“See the line where the sky meets the sea?
It calls me
And no one knows
How far it goes
If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me
One day I’ll know
If I go, there’s just no telling how far I’ll go”
The question is, in 2022 how far will we go to save our ocean?
Our people have lived by and from the ocean for thousands of years, our ancestors travel from island to island to find places to stay and thrive, while some still live in the embrace of the sea.
Ocean has been an ecosystem and a part of our life for millennia, even some believe that the sea itself is a gift from God or even God themselves. But now we see that their once source of bounty becomes a dead zone that not even life has the courage to enter. Most of the global warming impacts directly hit the seas. As the water temperature rises and the level of acidity rises, so the rise of humans starts to leave the ocean to set as land dwellers.
When the fish goes, so does their idea of a better life itself, promised by the blue ocean.
“Nenek moyangku seorang pelaut
Gemar mengarung luas samudra
Menerjang ombak tiada takut
Menempuh badai sudah biasa”
But now they are scared, reluctant, concerned and confused to fish in the sea where plastics, and wastes swim ever so slightly with the murky waters. Once the pride of our nation as a maritime country and the heart of the shore communities now dissipate into a threshold where we could really lose our beloved ocean.
Therefore Hamish Daud, as the Founder of Indonesia Ocean Pride, recalled a glimpse of our memory about the ocean, and how we must take collective action, and start doing it now. The solution to save our pride, our sea, can only be accomplished if all actors took part regardless of their background to change their mindset and start caring about the environment.
Emphasized by Putri Indonesia Lingkungan 2018, Vania Herlambang, that we don’t have to be in a high level position to initiate change, but as simple as listening to others concerns and problems that they face in relation to climate change may amplify the message, that perhaps it’s not only you who feel this kind of distress, but others from different walks of life.
Hence, Lifestyle is the key for all of us to start changing, from something small. Mr Makmur, COO of Hyundai Motors Indonesia shared the insight that Indonesian automotive trends started to shift to a more environmental free and #ZeroEmission, this change marked by the rise of demand in Electric Vehicles which Hyundai took part in leading the ecosystem.
The event was wrapped beautifully by the Moderator Lucy Wiryono in regards to how a small change in lifestyle, such as using public transportation, even choosing to walk for close distance trip may create a huge impact and difference on how we contribute to climate change with #GreenMobility.
