Written by Lucinda, Year 8
What are your environmental concerns?
My environmental concerns are the endless string of crises all over the world – floods and heatwaves and famine, and hurricanes. The impending threat of climate wars and parasitic diseases, pest invasions and collapses of ecosystems. The climate injustice which means countries who are most vulnerable and emit the least greenhouse gases are the most devastated by the crisis.
To truly defeat the climate crisis, we need responses and action from international governments, and we need them to work together. At COP27 we got a small win for loss and damage funding, but still feel almost invisible as our government continues to invest in fossil fuels. New fossil fuel investments almost erase our chance of reaching the 1.5 degrees celsius target agreed in Paris back in 2015.
What is a Carbon Footprint?
A Carbon Footprint is a measure of how much CO2 we as individuals produce. Although it seems like an effective way to reduce emissions, in the end we need collective, national and global action. Carbon footprints were first promoted by a fossil fuel company to switch the blame for the crisis away from gas giants and onto everyday consumers. Small changes are important things to do, but read the next paragraph to find the best roads to action.
Small Changes Make a Difference
I believe in the end, we will not solve climate change if we and our governments keep change limited to a regular, everyday thing. If we truly want to defeat this crisis – which threatens everything humanity has ever known – we need to make BIG change – which is scary, but not as scary as the crisis to come. These changes are best executed globally – whether this is by contacting an MP, signing a petition, making a stand, donating money to environmental charities, boycotting a brand and encouraging others to do the same, keeping informed and educating yourself. Most importantly, find the fire within you that ultimately drives action and hope.