The future of our planet is at stake. If we do not act now, We may never be able to save the earth. There is good news too: we can make a difference. We may think that what we do in our everyday life has no effect on big problems, such as environmental pollution. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is exactly what we do -- you and I -- that changes the world. It is important to have big meetings like the Earth Summit to educate people and make them aware of the situation, but nothing will be improved until ordinary people like you and me start acting differently. One person who learnt about the importance of taking action is Liao Mingyu from Shenzhen. In 2002, the then 11-year-old Mingyu went on a journey that she would never forget. After having been chosen to represent all children in the world by the United Nations Environment Programme, she travelled to the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Together with four other children, Mingyu appeared on the stage at the opening ceremony. They expressed both hopes and fears about the future. Mingyu and two other children made a speech in which they asked the governments of the world to do more to provide access to clean drinking water and to take action to reduce pollution and improve health care.
When asked about the experience in an interview with China Daily, Mingyu said that she hopes that adults will listen to what young people have to say. The leaders at the summit applauded the speech, but for Mingyu, that is not enough: "I don't know if they will listen and take action. They probably will."
Mingyu's journey to Johannesburg is only a small part of the action she is taking. Ever since she entered primary school, she has been a true activist. Her school has made environmental protection part of what the students have to learn. She and her classmates look for ways to improve the environment and they remind their parents and other adults of the danger of keeping environmentally unfriendly habits.
If we change our habits, if we refuse to buy products from companies that harm the environment, and if we learn more and take action, we can save the planet. For Mingyu, her journey was only a beginning. The real work, she says, starts when she goes back to her normal life: "One thing I have learnt from this experience is that environmental protection is really important. When I get back, I am going to tell my classmates of ways to protect the environment."
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