Changes in climate patterns could overwhelmingly create an inhabitable future.
Over the past decades, there have been numerous amendments in the environmental and weather patterns causing to arise issues such as climate change. Climate change perceptually is more than warmer temperatures and global warming; it is every unhabitable environmental adversity that could strain our future generations. For instance, melting glaciers, elevating sea levels, floods, cyclones, and other natural disasters and their overall influence on human life are drastic consequences of climate change.
According to the UN, the average temperature of the Earth’s surface is now about 1.1°C warmer than it was in the late 1800s and warmer than at any time in the last 100,000 years. The last decade (2011-2020) was the warmest on record, and each of the last four decades has been warmer than any previous decade since 1850. These consequences are assumed to cause discomfort to future generations if prolonged to an exponential extent.
But guess what? Earth is home to 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 to 24 — the largest generation of youth in history.
Young people are becoming more aware of the hazards and difficulties posed by the climate issue as well as the chance for sustainable development provided by a solution to the problem. According to the UN, Youth’s unprecedented mobilization around the world has culminated to turn the global crisis around and opt for and fathom livable solutions for them pragmatically. As a whole, youth can synergize to enrich the environment and livability through innovation and implementation.
“Sound the alarm. Stand up for each other and our planet, and human rights.”
UN Secretary General - António Guterres
Our Responsibility:
My generation has largely failed until now to preserve both justice in the world
and to preserve the planet. It is your generation that must make us accountable
to make sure that we don't betray the future of humankind. — UN Secretary-General, António Guterres
As global citizens, we must protect our planet and emblaze a sustainable future for imminent generations by educating ourselves and others, organizing with peers, and advocating for global crises.
Youth’s Role in Climate Action:
Youth’s invincible dedication to climate change can vigorously shape a silver lining for achieving the SDGs. All of us are the commonwealth of society and can emblaze our future generations by taking initiatives that signify climate action through sustainable innovation and determination.
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” — Jane Goodall
A few approaches which can advance an open mindset toward climate action and
adaptation include:
Awareness:
Spreading awareness among youth empowers all individuals to acknowledge climate change and its causes, effects, and adaptations one can implement to partake in climate action. Among numerous ways, we can spread awareness among ourselves and people around us physically through educational seminars and workshops and virtually through social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram to promote knowledge among youth to acknowledge climate change and ascertain solutions to it. Enrolling in virtual and physical short courses promoting environmental education can enable us to advance our knowledge in the field of ecological sustainability and advocate for its causes.
Organizing Sustainable fashion shows that feature clothing made from sustainable clothing materials through innovative and environment-friendly materials and “Green Competitions” to promote environmental sustainability such as recycling competitions, home design contests, or zero-waste cooking competitions can positively encourage youth to acknowledge and spread social awareness. Producing documentaries and short films about climate change and action can deliver a powerful message about the urgency of climate action in a creative and approachable way.
So far, there are different ideas for spreading awareness that anyone can create using their art of creativity.
Organization:
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” ― Ryunosuke Satoro
Organizing with peers locally, nationally, and internationally is crucial and can
empower youth to implement solutions to these effects. As an art, collaboration is
more than meeting different people; it is the art of synergizing towards attaining a
common solution.
Being part of local, national, or international organizations aimed towards implementing environmental sustainability can empower youth to collaborate with like-minded peers to acclimate climate actions and advocate for its causes. Empowering young leaders to organize workshops and conferences focused on climate change and sustainability and organizing “Green Youth” Clubs in schools and colleges can provide a space for youth to team up and hone environmental initiatives.
Organizing innovation challenges focused on developing technological and social
solutions to climate change can enable us to collaborate and arise with anyone who
can create innovative challenges. Moreover, utilizing social media platforms to
mobilize and amplify youth voices can encourage activists to create online
campaigns, hashtags, and viral challenges igniting motivation to indulge in climate
action plans.
Beyond, collaborating with governmental entities and non-governmental entities also provides a vulnerable framework of strategies to implement climate adaptations.
Leadership:
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” — Warren Bennis
Leading livelihoods in one’s society and community portray climate action plans in our global community. Leadership often becomes profound when we obey alongside advocating towards a common objective. Youths’ curiosity and awareness towards leadership opportunities and activities empower pragmatic solutions to global crises such as climate change.
Proactive Approaches such as Youth-led campaigns and organizations aimed towards promoting ecological awareness and welfare projects and steering research projects through initiatives with organizations, businesses, and universities encourage organic practices in societies.
Seems hard? Straightforward initiatives such as intriguing in volunteering on weekends, planting 5 plants every week with friends, or working with school administration to promote recycling programs, energy-efficient procedures, and the establishment of school gardens can set up simple but open-minded and nuanced initiatives towards depleting the climate impact.
Works Cited
Climate change widespread, rapid, and intensifying – IPCC -https://www.ipcc.ch/2021/08/09/ar6-wg1-20210809-pr/
Speeches on Climate Action --- UN -https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/speeches
Youth in Action --- UN - https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/youth-in-action
2020 was one of three warmest years on record --- WMO -