I was lucky enough to be born on a Pacific island called Rarotonga, the largest of 15 islands that make up the Cook Islands. Rarotonga is very small, with a population of 17,000 and a land area about half the size of Disney World. However, over 99.9% of the Cook Islands territory is made up of ocean water covering over 2 million square kilometers.
Naturally, I have many childhood memories of the ocean: snorkeling through the coral lagoon spotting friendly sea-life, swimming frantically away from scary sea-life, catching waves on a kayak, diving with turtles, watching whales leap out of the water, collecting seaweed with my grandma, watching my uncles catch parrotfish and octopus along the reef’s edge, and so much more. The ocean seemed like an infinite resource that stretched further than you could see. I thought for Cook Islanders, and everyone else, the ocean would be there to provide and give enjoyment forever.
As I grew up, I learned this might not be the case. I learned how we are suffocating the Earth with excessive carbon emissions, how we have burned down most of our rainforests, and how a rise in water temperature is causing coral bleaching across the planet, killing our underwater ecosystem. Even in my short lifetime, I have noticed a change in my island’s sea-life. While there is still a beautiful lagoon surrounding Rarotonga, there seems to be more dead coral and dead seaweed floating around today than I can remember. I understand now that nature is not permanent and should not be taken for granted. It’s hard to imagine that something as enormous as the ocean could be at risk from human beings, but it is.
Today I am an engineer because I am passionate about solving problems practically. The solution to climate change is not as easy as most would like, but I believe that tangible real-world solutions, such as large-scale renewable energy, can slow down its effects. In the future, I want to focus my engineering work on environmentally-friendly solutions that preserve the natural beauty of our islands, such as solar energy, ocean water preservation, and wastewater treatment.
My dream is that one day my children and grandchildren can also have the chance to enjoy all the life and beauty the ocean has to offer. I dream that we work together as a world full of islanders to preserve the waters connecting us for generations to come.
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