SAVE THE MOTHER EARTH: ROLES OF SOCIAL WORKER IN ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

“When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves”

– David Orr

Hi! I am Angelica Shane S. Nuqui, a 19 year old, BS Social work student at Bulacan State University who wants to help the environment even in simple ways. I want to encourage everyone to step up and lend their hands in saving our mother earth. This is the first post on my new blog. I am hoping that my blog will be a great help to our environment. I hope I can inspire you with this!

Do you realize how we depend so much in our environment? From the food we eat to ease our hunger, from the air we breathe to live, from the water we drink, from the soil where we build our houses for our shelter and security, from the trees and other resources we use to invent new things that is necessary for our living, and many more. Environment is the main source of people for living as it provide and sustain the things we need in order for us to survive in this world. However, many of us seems to forget these facts. As the population of people rapidly grows and human beings continuously seek for advancement and development, the use of natural resources was also increases. Due to that, our environment was constantly and seriously depleted, abused, exploited and mistreated beyond natural limits, yet many of us turn their backs on this matter. As a result, environment has been greatly damaged and different environmental concerns arise which affects human lives negatively.

Some example of environmental concern includes (According to Conserve Energy Future):
• Pollution
• Global Warming
• Climate Change
• Loss of Biodiversity
• Ozone Layer Depletion
• Ocean Acidification
• Global Warming
• Greenhouse
• Fall out irrigation

These environmental issues and dilemmas are becoming more serious and dangerous each day, so it is necessary to addressed these as soon as possible. Many people, groups or organization step up in order to help and make a change regarding this matter. But as a student of social work, I wonder how this profession can also help to prevent environmental issues and save the environment. Some people may say that this is not possible or social workers cannot do something about this. I cannot blame them, as social work profession is centered on helping individuals. According to the definition of International Federation of Social Workers (2014), social work is a profession and academic discipline that mainly focus on promoting change and development in our society, social solidarity, and liberation and empowerment of every individuals. They use different theories such as social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledge, to adress the challenges we are being faced in our community and enhancing the well-being of people. It is centered on social justice, humanity, and other things that affects human being. So basically, social worker focuses on social issues in our society. But this profession also involves in different professional roles such as being an educator, advocator, community change-agent. These roles can be a great tool for this profession to be part of this matter.

Social Workers as ‘Educator’

Social work is known for educating and facilitating people in a community. This would be a good platform for them to educate people regarding the destruction of natural resources. Social workers can facilitate individuals in their community and have an educational programs teaching about scarcity and environmental destruction, and also, they can teach them about alternative lifestyle that can enlighten them on how they can use the natural resources properly. They can also have an education program that talks about Global warming and Climate change and how it affects our lives negatively. Social workers might also develop a public education programs about the dangers of air and water pollution and how individuals can support clean-up. They might also include educational initiatives to teach about ecological science and the dangers and social injustices of corporate patenting of life forms (Hoff & McNutt, n.d.). Through these, social workers can educate and enlighten the people around them regarding the environmental issues experiencing by our society. It will let many individuals to be aware of what’s happening around us. Having knowledge and awareness regarding this issue is a great help for us to have a collective effort to save our environment.

Social Workers as ‘Advocator’

Social work is also known for being an advocator. This profession serve as a mouth of those disadvantaged and disempowered people in our society. They speak on behalf of them and fight for their rights. This role of social worker can be use to addressed different environmental concerns. Social workers can make an advocacy, or be part of an advocacy that will help our environment such as advocacy campaign on waste management, advocacy around patenting of genetic materials (protecting diversity and reducing corporate commodification of life), advocacy for improving public monitoring and enforcement of air and water quality standards, advocacy on the dangers of corporate patenting of life forms and other advocacy that concerns environment (Hoff & McNutt, n.d.). These kind of advocacies help reveal hidden problem and brings significant benefits that can improve and can make a huge difference in the current state of our environment as it influence the people, policies, structures, and systems in order to bring ‘change’.

Social Workers as ‘Change-Agent’

Social worker as a community change agent is also a vital tool for them to help the environment. As a community change-agent, social workers helps in planning and organizing of a community in order to achieve change (Dinekka, n.d). It is clear that a social worker can be involve and participate in different people, groups or organization that has a goal of helping and saving our environment. In addition, social workers can be part of or create an environmental programs such as Conservation and Recycling programs, Eco-system Restoration programs, urban gardening, tree-planting and reforestation programs, habitat conservation programs and alternative programs that may issue policy, guidance, and coaching to assist maintain compliance with environmental rules and laws, reduce environmental risk and liability and advertise environmental best management practices (Hoff & McNutt, n.d.). This will be a big help to solve different environmental problems.

Many people may see social work as a human-centered profession. But these roles are clear evidences and manifestations that social work profession is not just for human beings, but also for our environment. They can also do things for the sake of our surrounding and to improve the quality of our natural environment by establishing changes towards actions and activities that are damaging to our nature, and even on us. Social work profession does not just revolve around fighting for the rights, empowerment, and worth of the people, but they can also serve as a catalyst that can save and protectthe one who provides most of our needs… environment.