By Lin ZhenYi (21S06C), Chairperson
How dare you!
People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!
Hold on, don’t click away just yet—this isn’t a tirade against you. In fact, didn’t that sound a little familiar? That’s because it was a part of Greta Thunberg’s iconic speech at the UN Climate Change Conference of 2019.
Thunberg’s speech highlighted the stark reality we find ourselves in – our environment is, essentially, on a dangerous tipping point. With soaring extinction rates, a global freshwater crisis, and only 1.5 degrees of global warming to irreversible environmental damage, environmental conservation seems like a daunting responsibility to take on. After all, we aren’t civil servants or major business corporations. How could we possibly do anything big enough to save, well, Earth?
But here at Raffles One Earth, we believe something small is better than nothing at all, and that is why we have come together. Though we certainly aren’t affecting change on a global scale, we are doing all we can to help.
One Earth is a service CCA. We are a tight-knit group of environmental enthusiasts with one common purpose: caring for and protecting the environment. Our weekly sessions typically involve brainstorming, planning and carrying out environmental advocacy projects within and outside of RI. These projects are either organised by the entire CCA or initiated in small groups, and can be about any environmental issue you are personally passionate about.
Examples of our past projects include our Water Conservation Workshop held in Zhonghua Primary School, in which we educated primary school students on the importance of water conservation in Singapore and encouraged them to take up water conservation habits. We have also carried out similar workshops focused on recycling and plastic waste.
We participate in schoolwide events as well – One Earth hosts an exciting environment-themed Escape Room during the yearly Team Raffles Games. Additionally, the entire CCA is often actively involved in Ecoweek (an annual event until COVID-19 struck), in which we promote environmental conservation to the school population through fun and engaging outreach activities. In 2019, we collaborated with Raffles Runway to host a fashion showcase in which all the clothes were made of recycled materials.
Apart from physical campaigns and events, the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to our CCA’s exploration of online outreach, opening up new platforms through which we can raise awareness for environmental issues.
Executing an entire project by yourself may feel like a formidable task, but fret not – most of us enter One Earth with a measure of confusion and cluelessness. With the guidance of our teacher in-charge, Ms May Wong, as well as your friendly seniors (and teamwork), successfully implementing your ideas will definitely be manageable!
Of course, One Earth isn’t solely about initiating project after project. It’s also about enjoying your time with a group of friends who share your passion for the environment. Here, you can find a temporary retreat from your academic workload while making meaningful use of your time.
So, if you are an environmental advocate, a nature lover, or simply have a great deal of interest in our CCA, consider joining One Earth! Our selection process just involves a simple interview. And remember, we don’t need you to be bursting with ideas or “Thunberg-level” purposefulness. All that matters is your passion.
See you during the interviews!
