Boy, 11, starts journey to net zero lifestyle
It is never too late - or early - to adopt a net zero lifestyle, which reduces or eliminates carbon emission that causes global warming.
Joshua Goh, 11, was introduced to it last December through a chance meeting with an employee from environmental protection organisation World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore whom he played basketball with.
Since then, he told The New Paper, he has put in "extra effort" to eat more vegetables and less meat - even though he likes meat and is "always hungry as I run around a lot".
Joshua, the creator of the Insecticave YouTube channel, also learnt more about nature through keeping an ant farm.
He appears in the My Kosong Plan video series that features individuals sharing how they help the environment in their own ways.
It is part of WWF Singapore's newly launched Singapore Kosong Plan campaign, which coincides with this year's Earth Hour that takes place tomorrow at 8.30pm.
The campaign encourages people to adopt everyday actions to reduce carbon emissions and covers five broad areas: eating consciously, shopping responsibly, travelling sustainably, choosing renewable energy, and restoring nature.
WWF Singapore hopes to bring together businesses, organisations and individuals to help achieve a low-carbon, climate-resilient Singapore, with the end goal of having net zero emissions by 2050.
This is the first year that Joshua is taking part in Earth Hour, which typically involves the switching off of lights for an hour as a symbolic act.
The Primary 5 pupil from Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) has tried to be more eco-conscious in other areas as well, like reusing tissue paper to reduce waste.
He has also influenced his parents to be more aware of their impact on the environment, with his mother using only her own bags for shopping now.
Joshua said: "All of us can play our part in small ways such as reducing our consumption of single-use items such as straws and plastic bags.
"The more people pitch in, the more we can do.
"We shouldn't just wait for the next generation to do it. What if the next generation thinks the same thing?"
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