From Indifferent Tourist, To Impassioned Activist

By Nellie Wang

Nellie Wang, of the Innovative Green Development Program.

BEIJING – For most of my life, I didn’t care much about our wildlife. Or, feel any need to preserve it.

Several years ago, I even travelled to a remote corner of northwest China, for a holiday at Qinghai Lake: our country’s largest salt-water lake and a serene spot often called “the heaven of birds.” Located near the borders of Tibet and Xinjiang, I was struck by the Qinghai’s emerald-green water – the source of three of our most-famous rivers: the Yellow River, the Yangtze, and the Mekong.

Although the surrounding grasslands are home to the endangered Tibetan Antelope, I wasn’t aware or concerned that they’ve long been poached for their dense but soft, wool-like fur.

However, all that began to change in the Summer of 2014, when a friend called me. Xinmin asked for help, to promote an ecological tour around the Qinghai, in support of a local NGO there, Nature University, which works to raise awareness and protect the area’s wildlife.

Gradually, I began to learn that besides the poaching of Tibetan antelope, many other rare species can be found there, including Przewalski’s gazelles, blue sheep and white-lipped deer. Meanwhile, economic development and increasing tourism had brought degradation of grasslands, garbage dumped around the lake, and rare birds and fish served in restaurants.

I was particularly moved by the story of a Qinghai shepherd who spends much of his own modest earnings to rebuild the environment around his home.

How “Spiderman” Moved Me To Take Action, Too

By Kae Ming

Kae Ming, of Beijing Forestry University

BEIJING – In primary school, our teachers planted the seeds of environmental protection, instilling that “The Earth is our home” and “It’s everyone’s responsibility to protect the Earth.”

Back then, though, as young as we were, it was only words and concepts. That is, until I encountered China’s very own Spiderman.

I was just 8 years old. And on that warm summer day, my parents took me on one of our regular hikes into the many scenic mountains around our home in Sichuan Province.

On this occasion, we headed up to Mount Emei, whose name in Mandarin translates to “Delicate Eyebrow Mountain.” Emei is famous for its enjoyable natural scenery, extensive Buddhist monuments, range of abundant wildlife, and unique landforms.

As we walked along the rocky path, we approached a crowd gathered on the mountain’s edge. We stopped to look, too. What I saw amazed me: a man suspended in mid-air, held by a long rope, dangling dangerously over a valley, thousands of meters below. For what? With tongs, he was plucking trash that littered the cliff-face, like soda cans and plastic bags.

For the first time, I could see how our thoughtless disregard for the environment could affect other people – in this case, it risked the life of a man cleaning up our litter.

Eyewitness to Pollution Learns: Progress Is Possible

By Leanro Zhang

Leanro Zhang, of Ocean University of China

BEIJING – There I was, on one of China’s most beautiful beaches – along the eastern coast of Qingdao – and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

It was three years ago, and as a student of the Ocean University of China, I was carrying out field-study for my Environmental Monitoring course: to investigate the quality of seawater.

On that warm autumn day, our team surveyed the golden, sandy Shilaoren beach. Yet, as children and adults collected shells, played volleyball, or swam nearby, I stood beside a pipe pumping out a dark, oily liquid. Raw sewage, emptying into the Yellow Sea. All I could do was shudder.

Up to this point in my life, I had only the most basic understanding of “environmental protection”: like using public transportation instead of private cars, recycling wastewater for other uses, or turning off lights when leaving a room.

Growing up in inland China, I’d long been curious about the vast expanse of ocean. After our college-entrance exams, my first choice was the Ocean University of China – because of its unique name, and leading position in marine research. However, the admissions committee assigned me my major: Ecology. It didn’t interest me much. So, my first two years, I just followed each teacher’s requirements and completed necessary course-work. In other words, until then, none of my actions came from my own inner motivations.

All that changed, on that beach. As I watched the raw sewage discharge into our clear blue waters, environmental protection suddenly came alive. My mind raced: To what extent will someone’s skin be harmed after swimming in such seawater?

Striving to Restore Childhood Memories of Nature

By Xu Yingying

Xu Yingying, of Beijing Forestry University

BEIJING – When I was 8 years old, I lived with my grandparents in a small, typical Chinese village, in Yugan County, in southeastern Jiangxi Province.

Most impressive was the large, limpid river in front of our home. So clean, I’d watch the weeds vibrate in the water, as tiny tadpoles swam here and there.

In the spring, I’d fly kites with my friends along the river. During summer, we’d swim there after class. When autumn came, I’d accompany my grandma to wash vegetables we picked from the fields, like turnips and sweet potatoes.

And during the winter, the river’s icy surface was like an oil painting: with a blue sky and white “cotton” clouds painted on. It was really beautiful sometimes, and brought me so many happy moments.

But then, I moved away, to a nearby town, because my parents wanted a better education for me. When I returned several years later, on a holiday to visit my grandparents, what I saw nearly destroyed those joyful memories.

The river was now full of waste, most of it household refuse that local villagers had thrown in there. (With no garbage-can in sight.) The water had become so smelly, I didn’t want to approach it any longer!

I felt so sad and asked myself, “What can I do about this?”

How Anyone Can Become An Environmental “Hero”

By Shi Yue

Shi Yue, of the Jane Goodall Institute in China’s “Roots & Shoots” Program

BEIJING – When I was 15, some of my favorite things to read were about determined environmental groups, like Greenpeace.

They’d charge to the North Pole, for example, to fearlessly confront those causing the ice-caps to melt – and save the polar-bears.

Their mission felt more than noble and important, but even cool, romantic and heroic. I fantasized about wearing the cape of a super-hero, jumping aboard their fleet, pursuing environmental justice, then halting the harm that some “villain” was causing.

That was all just a fantasy, however, as I never realistically imagined myself doing such things. So, that fantasy slept inside me for years: never mentioned, nor ever forgotten.

Though, by then, I was quite environmentally conscious, without realizing it: I’d turn off the lights or the water, to avoid waste. But I didn’t connect this to “the environment.” It was more a code of values and behaviors learned from my parents, what you might call a “traditional wisdom” of the Chinese. Still, I never considered an actual career in environmental protection. Nor did I have any idea of how to enter such a field.

As university approaches, many young Chinese feel societal pressure, to study a more “serious” subject at university – to later get a “real” job, which pays well enough to cope with the rising cost of living in China. At Capital Normal University, though, I opted for a major that appealed to me: History. That said, I found myself drawn to Environmental History.

In the Urban Jungle, Fostering “Friends of Nature”

By Yi Yuanyuan

Yi Yuanyuan, of Friends of Nature

BEIJING – I grew up in a small farming village, in agriculture-rich Hubei Province – surrounded by lush trees and a clear river.

Besides my classmates, some of my closest “friends” were the dogs, cows and birds on my family’s farm. I’d talk to them about my little secrets, and play word-puzzles with them. When my parents couldn’t understand my vivid imagination of this world, I’d share that with the “friends” who always kept me company. The nature itself was an essential part of my life, because it tolerated everything about me – and never hurt me.

When I turned 18, though, I was admitted to one of China’s best universities, Renmin University, and left my beautiful village for the capital, Beijing. For me, it wasn’t just a question of moving to the big city – and one of the world’s largest.

I was also joining China’s massive process of urbanization, which over the past 40 years has helped elevate the country into the world’s second-largest economy. With urbanization, though, came intensified consumption of resources – and increasingly severe pollution. With the frequent smog or dust-storm, I began to feel depressed – and even caught colds because of it. This led to a hope I could do something to change it, and make our world better.

Luckily, during the summer holiday of my freshman year, I had the chance to enroll in a program run by Ecopeace Asia. A friend had done it the previous year, and recommended it to me as an unforgettable experience. That turned out to be true. 

How Experiences Rejuvenated My Sense of Purpose

By Echo Xiaowen Zheng

Echo Xiaowen Zheng, of China Youth Climate Action Network

BEIJING – Growing up in a densely populated Chinese city, I recall watching TV shows that would spotlight the natural beauty of Inner Mongolia – one of our more exotic provinces.

I’d see their boundless blue skies, above endless green grasslands. Plentiful sheep and horses grazed on the vast plains, as the wind blew and the grass waved. I wished to visit there, one day.

During the summer after I graduated from university, my dream came true. Like an excited child, I had a very romanticized and beautiful vision for how my journey would be.

That’s why when I finally arrived there, the reality was even more shocking – and disappointing. I saw a barren soil, exposed to the winds, and vulnerable to desertification. I could count the number of sheep and horses, with fewer herders living off the land itself.

Before that, I’d heard about “environmental protection,” but didn’t know that the environment was experiencing such a difficult time. Or should I say: Humans are experiencing a difficult time. Then I spent one year in Britain, and it opened my eyes.