It's not just climate change anymore;
it's an immediate climate emergency
Within twenty years, if we continue to pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the world as we know it will be ruined. Climate change is regularly mentioned in the media - but that label isn't sufficient to make people sit up and do something. As the impending environmental crisis comes closer to being a reality, one newspaper has pledged to use the phrases 'climate crisis' or 'global heating' rather than 'climate change'. The Guardian as we are seeing the rise of both activists who want to stop it and deniers who claim it doesn’t exist. As a result of this, it is no surprise that so much protest is arising.
Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg, has gained popularity through her protests against the causes of climate change. She has given TEDTalks and speeches to the United Nations as well as swearing to strike from school every Friday until Sweden cuts its CO2 emissions. This has encouraged other students to follow in her footsteps and form a teenage movement. There are now climate change student protests happening in both England and New Zealand, with Thunberg as their main inspiration. However, she is not the only advocate; many celebrities are currently protesting for action, such as actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Watson and Cate Blanchett.
Meanwhile, others use creativity and innovation to contribute towards saving the planet. Many new inventions have been made to help the environment, such as plastic that dissolves in water, edible beer rings that turtles can eat safely and a portable grill that burns with very little CO2 emissions. Companies are making efforts to lower their CO2 emissions as well. A banned Iceland commercial went viral recently where they say they will stop selling items with dirty palm oil. Unilever, owner of brands like Dove and Ben & Jerry’s, have sworn to only use ingredients from sustainable resources. Ikea have spent €1.7 billion in green energy projects, such as wind turbines and solar panels. These are only a few examples of companies trying to reduce their effect on climate change.
In the face of all this, one question comes to mind: what can you do? It may seem that you are powerless to do anything, right? Wrong. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, you could ask your parents to consider an electricity plan that relies on green energy. Even if only 50% is green, it could make a drastic change. You can also be mindful of your water usage, as cleaning water relies on immense amounts of energy. If you want others to join you, spread the word. The only thing we shouldn’t be doing is waiting around for others to save the planet for us.
William Bell, Year 10
Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg, has gained popularity through her protests against the causes of climate change. She has given TEDTalks and speeches to the United Nations as well as swearing to strike from school every Friday until Sweden cuts its CO2 emissions. This has encouraged other students to follow in her footsteps and form a teenage movement. There are now climate change student protests happening in both England and New Zealand, with Thunberg as their main inspiration. However, she is not the only advocate; many celebrities are currently protesting for action, such as actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Watson and Cate Blanchett.
Meanwhile, others use creativity and innovation to contribute towards saving the planet. Many new inventions have been made to help the environment, such as plastic that dissolves in water, edible beer rings that turtles can eat safely and a portable grill that burns with very little CO2 emissions. Companies are making efforts to lower their CO2 emissions as well. A banned Iceland commercial went viral recently where they say they will stop selling items with dirty palm oil. Unilever, owner of brands like Dove and Ben & Jerry’s, have sworn to only use ingredients from sustainable resources. Ikea have spent €1.7 billion in green energy projects, such as wind turbines and solar panels. These are only a few examples of companies trying to reduce their effect on climate change.
In the face of all this, one question comes to mind: what can you do? It may seem that you are powerless to do anything, right? Wrong. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, you could ask your parents to consider an electricity plan that relies on green energy. Even if only 50% is green, it could make a drastic change. You can also be mindful of your water usage, as cleaning water relies on immense amounts of energy. If you want others to join you, spread the word. The only thing we shouldn’t be doing is waiting around for others to save the planet for us.
William Bell, Year 10