An Interview With The Founder Of EcoKnights

Take a deep breath, steady yourself. What comes to your mind when you see the word 'environment'? Gardening? Greenery? Rainforests? If the images conjured in your mind the second you see the word 'environment' are a pristine collection of perfect literal beauty, then I'm sorry to say you've probably not grasped the meaning of the word. The environment is our surroundings- water and air. It is fragile. As the population of our precious planet grows, the constant economic development leads to an increased demand for natural resources and this in turn leads to a compromised environment.

It is the year 2012 and the end of the world is nigh! We simply do not know it yet. As our population hits the 7 billion mark, it is interesting to see how much longer our beloved planet can sustain the rapidly growing number of people. There was a time when it was cool enough to play football at noon on the streets of Kuala Lumpur; now it is a fairytale told by grandfathers to their grandchildren. We talk about the Klang Valley water crisis, yet how many of us switch off the tap when we brush our teeth? Questions, questions, questions. Are we ignorant of the issues that have silently invaded our lives, or do we choose on purpose to ignore them?

I was given the privilege to interview the founder of Ecoknights, Miss Yasmin Rasyid. Ecoknights is a non-profit environmental organization founded in 2005 with a mission to support all national and international environmental programs. Ecoknights emphasizes promotion of sustainable development amongst industry players and communities.  Now, let us see what our very own environmental knight has to say about our beloved world.

Q: Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Miss Yasmin! Can you please tell us about yourself?

A:  This is always the toughest place to start. I am a multifaceted person, so I am going to try my best to do this. I was born and raised in the small town of Ipoh. I was born to working class parents, and grew up in a normal neighborhood where being green or environmentally conscious was uncommon.

I was lucky to have had the opportunity to attend high school in the USA. As a result, I was predisposed to an American culture during my teenage years. I attended Duke University, and that was the beginning of my interest in environmental issues. I doubled majored in Marine Biology and Contemporary Religion. I love biology a lot and when I had a chance to study during the summer break in the Duke Beaufort Marine Laboratory, I embraced the knowledge I gained through my laboratory work. I was introduced to issues and challenges of the marine environment dealing with climate change and global warming. University helped me gain not just knowledge, but exposed me to very current and urgent environmental issues that were going to affect the planet. And thus began my journey in to the field of environmental conservation.

I also have an M.Sc in Biotechnology, and am still studying. I am hoping to gain my PhD in a few years. My first job after graduating from Duke was as a Scientific Officer at WWF Malaysia and that really opened my eyes to local green issues. I have also worked with in the corporate sector before but all that paled in comparison to what I was aching to do, which was to contribute towards a positive movement for a better environment. Little did I know that I was soon going to be given the opportunity to express my heart’s desire in a more tangible way.

In short, I am just a normal small town girl, who was lucky enough to have been exposed to environmental conservation during my teenage years, and this helped transform my interest to a deep passion, which in turn led me to establishing a nonprofit environmental organization that aims to garner better understanding and positive actions towards the Malaysian environment through its creative programs.

Q: What inspired you to found Ecokinghts?

A: When I started EK in 2005, all I wanted to do was to provide a platform where youths of the country could come to us (or we go to them) to help them break out from their shells and get them exposed to a plethora of green issues, with the aim of instilling eco consciousness among the younger generation. The idea is to raise an army of ecologically intelligent young adults who are not only well versed in their understanding about environmental concerns and problems, but are knowledgeable enough to know WHAT to do and WHEN to do it. And my inspiration came from my passion to provide top educational and awareness programs to challenge our young to take matters into their own hands.

Q: What is your take on the view of our youth on environment?

A​: I think our youths today don’t spend enough time outdoors, or even spend enough time playing and having fun outdoors. Hence I feel that they are detached from the environment. I can’t blame them though because it’s us adults and society that has shaped this generation of youths that may be smarter in terms of book intelligence compared to when I was their age but not smarter in terms of their ecological awareness and knowledge about nature. But this has to change. And I hope it will. Their future, whether youths realize it or not, depends on the next two generations. If I really want to live in a better world, it makes sense to teach our children to be more ecologically intelligent. And the time is now. Youths can be either the savior or the destroyer of the environment. I can only hope that they will take up the challenge and be role models for their own children.

Q: People look but they don't see. Do you think with the hazy situation in the Klang Valley people are taking more precautions?

A: Nope. People normally like to point fingers. It’s always about what the government should do, or what the Indonesians shouldn’t be doing. This is silly in many aspects. We are ONE planet, and live in continents with man-made boundaries. Whatever that happens on this planet, affects everyone, sometimes slower, sometimes faster. But the fact remains that whatever goes around comes around and that’s something we do still not understand as we draw lines among ourselves. This has to change. Of course regulations and laws help too. I mean, when it’s hazy, there should be some kind of ban on vehicles entering cities or something like that to curb the deterioration of air quality for others, especially those susceptible to health problems.

Q: Malaysia will experience water shortage in 2015. Truth or myth? If it’s true, why don’t people know about it?

A: Truth, and this holds for every country. Water scarcity is a global problem and we can already see that from the fact that only 1.8 billion people on this planet have access to clean water. And here we are in Malaysia, almost always wasting it like nobody’s business. Just because we feel that we can afford to waste it, other people suffer at. I think people don’t know because they are not sensitive to these issues. We live in an ignorant society, which prefers to numb itself with other matters and listens to half-truths and lies because they sound better. That’s something we should change about ourselves and we can only do something about it if we understand our relationship with nature clearly.

Q: Where can you see the world going to, if the current situation persists?

A: To damnation. Clear and simple. 10 billion people in 30 years’ time, with the same amount of land and access to water. We will be seeing a global apocalypse if we don’t start figuring out where humans will live in the future.

Q: What baby steps should the youth take to impact change? What sort of change?

A: Change yourself and your attitude.  Mankind needs to start changing the way they behave, eat, use energy and consume materials. At the end of the day, it’s us who can make a difference and collectively, I am sure 7 billion people have enough brainpower and capacity to make the world a better place. But somehow, this isn’t happening. On the contrary, we are using more than we should, wasting more than we can, and killing more living things on this planet than any other species. That says a lot about how we cherish our planet. If we really want to live a bit longer here on Earth, it’s human beings that need to change.

The environment had been fine for thousands of years up to when mankind came into existence. Once we arrived, in a few thousand years, somehow managed to rape and strip the planet of the very fabric that keeps it in balance with nature.

Q: Do you have any last words to deliver, Miss Yasmin?

A: Stand up; take charge of one, just one, thing you are passionate about regarding the environment, and DO IT. Don’t wait.

Ending: Thank you, Miss Yasmin for such honest and thoughtful sharing.

Indeed, as youth, it is imperative for us to know how to care for the environment.  The world is changing and we are well aware of it. As to whether sustainability can remain a reality, it really depends on the youth of today. So, boys and girls: do not hesitate to make a difference! Recycle a can today! Switch off the water tap when not in use! These are but the baby steps we take today so we can save ourselves from damnation!

BY JUDY OOI