Environmental activism is a marathon, not a sprint, fuelled by a heady mix of persistence, youthful optimism (age does not matter) and true grit; the daily battles of the soul against apathy, cynicism and despair, fear, intimidation, danger even; as the clock ticks, the ravages of human greed and civilisation on planet Earth. There is no Planet B.
I wasn’t always an environmentalist, but my mother planted the seeds in my childhood. In college, anti-war debates and war rhetoric defined the post 9/11 years. Then, my journey into environmental activism began in earnest with a story of hopelessness and despair, tempered by resilience and recovery.
On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and massive tsunami which claimed the lives of over 20,000, triggered a nuclear emergency with the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant complex. Close to 500,000 people were forced to evacuate. Japan despite being a world leader in disaster preparedness, this disaster triage was an unprecedented nightmare requiring international humanitarian aid: one of the largest earthquakes in history, a deadly tsunami, followed by a nuclear meltdown. On a personal level, my mother’s family farm in Fukushima was rendered barren, a wasteland. To this day, the spectre of nuclear radiation looms over Tohoku. This combination of natural and technological disasters would haunt Japan for decades to come.
The face of environmental activism today is one of diversity. From a predominantly upper middle class, 80s and 90s movement of idealistic youths from the West, it has become a global grassroots juggernaut defining the 21st century and the Anthropocene. In the Global South, Joanna Sustento’s story is one of many heart-breaking sagas. On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, the most powerful tropical cyclone in history made landfall and devastated central Philippines. Over 6,000 people were killed. Joanna lost her parents and her eldest brother, his wife and three-year-old son. Today she shares her story and fights for climate justice, exposing the connections between fossil fuel companies, carbon emissions and extreme weather events, the worst of which wrecked her homeland, the Philippines.
The IPCC report released in October 2018, is a clarion call for climate action, climate justice, the fight for human rights, the fight for humanity. According to the International Disaster Response Network, one in four people will experience either natural or man-made disasters. The majority of these disaster victims would be from Asia.
Then there is the story of optimism, of hope, because we stand on the shoulders of giants in activism and those who came before us. Many years ago, Greenpeace Malaysia began as an eclectic online community interested in taking action on environmental issues. Heng Kiah Chun (Heng), Campaigner for Greenpeace Malaysia, has been there since the beginning. Students, educators, nature lovers convened in cyberspace, which eventually led to a single, full-time projects coordinator (Heng) working from home.
Mirinda Boon-kuo, then the Regional Development Director for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, was instrumental in the shaping of Greenpeace Malaysia. Under her watchful eye and careful ministering, she came to Kuala Lumpur almost every month to nurture the seed that would become a beacon of hope for local environmental activism. With one full-time project coordinator and a small handful of volunteers, early meetings took place in cafes, pop-up booths at fairs, festivals and universities. Over the last eight years, Greenpeace Malaysia was birthed through the hard work and support of incredibly passionate and dedicated local volunteers and global staff. Since then, Heng Kiah Chun has been supporting every campaign that came down the pipeline. This ace of a young man from Ipoh is going places.
There is serious fun amidst the daily grind. Reuben Muni (Ben), Albert Lozada, Jenny Tuazon, Margaret and the incredibly supportive staff at Greenpeace Philippines brought the legendary Filipino industriousness and fiesta to Kuala Lumpur. Life has been one adventure after another with the volunteers and staff. From coordinating the very first Rainbow Warrior ship tour in Port Klang, risky midnight runs on plastic investigations, relentless campaigns against deforestation in Southeast Asia, Wings of Paradise, MAKE SMTHNG WEEK and numerous volunteer trainings, Ben and Friends have been the bulwark of campaigning at Greenpeace Malaysia. Operating through offices in Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and now Malaysia, Greenpeace Southeast Asia is the truly the face of ASEAN integration.
Sometimes you have to dig your heels in, like Greta Thunberg. And leave behind the baggage of negativity accumulated in adulthood: the excuses, failures, struggles, broken dreams and regardless of age, begin afresh.
Malaysia has come a long way since the gritty 90s, when even the mention of the word “haze” in the media was taboo. In 2017, Greenpeace Malaysia opened its first brick-and-mortar office in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. In 2018, the legendary Rainbow Warrior docked in Port Klang, Malaysia, a once impossible dream. This is a story of hope, optimism and resilience, a powerful reminder that you can’t sink a rainbow.
We are all Rainbow Warriors. Here’s to a New Malaysia. Join us in creating a peaceful and green future.
Lee Hui Ling is a university lecturer and co-founder of Cai Hong Designs. A long-time volunteer of Greenpeace Malaysia, she is an advocate and trainer for disaster preparedness and disaster education. Follow her adventures @CaiHongDesigns
You have the power. Make a green wish. Save our planet.