The Trust for Sustainable Living invited schoolchildren from around the world to write open letters to the newly-elected UN Secretary General, outlining their ideas for practical climate action.  This year  a record 1,232 entries were submitted from Teacher Champions in 77 countries. All participating students and Teacher Champions are invited to attend the 2017 Debates, Awards and Visits in Oxford, UK. 

http://www.livingrainforest.org/explore/schools-debate/

 

Here is Agnieszka’s essay:

‘We Can Beat Climate Change by 2030’

We, as humans, can definitely prepare for the dangers connected with climate change - rising sea levels, melting snow and ice, fires and drought, more extreme storms, rainfall and floods.  We  are definitely able to adapt and survive any conditions. However, I do not think we want to be the only ones left in the barren world, together with cockroaches – the two most adaptable species on Earth. Therefore, the fight to reverse climate change must begin at three levels – national, regional and school level, and the citizens of this world  are the most important units needed to win the fight.

First of all, the environment should be given equal rights to humans in constitutions. The Rights of Nature has already been specified in the constitution of Ecuador. Naturally, all nations should put such a regulation in their constitution to raise awareness among societies.

The media have great influence on people. Everyone has got a laptop, mobile or a TV nowadays  and uses it all the time. Using these tools for publicizing environmental problems seems inevitable. Every day we see many cookie information popups. Why not replace them with environmental popups. Cellular networks could also be obliged to send reminders to customers – reminders to unplug devices, check the sell-by-dates on the products in the fridge, and other alike.

Secondly, every region should also emphasize the importance of healthy environment while celebrating regional holidays, during festivals and fairs. If every resident has a well-insulated house, the warmth won't escape, and less heating will be needed. Also, a good rule would  be – “one tree cut down = 2 planted”. This way trees won't disappear and the air will be regularly purified.

Moreover, if every region in the country has got one plantation of windmills and solar panels, residents of this state will receive the acquired energy and the heating. Then they won't need to have heat furnaces and won't produce carbon dioxide. This plan is expensive to realise, but it can really help, and such long-term plans must be made in regional budgets. After installing renewable energy sources, developed countries should help poorer regions of the world do the same.

Finally, the GEM UNESCO report  shows that the education has a potential to contribute to beating climate change by 2030. Therefore, compulsory extra workshops and campaigns for students and their parents should be conducted at schools on regular basis and from early ages of life. People tend not to see a problem or a danger unless they face it directly. That is why, people must be convinced that it is coming - from a very early age at school. We have to start educating children in the same way we teach them to brush their teeth, wash hands or say “thank you”. We can't blame people, until we are sure that they are educated.  

Student council members could lead environmental campaigns at schools. I am the president of such a council, and I know that I and my colleagues have a lot of influence on school and its students. We must talk about ideas like: energy and water saving, pollution and segregation, consumerism, wasting food and food choices. Moreover, we must limit using products made of wood. At first - books and notebooks. Every year students need billions of pieces worldwide. We should introduce laptops instead of books at school.

 

We must exploit every possible means of reversing climate change. However, one should start with the awareness of humanity. Making people realise that a disaster is coming,  and that it is coming fast,  is the key to beating climate change.