Did you know that it takes about 450 years for a plastic bottle to biodegrade, 500 hundred years for the plastic bottle cap, 450 years for a disposable diaper, and 200 years for aluminum cans and plastic straws? If you didn't know, now you do. Since knowledge is power, you now have the power to choose to stop purchasing these products that arenʻt good for our planet.
I've been teaching Hawaiian Studies in the Department of Education for over twenty years. I can recall looking into the beautiful faces of our island keiki back then, feeling very concerned for their future because of the state of the planet at that time. Scientists had been warning of the catastrophic results of our irresponsible human activity that was having a negative impact on our planet. They say in 50 years there will be more trash in the ocean than there are fish if we donʻt change the way we live on the planet. Iʻv made it my lifeʻs mission to bring awareness to the plight of the planet through sharing how the ancient Hawaiianʻs had lived on these islands for hundreds of years in harmony with the environment and each other through the set of values they practiced and the laws of the land that were governed by their Aliʻi class. They cared for the land in a way that would assure seven generations ahead of them would have their life giving resources intact.
Today, years later, I look into the beautiful faces of our island keiki and am filled with deep concern and disappointment that I am still saying the same things. I apologize to them for the actions and inactions of the generations before them that have not considered how our pollution will be left for them to deal with. They are the innocent victims of human greed. We acquire, consume, and waste. Yes, we do need to purchase the items we need for our lifestyle, but we can become better aware of what we are purchasing.
Itʻs not too late yet. We have an opportunity today to totally commit to embrace change. Itʻs absolutely essential that we come together as a community to agree that it takes ALL of us to stop the greed that is hurting our planet. The answer lies in my favorite Hawaiian proverb, “I ka wā ma mua, i ka wā ma hope”, which means, to seek the future, we must look to the past. We must look at how the ancient Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) lived a lifestyle that was about empowering nature (hoʻomanamana) to have thriving communities, versus overpowering nature to suit our needs. Everything they needed to survive came from the natural environment. They had no garbage, or chemicals that would harm them, or the environment.
We must change our attitude of needing things to be convenient, or disposable. We must treat the global environment threats as a crisis and not just something we read about in the newspaper, or hear on the news. Are you willing to commit to making a change? Will you commit to not use plastic straws anymore? Itʻs a small change, but if we all commit, then it becomes a big change. Every once in a while, I reconnect with my students I taught 20 years ago. They are doing things to help the ʻāina and thank me for being a part of what shaped them into who they are today. But, really I thank them, for giving me hope and faith that this generation may be the change our planet so desperately needs. E mālama ka honua!
