The Malaysian student's mission is to raise awareness among new generations about the risks facing the oceans and the need to protect them. We interviewed her on the occasion of TEDxVicenza.
If it has taken millennia to inflict on terrestrial ecosystems the visible wounds we notice today, seas and oceans have been literally upended in just thirty years. The seas across the entire planet are in grave danger, suffocated by a growing quantity of plastic, plundered by unsustainable fishing practices, and increasingly acidic due to the polluting gases we release into the atmosphere. Yet the voiceless cries for help from marine creatures seem to leave us indifferent, and the decline of their underwater world seems to be of no concern to us. Not everyone, however, is deaf to their call, and there are people who have decided to dedicate their lives to protecting those primordial and mysterious ecosystems where life first originated. Among them is Gabby Tan, 18 years old, Malaysian, and passionate about geography and oceans from an early age.
Gabby Tan, a member of the Youth Council of World Ocean Day, the Giornata mondiale degli oceani celebrated last 8 June, has a clear sense of purpose and has already chosen the mission of her life: safeguarding the oceans. To do so, the young activist visits schools to raise awareness among her peers about the importance of the oceans and the threats they face. Just like Greta Thunberg, the young woman who gave rise to the largest global climate movement ever seen, the Malaysian activist too, through her enthusiasm and determination, can serve as an inspiration for new generations, who are called upon to take care of the battered planet they will inherit.
"Today we can no longer leave the power to decide the future solely in the hands of adults – Gabby Tan stated. – The ecological disaster is urgent, it is happening, now, advancing inexorably, and it will spare no one. The efforts made so far are not enough. We can no longer wait. From this moment on, we should accept the challenge of doing our part. Fighting this emergency must be each of our priorities. Let's save the oceans and the planet!" The student is aware that, although structural and political interventions are necessary, change must start from the bottom up, from everyone, from the actions of every day.
Gabby Tan came to Italy for the fifth edition of TEDxVicenza, held last 8 June and dedicated to the great changes of our era. From the stage of the Vicenza event, the young woman launched an appeal against the use of single-use plastic, which has by now contaminated marine food webs and threatens the survival of over 800 animal species. We took the opportunity to interview her.
What drove you to begin your fight in defence of the oceans?
I grew up close to wonderful beaches, and some of my earliest memories are tied to the games I played in the sand and the walks to collect shells with my grandparents. My love for the ocean was born then. My commitment to defending marine ecosystems, on the other hand, began during a school trip in which we visited a coral nursery. I was amazed by the resilience and biodiversity of coral reefs, and at the same time I was terrified after seeing with my own eyes the impact of pollution and human activities on corals.
It was the first time I felt the urgency to protect the ocean. Since then I have been working to raise awareness and defend the oceans in every way I can: by speaking at events, writing, or promoting campaigns. After all, regardless of whether we live by the sea or not, we depend on the oceans to sustain us, and it is our responsibility to take care of them.
What do you think are the most urgent actions to take to save the seas around the world?
I think we need action at every scale: from individual lifestyle changes to policy changes, everyone must do their part. As consumers we can choose to purchase only seafood from sustainable fisheries, refuse unnecessary single-use plastic packaging, make sure our plastic waste is recycled and disposed of responsibly, and minimise our carbon footprint, since climate change is directly linked to the health of our oceans.
We therefore need to ensure that change happens both along the supply chain and at the top of the system. Take part in a strike, vote wisely, tell businesses where they need to improve, and write to or make sure your government knows that we must protect the sea. We have now reached a point where changing our habits is absolutely necessary and unavoidable if we want to try to save the planet and our lives; we must get used to the idea that our lifestyles need to change.
Greta Thunberg has been a kind of catalyst capable of connecting young people from around the world who are concerned about environmental issues. Do you think there has been a genuine awakening of awareness among new generations?
With the omnipresence of videos, news, images and even memes about environmental issues on social media and news channels, my generation cannot help but be aware of and troubled by the problems that continue to afflict our world.
Greta has inspired us with her courage and has catalysed the popularity of the climate action movement, showing us clearly that we can send a strong message to governments, as demonstrated by the global climate strikes.