Reflections on Climate Change and Consumerism

By: Itzel - a Volunteer

When I was still a university student the concepts of climate change and reforestation work were very abstract and frankly not something that piqued my interest. I had the kind of privilege that shielded me from feeling the direct impacts of climate change, being from the United States - it is not that I did not believe in climate change - but it was not necessarily at my doorstep. I still had consistent access to food, water and of course there were the crazy weather phenomena such as 80 degree weather in November or insane flooding uncharacteristic of New York. Yet, it was still not enough to make me mindful of my consumer habits, which I am ashamed to admit, because at the end of the day the thought process was “well I am just one person, what impact can ONE person have on the environment?” 

This picture was taken in June of 2022; it was a beautiful summer day and NYC gets intense orange sunsets which makes for lovely pictures but is also an indication of the contamination that occurs on a daily basis (both passively and actively).

Shortly after graduation I was invited to serve in Panama as a volunteer through an agricultural program. I did not know much about agriculture but I was excited about the prospects of learning more about agricultural techniques and about a different culture. It was in my first two years in Panama that I learned, felt and SAW climate change first hand. As a volunteer my absolute favorite activity is “pasear” where you visit someone’s house and normally you end up chatting over a cup of coffee all afternoon. I quickly learned that older folks in town had so many stories to tell as long as you were willing to listen. Consistently through all of these stories was one phrase “el clima ya no es igual” (the climate isn’t the same) or “el clima ya no es lo que era” (the climate isn’t what it was). They described their weather as cooler, even more rainy. They described their lands and how fertile they used to be; how much they used to produce and in comparison, how little they produce now. The year that I arrived, Panama was experiencing the weather phenomenon known as “la niño” thus it was a particularly hard year for all farmers and especially for Panamanians in regions where water is scarce to begin with. I saw how one week it would be dry and hot and the next the torrential down pouring would cause flash flooding and take bridges, homes, livestock and crops in the blink of an eye.

The first picture was taken shortly after I arrived to site around May of 2023. I would later learn that a lot of trees in Panama have adapted to “shed” their leaves in order to preserve water and energy needed for the survival of the tree during times of drought. The second picture features the kids playing in the same school yard one year later in May of 2024; everything is green, and vibrant, as it should be.

After just one year of being in Panama I developed a mindfulness of how and what I was consuming; all the way from clothes, to water (how long I was showering, what I was using my water for, laundry etc.) to even food consumption and waste. Panamanians practice what I call “passive” composting; they do not necessarily make piles of vegetable and food scraps that need churning everyday. But they identify what plants like what kind of scraps, put the scraps at the base of the plant for it to decompose and then they throw the rest of the food scraps into the “monte” for general decomposition. There is an understanding that what comes from the earth, can return to the earth. 

Going into my third year, I switched positions and was moved into a different province. The Azuero Peninsula is one of (if not the) driest areas of Panama. This region frequently experiences drought and water contamination due to excess use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Pro Eco Azuero is one of the most active non-profits organizations in the Azuero region whose mission is to reforest and educate future (and current) generations on best practices for regenerative and healthy land use and the importance of reforestation and conservation efforts. PEA reforests approximately 100,000 trees throughout the year, but the majority of the trees are planted between May-August, Panama’s rainy season. 

All of this brought me to the following: 

1. Are reforestation efforts “worth it”?  The simple answer is yes, absolutely reforestation efforts are worth it. Despite the overall observations of the change in the weather in all of Panama, you can feel the difference in weather/climate in areas that are well preserved and abundant in trees and areas that are not. You can see a difference in the biodiversity and even in the health of folks who live in lands that are still producing versus lands that are struggling to produce. 

2. What is the best way to reforest? I have concluded that one method is not better than another, why? Because we are all working towards the same thing, a habitable planet. I have heard much debate amongst institutions, organizations, and even volunteers on what the most effective way of reforest is and have even heard them discrediting others' work and efforts. The reality is that one person, or even one hundred people can not have the kind of impact we need to save our earth. I can plant one, ten or even one hundred trees. It is simply not enough. But my efforts, in conjunction with Pro Eco Azuero’s efforts, in conjunction with the efforts of other organizations and people is what ultimately makes the difference. It is through the numerous volunteers that we receive throughout the year that we are able to successfully carry out our mission. It is in the collective that there is power, change and influence and I do not think that the means matters (in this specific) case when the outcome is the same. 

As I strive to move forward in the world I carry these lessons with me. I no longer feel like I do not carry any responsibility for the climate crisis, because it is the mindset of “what impact can ONE person have” both in terms of conservation, reforestation work and consumerism that has led us to the crisis in which we find ourselves now. Instead of assuming that someone else is doing the work, I have found ways to do the work myself and I highly encourage everyone to do the same in a manner that works for them. 

This is a finca in Venao, where Pro Eco Azuero is reforesting this year; the lines pictured are made the reforestation team (whom have affection been named the Magnificents). They get to the finca early in the morning before everyone and begin the tedious work of "making" rows, digging the hole where a tree will be planted and identifying which tree has the best chance of life based off of its surroundings and conditions. To get to the area of reforestation the whole team has to walk anywhere between thirty minutes to one hour in rain or shine. In this finca alone PEA has planted approximately 34,136 trees between this year and last.