Walk to save the world
Transcriber: Duyên Nguyễn
Reviewer: David DeRuwe
John Muir, a famous naturalist,
once said that in every walk with nature,
one receives far more than he seeks.
Walking is one of the simplest
forms of exercise
and one that almost everyone can do.
You can definitely get a good
workout from walking,
but there is more to it than that.
Walking has many benefits:
It is good for us physically and mentally,
studies have also shown that walking
may also help people live longer,
and the best part about walking
is that it’s free
and can be done almost anywhere.
I love to walk,
and today I would love to share with you
how walking isn’t just good for you,
but good for the environment as well.
You see, we human beings on the planet
have contributed greatly
to the pollution of the environment.
Our needs, our habits,
and our routines are harming nature.
Planes, trains, and cars all help us
to get wherever we want to go faster,
but it all comes with the price -
the price of clean air and the health
of the planet and ours as well.
Because to power planes,
trains, and cars,
we need to burn fossil fuels like gas
and petrol, and when we use fossil fuels,
we release toxic gases
into the atmosphere -
toxic gases like carbon dioxide,
which is one of the greenhouse gases.
Just like a greenhouse
where you grow your plants in,
these gases trap heat in the atmosphere.
They let sunlight through when
it’s during the daytime when it’s sunny,
but at night,
they prevent the heat
from leaving the atmosphere.
So the Earth doesn’t cool down
as it should, and it stays warm.
And the more greenhouse gases we release,
the hotter the Earth becomes.
This is why we have global warming;
this is why we have climate change.
So what can we do?
What should we do?
Now that we have found out
that transportation is responsible
for these dangerous emissions,
we can find ways to address it.
To start, we can use cleaner
and greener ways of getting around:
by taking transit,
riding bikes
or simply walking.
Yes, walking.
Walking is the most effective way
to start saving our planet.
And if you think
that you can’t walk or hike,
let me share with you my story.
I have always thought
that I couldn’t hike,
but one day my mom told me
to pack my things
because we were going on a super,
exciting walk to the desert.
The desert.
Why would we want to go to the desert?
I didn’t know if I
should say “yay” or “yikes.”
At first I thought she was kidding,
but then, when she showed me
our airplane tickets
and told me to pack my bag,
I realized she was simply
just telling me the truth.
I guess we were going after all.
This happened a few years ago
when I was just eight years old,
and this super exciting trip took us
to Dunhuang in northwest China,
which was once a super important city
to the Silk Road route.
Dunhuang was also the place where we
started our hike across the Gobi Desert,
a hike that would take 108 kilometers.
Yes, 108 kilometers.
We walked that distance
in four days and three nights.
I’m glad my mom didn’t tell me
about this hike before we left.
I probably wouldn’t have wanted to go.
But here I was anyway,
walking in the desert.
There were 1500 people in all.
We walked with about 70
other people in our group -
young people, old people,
even blind people.
The walk took us through the sand,
dried and cracked soil,
even spiky and rocky paths.
We only had small flagpoles
to guide us for the whole entire time,
with no washrooms
or showers along the way.
This was an experience that forced us
to quickly adapt to our surroundings.
It was super hot during the daytime
and really cold at night.
It was dusty and often hard to breathe.
It was a challenge, for sure,
especially because at one point,
there were a bunch of wild bulls
running around us,
and we almost stepped on a few snakes.
Now of course, there was the medical
team nearby in case people got hurt,
and there were also cars behind
to carry the tents.
My sister and I had
our food and snacks in our backpacks,
while our parents
had to carry all our sleeping bags.
It was definitely very tiring,
but that didn’t stop me.
I am proud to say
that I walked the whole way.
Whenever I felt tired,
I would just look at my mom and dad
and at the blind people walking with us.
I kept thinking about how they were able
to walk without one of their five senses.
I had so much respect for them.
I was so amazed to see
what they were capable of doing.
And so now when I ask my friends
to hike with me,
I can say,
“If an eight-year-old can do it,
and if a blind person can do it,
you can try to do it too.”
So when was the last time
that you took on a long walk?
Do you know how much
you are missing out on?
I walk to my school every day.
I also walk to the public library,
the park, the ice cream shop,
and to my friends’ homes for playdates.
Walking helps me get to places,
and I can also get my exercise
at the same time.
Walking is definitely good for you.
It is a weight-bearing exercise,
which means that when you walk,
aside from your backpack
or your groceries,
you have to carry
your own body weight as well.
And while this makes it
harder for you to walk,
it also makes it healthier for you.
Your heart and lungs have to work
a bit more, which is good for them.
Your bones and muscles get stronger,
and your balance improves,
and you have more energy.
Walking is a great way
to improve your health.
It can save you money, and it is also
a lot of fun if you walk together.
The choice to walk more often,
even short distances,
will help reduce pollution.
And it is good for the health
of the environment.
Unless we make big changes to our routine,
climate change is going to get worse
and so will its effect on our daily lives.
Our planet needs us.
It cannot save itself.
If we are the ones
who created this problem,
we are the only ones who can solve it.
Whatever we do in the next few years
will decide the rest of our lives.
We have to be ready to take action now.
And we can all start by walking.
Walk to school.
Walk to shop.
Walk to the park.
Walk for your health.
Walk for clean air.
Walk to save the world.
Together, we can win this war,
not just for ourselves,
but for future generations to come.
And now, that I’ve talked the talk.
I hope you will all join me
in walking the walk.
Thank you.