VIETNAM 2021: Speaking For The Planet

RESULT

Public Speaking

category

Winner

The winning speaker is Hoang Thieu Nhu.

Thieu Nhu

from the Olympia School, Hanoi.

Runner-up

Our runner-up for the speaking category is Nguyen Phung Thai An.

Thai An,

from Hanoi.

Equal Third Speakers

This time, we have three young talented speakers: Han Le Quang, Pham Gia Linh, and Nguyen Tran Xuan Mai

Han Le Quang,

from Hanoi.

Nguyen Tran Xuan Mai,

from Da Nang.

Gia Linh,

from Hanoi.

Writing

category

First Prize

The winning writer is Phan Hà Minh.

Astonished, I narrowed my gaze and repeated my question:

 - Did you just tell me there is no other option but a plastic cup?

The baristas at H. Coffee nonchalantly nodded and my heart sank.

As my eyes swept across the spacious modern design of H.coffee, I could not help but feel completely puzzled. Boasted as Vietnam’s pride and signature coffee chain, the one to compete head-to-head with global conglomerates like Starbucks, H.coffee maximize their space by cutting off the essential area for dish-washing. As a result, the company’s blatant use of single-use plastic brought about irreversible harm to the environment for the sake of profit. A drink that lingers for less than 1 hour in a customer’s hand will last 450 years in nature. One shop serves at least 200 cups per day, and with over 300 shops in Vietnam, the number was enormous.

Everything around us is all a part of nature - the flowers, the trees, sunlight, insects, landscapes, and breeze. Single use plastic directly kills millions of animals, which mistake it as food. Companies like H. Coffee must recognize its responsibility to preserve nature, but before they change, I can do my part.

As I politely thanked the barista for her time, I canceled my order. Hanoi's soft breeze in autumn gently caressed my hair like mother nature’s encouragement of my act. With my personal cup in hands, I walked away from instant gratification. I said no to single use plastic. stonished, I narrowed my gaze and repeated my question:

________________________________________________________________________

Bibliography:

1. Anonymous. (2021). The lifecycle of plastics. [online] Available at:

https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/the-lifecycle-of-plastics [Accessed 22 Jan. 2022].

Second Prize

Mai Phúc Huy got the second prize.

There’s a meme in the gaming community of “touching grass”. It implies that the subject is out of touch with the real world and needs outside interaction, like “touching grass”. Although the term is used jokingly, it is representative of a concerning yet inadequately recognized issue about the ongoing decline in human-nature interactions. In 2020, Friends of the Earth UK asserted that “Seven out of 10 people admit they are losing touch with nature”, a sharp warning about this serious and overlooked problem.

Because of the benefits from human-nature interactions, the aforementioned decline poses a serious threat to the well-being of both mankind and nature. We risk losing numerous profound benefits and receiving shortcomings only. A study in 2004 found that outdoor learning environments produce exciting contributions to learning such as understanding ecosystems in real life. Meanwhile, a 2005 survey in the US indicated that appreciation for nature was influenced by exposure to nature during childhood, which is crucial to consciousness of environmental protection later in life.

In conclusion, while we continue to debate about climate change and sustainability, I believe the foremost item on the agenda is to reestablish our interactions with nature. As Sir David Attenborough once said, “Because we are out of touch with the world … most of us don’t see the effects [of humans].” Similar to how we need to know deeply about someone in order to help them, we need to become acquainted with Mother Nature if we truly want to protect her

Third Prize

The Third Prize belongs to Trần Phạm Phương Linh.

 “Have I ever felt connected to Mother Nature?”

This is the question I’ve been asking myself for all my life. Born and raised in the city, I feel like nature is a supernatural force out of my control. My relationship with Planet Earth always seems more like acquaintances than close friends. Never once in my life have I truly felt united to the natural world. 

Our planet is going through a serious challenge – climate change. Hotter summers and natural disasters happening more frequently are only a few significant changes Earth has to face. The next generation, specifically teenagers, needs to be prepared well enough to rescue our home before it’s too late. 

Though the young generation is supposed to be the future for saving the environment, research proved that they are more disconnected from the planet than ever before. A study conducted in the UK in 2019 shows that teenagers, generally from the age of 13 to 19, had the lowest nature connectedness index (NCI) compared to other age groups. [1] Another research in England highlighted how children were spending less time outside without adults, with the percentage always under 25%. [2]

Over time, with the development of technology, teenagers will find Mother Earth less crucial to their existence as the hustle and bustle of modern life eventually catches up to them. As they turn away from the environment, the nature time bomb will start ticking down, leaving society with devastating aftereffects. 

Sources:

[1]: Richardson, M.; Hunt, A.; Hinds, J.; Bragg, R.; Fido, D.; Petronzi, D.; Barbett, L.; Clitherow, T.; White, M. A Measure of Nature Connectedness for Children and Adults: Validation, Performance, and Insights. Sustainability 2019. (Accessed 15th January 2022) [2]: Natural England, Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment: Children and Young People report, 2019 (Accessed 15th January 2022)

Honorable Mention

This Prize belongs to Trần Lê Thảo Anh.

These days, the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t allow us to go outside and access to nature as we did. Since nature has played an important part in supporting people’s mental health, we shouldn’t lose our connection with the nature. I believe if we could work from home, study from home, we can access to the nature from home.

Nature is everything around you, from the air you breath, the landscape you see, or the bird songs you hear. Thus, there are plenty of ways that we can connect to nature.

Firstly, waking up early in the morning to see the sunrise. If you like music, turn on your favorite song and it is your perfect ‘nature’ time. Let’s start a fresh day and leave yesterday behind you.

Secondly, spending some minutes in your day to take care of a plant. You can water it or bring it under the sun. If you say loving words to your plant, it will grow up faster. No one can be ignorant to love, care, and kindness and so is the nature. 

Many feelings can come to your mind within a day. Have you ever tried to feel the weather? Observing and feeling it help you understand that everything could change, including your anxiety and negative feelings.

Connectedness to nature is good for your mental health and well-being. Don’t let the pandemic disconnect you from nature as you can always develop a relationship with nature at your home and in your own way.