Earth thinks we’re salty! What’s our comeback?
- Rethabile Precious Phali
Rethabile Phali bagged third prize in the 2025 Climate Change and Me essay competition.
Rethabile argues that we can’t undo climate mess overnight, but we can stop making it worse, and that every small choice is a ripple.
Let’s run a quick experiment together before we get to the heart of why we’re here. Grab a clean cup and fill it with water, go ahead, I’ll wait. Take a sip. Just water, right? Bland. Ordinary. Now, toss in a pinch of salt. Stir. Sip again. Still drinkable, maybe just a hint of something off. Finally, add a full teaspoon and stir. Watch how the once-clear water recoils, swirling into a milky mess, bitter and strange. Suddenly, it’s undrinkable.
That glass? It’s the Earth’s climate system. And the salt? That’s us. Our shortcuts. Our smoke. Our silence. Our actions.
At first, a little salt barely changed the flavour: “What’s one plastic bag here, one smokestack there going to do? It’s not that bad!” The sky stayed blue, rivers kept flowing, seasons came and went, and I, like you, shrugged and said, “It’s fine.” And yup, you’re probably wondering, what was that all about? It’s about you and me peering through a lens we’ve ignored for years.
You didn’t drink that last sip, did you? So why do we keep swallowing what we’re doing to the planet?
It’s not Earth. It’s us.
As a kid, I used to blame Earth for not being strong enough. For shaking, burning, flooding. But Earth was just responding. Earth is strong. It’s us who’ve become the problem. And sure, we’re creators, but how strange is it that our greatest creations, machines, mines, power plants, rarely heal the planet that holds us? How selfish can I be? How selfish are we?
Let’s bring it closer to home: South Africa. Rich in gold, in sun, in spirit, and yes, in coal. But look at us. Loadshedding darkens our days. Our power comes from burning what should’ve stayed buried. Some say, “It’s reused,” or, “It’s not that bad.” But every flipped switch is another spoon of salt in already bitter water, and then we act surprised by the taste.
But it doesn’t have to stay this way. The sun beams on us more than most. The wind shouts for change. Why aren’t we listening? Sure, solar isn’t cheap. But neither is collapse. If we stopped pouring money into things that dig us deeper, and started building systems that actually sustain life, solar rooftops, microgrids, education, we might finally stir in something clean. So what’s stopping us? Probably the lie that there’s still time.
But salt doesn’t just stay in the water.
It’s everywhere now, air, food, animals that never asked for any of this. I once went to uShaka Marine World expecting magic: dolphins, fish, awe. Instead, I stared at a plastic bag drifting in a tank like a ghostly jellyfish. A sign read: “Jellyfish or plastic? Could you tell the difference? Do you think animals can?” I couldn’t. That moment hit hard.
We aren’t just polluting, we’re confusing Earth’s creatures. Turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them. Over 100,000 marine animals die each year from plastic debris in the ocean (UNEP, 2021). Birds build nests from wrappers, and penguins swim through oil spills (WWF, 2020). Seals choke on the things we toss without a second thought.
And while people still ask, “Who’s to blame for the greenhouse effect?”, here’s the truth: the greenhouse effect itself is natural. Without it, Earth would average -18°C instead of +15°C, making life nearly impossible (NASA, 2022). But what we’ve done is amplify it, burning fossil fuels, driving everywhere, treating fast fashion like it’s disposable. Earth’s blanket has become a heat trap. Like sleeping under ten weighted blankets. It’s sweating. Suffocating. And we’re to blame.
South Africa switching from coal to renewables isn’t a debate, it’s survival. I get it: “What about jobs? Load shedding? Affordability?” Valid concerns. But solar could hit all three with one beam of light.
Installing panels on schools, clinics, and taxis isn’t just good PR, it’s a job creator. The renewable sector could generate over 250,000 jobs by 2050 (CSIR, 2020). Solar energy is now cheaper than new coal plants in most countries, including ours (IRENA, 2021). Wind farms in the Eastern Cape already power thousands of homes (SAWEA, 2023). Imagine if we taught kids how to build those systems in school.
Less youth unemployment. More hope.
The real problem? Disconnection. Every plastic-wrapped snack, every “I’ll switch it off later,” every “someone else will fix it”, it’s all another teaspoon of salt in already bitter water. We don’t need more salt. We need action.
When should a Just Transition happen?
Now. Not when Cape Town’s queuing for water again (Wolski, 2018). Not when Limpopo’s crops are dust, or when floods swallow families in KZN (SAWS, 2022). Not when Gauteng classrooms turn into ovens and kids can’t concentrate through 40°C heat (IPCC, 2022).
And who’s responsible?
Honestly? Everyone. But especially the ones in charge, governments, brands, billionaires, ministers. But also… me. You. Because if they won’t move, we will. With our votes, choices, TikToks, blogs. I’ve seen the COPs. The pledges. The polished suits and photo ops. But be real, is it progress, or just performance? What’s a signature worth when a whole province is drowning?
So here’s the truth.
We can’t undo the mess overnight, but we can stop making it worse. Every small choice is a ripple. And together, ripples turn into waves. Earth may think we’re salty, and fair enough. But salt also preserves, and maybe that’s exactly what we’re here to do.
So now I ask you:
Earth thinks we’re salty… how will you respond?
References:
- Wolski, P. (2018). "How severe is Cape Town’s water shortage?" The Conversation Africa.
- IPCC (2022). Sixth Assessment Report: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. https://www.ipcc.ch
- SAWS (2022). "KwaZulu-Natal Floods: Weather Overview." South African Weather Service. https://www.weathersa.co.za
