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Much like Bonnie Tyler, our Earth really needs a hero. Luckily, Sir David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg are on hand to be just that. But what about the unsung heroes who are doing their bit to save our planet? Our planet is in dire need of repair and revivification upon entering its tipping point of climate emergencies. We watch clips of the burning Amazon rainforest and countless wildlife documentaries on TV. We do this whilst sympathising with every poached animal, melting glacier, or whale whose post-mortem reveals the plastic from our oceans. We sympathise, but it doesn’t benefit our environment. We can only repost Leonardo DiCaprio’s Instagram posts so many times, and yet many of us do so, with no conscious intention of making a change. From David Attenborough’s “Attenborough effect” that inspired young and old minds alike, to the explosive surge in eco-awareness projected by Greta Thunberg’s “Greta effect” (which led to a youth strike in 150 countries), the concept of climate change has been no stranger to us. However, amongst the 7.7 billion people in the world, only a few thousand take the extra step to protect our environment: our environment’s heroes. Sir David Attenborough, a man who initially began his career by making wildlife documentaries because of his enjoyment in perceiving the natural world, dedicates his work to bringing life and nature into our homes. Over the years, his iconic voice has become the soundtrack to a plethora of inquisitive wildlife documentaries which tackle
environmental issues such as climate change, and global warming.
“Since Jack Dawson became fish food in 1997, DiCaprio launched his environmental organisation” Frankly, as a huge admirer, I’d listen to him reading his shopping lists. But instead of delineating a harsh perception to viewers that critique our mistakes in regard to protecting the environment, he uses a subtler approach by showcasing the natural beauty and excitement of nature and wildlife in its purest form. Moreover, the stories he shares, are shaped by the harsh realities of climate change which make us yearn to protect our environment. His approaches although subtle, are effective, and introduce humanity to elusive habitats and urge viewers to become more sustainable in their daily life. On the other side of the Atlantic, Academy Award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio has become the epitome of a fixture advocate for events and projects highlighting global challenges. Since Jack Dawson became fish food in 1997, DiCaprio launched his
environmental organisation, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998, and has funded over 200 projects to 132 organisations in 50 countries! Furthermore, he uses his platform to flood our social media feeds with informative posts about various projects and environmental activism. Contrary to popular beliefs, many find making eco-friendly choices expensive. In comes, Ecosia! You don’t need to leave your chair to help reforestation! Christian Kroll has increasingly started to dominate the internet with his non-for-profit search engine Ecosia! You use it just as you’d use Google, and Ecosia will donate 80% of its profits to plant trees (60 million since June 2019!).
“In comes, Ecosia! You don’t need to leave your chair to help reforestation!” Some environmental heroes, although hidden in nature, have a pivotal impact when it comes to maintaining our ecosystem. You hear about Greta Thunberg all the time on the news, but what about Vicki Buck, who helped discover the tech needed to harvest wild algae from sewage to extract fuel for vehicles?
