realize that the scale of change doesn’t necessarily dictate its significance; as long as it alters some aspect of how someone perceives things, it’s significant. Take Greta Thunburg, for instance; she might not have known whether or not her words and actions would make a difference, yet she still persisted in advocating for a cause she believed in, because action is better than inaction. Today, she has become a boundary-breaking figure who influences millions of people — she slowly sparked the idea of a grand difference with the power of her voice alone.
We are capable of making a difference, we are capable of identifying the flaws in our society and initiating change. Recognizing that small actions hold significant meaning , and if we fail to create a prosperous future, we will remain stagnant in our current ways. While it might require support to make a change a, the influence of one voice is what starts it all.
