KOTA SAMARAHAN: Students from the Strategic Communication programme at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) organised a seminar entitled “Environmental Awareness: From Fear to Fuel” on Tuesday (Jan 7).
Led by seminar director Radin Nasuhakamar, the event aimed to help participants channel their fears about climate change into practical steps for environmental action.
The seminar, initially titled “Climate Anxiety,” was renamed to make the topic more approachable.
“When people see the word ‘anxiety,’ they tend to shy away. We wanted a title that inspires action and awareness,” Radin explained.
The event primarily focused on three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action) which highlighted simple yet impactful actions such as thrift shopping to reduce reliance on fast fashion.
The panel featured Associate Professor Dr Sopian Bujang, director of the Human Resilience and Potential Centre, Unimas, Dr Yonis M. Yonis Buswig, head of Green Energy at the Institute of Sustainable and Renewable Energy (ISuRE) and Gill Raja, from the Mental Health Association Sarawak (MHAS) Kuching branch, who addressed the mental health impacts of climate change.
Participants were encouraged to take small, actionable steps to reduce their environmental impact.
“We hope participants leave with not only a better understanding of climate issues but also practical ways to address their fears that came from climate changes, such as being anxious during floods or natural disasters,” said Radin.
