Why I’m an Environmental Advocate
As someone who has spent over 15 years in the world of structured content and systems thinking, I’ve come to appreciate that sustainability is not just a personal value, it’s a mindset. The same discipline we bring to managing knowledge can, and should, be applied to how we treat the world around us. For me, environmental advocacy isn’t about perfection, it’s about intention.
Supporting Reforestation and Community Initiatives
One of the first ways I stepped into environmental work was through reforestation. The work of organizations like MyCloudforest resonated with me because they brought ecological restoration right into the heart of the city places we often overlook as natural ecosystems. Contributing to these efforts, even as a donor or volunteer, gave me a sense that I could influence more than just lines of code or documentation.
I’ve always believed that urban greening efforts, like terrace gardens or local plant drives, should be treated with the same care we apply to building scalable systems nurtured in phases, checked for outcomes, and maintained over time. Even my own workspace has evolved to reflect these values, integrating more plants, natural light, and recyclable materials into everyday setups.
More importantly, I encourage teams to get involved. Whether it's through internal CSR campaigns or hosting team-building events that include planting drives, I see these efforts as more than symbolism, they're statements of culture. As leaders, the sustainability we practice publicly reinforces the values we claim privately.
Sustainability in the Workplace
Much of my day-to-day work happens in the digital world, but sustainability here is just as important. I’ve led initiatives to eliminate unnecessary printing, switch to fully digital onboarding, and simplify tool stacks, saving energy, time, and confusion. Simpler systems consume fewer resources, just like ecosystems that balance themselves naturally.
I take pride in guiding documentation contributors to think about reuse, clarity, and lean processes. The idea is to do more with less, not in a restrictive sense, but in a deliberate, efficient way. When we eliminate waste in our digital practices, we’re modeling a mindset that supports environmental thinking.
This also extends to how I communicate. I encourage asynchronous work, lower-bandwidth meetings when possible, and tools that don’t add bloat to user experience. Even something as small as teaching a team to use Markdown and GitHub instead of heavy desktop publishing tools is a step toward lighter, cleaner workflows.
The Human Side of Sustainability
My advocacy is also rooted in people. I follow and support humanitarian organizations like UNHCR and The Healer Foundation because their work speaks to something larger, climate change isn’t just about rising temperatures; it's about displacement, inequality, and survival.
As someone who has worked in diverse, multicultural teams across continents, I’m sensitive to how access to knowledge, tools, and even basic digital infrastructure varies widely. I try to embed empathy into how I write, teach, and build. Whether it's simplifying a user guide or designing inclusive learning materials, my approach centers around equity and reach.
Sustainability, to me, is also about designing systems that last and adapt. We need to support people and platforms that are resilient in uncertain times. As technologists and educators, we must think beyond features, we must think of futures.