Young Climate Leaders' Dialogue on Climate Action - What is your excuse ? ACTION PLAN

 


On October 10, 2020 , 24 Hours of Reality - Countdown to the Future - Singapore Edition - was hosted by Green is The New Black, a lifestyle media and events platform on a mission to make conscious living mainstream and accessible. The event was part of  a global conversation on the future we want and how we get there, held in partnership with TED Countdown and their amazing partners, including organisations such as C40 Cities, Project Drawdown, Potsdam Institute for Climate impact Research as well as The Climate Reality Project. As a part of igniting Climate Literacy and advocating Climate Action, one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a Young Climate Leaders' Dialogue was organised and facilitated. School students aged 8-13 formed the panelist whilst myself, a High School Teachers facilitated the event as a moderator for this event. Some of the highlights of the event are listed below.








PANEL:  Young Climate Leaders’ Dialogue on Climate Action


Geetika Ghai, Moderator (Linkedin)  (Website)


Yohaan Master (Age 13), Tanvi Ghai (Age 10), Sophie Laya (Age 10) and Ana Laya (Age 8)


Our Panel has a clear view on what climate change is and what causes it: burning fossil fuels, chopping down trees (deforestation) and eating too much meat (intensive animal agriculture). The Youth of today are facing the Climate Crisis. Nevertheless, they are starting early in their preparation to fight with support from everyone. Having ongoing conversations to know how they feel is important and what they think can be done for Climate Action offers a lot of hope for the future.


What are the effects of climate change? Some of the signs we see globally are increasing heat, melting ice caps and more intense and more frequent wildfires, floods, cyclones , and other severe weather events, as well as damages to our oceans. These events cause loss of biodiversity as animals lose their habitats and sources of food. Signs we are aware of locally include increased heat, more floods and sea level rise.

What causes climate change?  Man-made carbon emissions, as well as other greenhouse gases, like methane, create a large ‘blanket’ in the atmosphere trapping heat. Cutting down trees means that less carbon dioxide is also being absorbed, which makes the blanket thicker and the world warmer. Although we need this system to survive (without the ‘blanket’ our planet would be too cold to inhabit), runaway greenhouse gas emissions have resulted in the ‘enhanced greenhouse effect’ which is rapidly disrupting the entire ecosystem, causing climate breakdown.

What can we do to tackle climate breakdown? Personally, eat less meat, drive less, car share, take public transport, avoid products that contribute to deforestation, reduce consumption, reuse products, recycle. Governments and individuals can also increase awareness of climate breakdown and build support for the solutions, such as switching to more sustainable agriculture. Governments can fund green buildings and green jobs, move to sustainable water and electricity sources and work towards making Singapore a carbon-neutral economy.

Would you consider giving up beef or reducing your consumption to help the planet?  A resounding yes!  Two of our panelists are vegetarian and the other two are working hard to reduce their impact on the planet through the food they eat. Our panelists are also keen to reduce food waste.


In response to audience questions:

  • Reasons for hope include evidence that we can change, as we have made huge changes in particular to our travel and work patterns as a result of the pandemic according to Greta and other inspiring young climate activists.  Hope can change our world and rebuild our declining natural environment to give future generations blue skies and green forests.  

  • In a better future, we would see people using precious resources more carefully, only buying what they need, fewer cars and more walking, cycling, no more trees being chopped down and the habitats of our species being preserved.

  • Our panelists felt empowered to influence and motivate others to take responsibility to make the word a better place, encouraging positive actions.

  • Panelists suggested that parents and children can bring about climate literacy by being pervasive and taking little steps towards low carbon sustainable living. Making an influence chain is a first step towards striking conscious balance of use of resources. Parents can make children aware of the problem yet being hopeful and assuring the kids with umpteen reasons for hope :)


Little Green Steps / Action to take:


  • Talk about climate change. Climate literacy should form an integral and pervasive part of our living.

  • Support the solutions that are possible and sustainable. Take shorter showers, don’t waste food, use less energy.  Eat less meat, particularly beef,lamb, and dairy.  Eat more vegetables! Your choices affect your environment and the impact on climate change.

  • Encourage others to take public transport, car share or switch to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles. 

  • Choose products that have lesser impact on the planet. Avoid products that contribute to deforestation. Rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle. 


Resources:

Learn about deforestation with WWF:  Top 10 myths about deforestation

More reasons to reduce meat and dairy:  The carbon impact of the Food Supply Chain

Recycling:  Reuse old masks  

Plastic pollution:  Talking Trash

Understand your own carbon footprint for kids:   Park City - Kids Calculator

Understand the science:  Climate Kids

Just for Kids:  Resources from Climate Reality and Nat Geo Kids

Palm Oil:  The Iceland Palm Oil Advert

School strike for climate:  Save the word by changing the rules 

Project Drawdown:  Drawdown Learn


Panelists wish to educate the youth and spread awareness on this issue, making talks and action for a low carbon existence pervasive.





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