Reflection

When reading the prompt for my climate story, I first thought of what happened to me on a specific Spare the Air day. I remember seeing the air as foggy and gray, and when walking home, wind from a passing car blew dust and particles in the air into my face. I started coughing severely, felt like something dry was clogging my throat, and had trouble breathing. Luckily, I had a face mask in my backpack, which helped me regain my breathing and walk all the way home. I referred to this incident in my poem, as the choking feeling I felt that day was something I’ll never forget. Through my exploration of the theme, I actually found that I wasn’t as knowledgeable about Spare the Air Day as I had previously thought. Because of the theme, I researched the organization Spare the Air program, and found out that it was only in the Bay Area (I thought that it was a federal program), and learned about aspects like the Wood Burning Rule, which asserts that burning wood on a Spare the Air day is actually illegal! But before I had researched about it, I had thought of Spare the Air day negatively, seeing it as a small solution to such a large problem, thinking “How can just one day help climate change?” However, because of the meetings I’ve attended, the insightful conversations I’ve been a part of, and a change in mindset, I’ve begun to look at it more positively. I’ve learned that at this point, humans can’t reverse climate change, and all we can do is look towards improvement, instead of looking for a flawless fix or stay passive while feeling hopeless. Even small, short steps like Spare the Air days can make all the difference. And from honoring the Wood Burning Rule to continuing to advocate for change, I look forward to striving towards improvement as well.