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FOOTPRINT!! 12/19!
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CONTENTS! ! INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..!3! ! THE!HOME7GROWN!YOUTH!ACTIVISTS………………………………………………………………………………………………………4! ! THE!IMPACT!OF!CLIMATE!CHANGE!ON!YOUTH………………………………………………………………………………………….!5! ! ‘DEAR!HEADMISTRESS’…7!HERE!IS!WHY!NLCS!SHOULD!ENDORSE!THE!SCHOOL!STRIKES!FOR!CLIMATE! CHANGE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7! ! ARE!YOUNG!PEOPLE!EQUALLY!AS!MUCH!TO!BLAME!IF!NOT!MORE!FOR!ACCELERATING!CLIMATE!CHANGE! AS!MUCH!AS!THE!GENERATIONS?!………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8! ! THE!IMPACT!OF!CLIMATE!CHANGE!ON!YOUNG!PEOPLE!AND!CHILDREN!…………………………………………………….9! ! EXTINCTION!REBELLION!AND!YOUTH!………………………………………………………………………………………………………!10! ! IS!GRETA!THUNBERG!REALLY!AIDING!AWARENESS!FOR!CLIMATE!CHANGE?!……………………………………………!11! ! “YOU!ARE!FAILING!US.!BUT!THE!YOUNG!PEOPLE!ARE!STARTING!TO!UNDERSTAND!YOUR!BETRAYAL.!THE! EYES!OF!ALL!THE!FUTURE!GENERATIONS!ARE!UPON!YOU”!–!GRETA!THUNBERG………………………………………!13! !
IS!IT!REALLY!POSSIBLE!FOR!THE!YOUTH!TO!DEFEAT!CLIMATE!CHANGE?!………………………………………………….!14! !
THE!RISE!OF!VEGANISM!…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..!15! !
FOOTPRINT!TEAM! ! Tami!Schwarzmann! Sumayya!Manji! Anoushka!Chawla! Lila!Barry7Wilson! Ruji!Chen! Nitya!Kapadia! Caroline!Utermann! Keira!Cumming! Emily!Clark! Vita!Rotternberg! Anastasia!Malugin! Diya!Jain! Clara!Grosz! Molly!Alsop! Raabia!Kara! Diora!Juraboeva!
Editor7in7chief! Editor! Editor! Editor! Editor! Journalist! Journalist! Journalist! Journalist! Journalist! Journalist! Journalist! Journalist! Journalist! Journalist! Illustrator!!
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INTRODUCTION) ! Nowadays!there!is!no!doubt!that!our!society!has!become!defined!by!climate!change;!its!effects,!its!causes! and!its!progress.!On!a!day!to!day!basis!we!are!detrimentally!affecting!our!environment!and!despite!the!fact! that!the!entire!human!population!is!facing!an!environmental!crisis,!the!youth!are!looked!towards!as!agents! of!change!and!potential.! ! This!edition!of!Footprint!will!concentrate!on!the!youth!with!articles!varying!from!the!impact!climate!change! has!on!the!youth!to!youth!activists!and!activism.! !!!
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THE)HOME-GROWN)YOUTH)ACTIVISTS) Molly)Alsop) ! If!you!think!of!a!young!climate!activist,!you!would!most!likely!think!of!Greta!Thunberg.!The!young!167year! old!climate!change!activist!has!become!notorious!in!the!media!for!her!profound!speeches,!as!well!as!her! global!climate!strike!campaign.!However,!like!many!others,!it!is!easy!to!neglect!that!in!the!UK!we!have! some!of!the!most!perspicacious!young!minds!of!our!generation.! ! Every!Friday!afternoon!in!the!Fort!William!7!a!town!in!the!Scottish!Highlands,!a!young!woman!named!Holly! Gillibrand!leaves!school,!as!she!demands!more!action!on!climate!change.!In!her!aim!to!reduce!her!carbon! footprint,!she!even!insisted!that!a!news!photographer!from!‘The!Guardian’!should!not!drive!two!hours! from!Glasgow!to!photograph!her.!Though!Holly!does!not!“claim!to!be!a!hero”!in!her!campaigning,!she! favours!“domestic!activism”,!as!she!says!that!you!can!do!simple!things!in!your!daily!lives!to!shrink!your! carbon!footprint.!Small!decisions!we!make!everyday!can!impact!our!environment.! ! As!well!as!this,!the!global!franchises!McDonald’s!and!Burger!King! have!begun!to!implicate!some!very!big!changes!after!the!protests!of! the!environmentalists!Ella!and!Caitlin!Mc!Ewan,!aged!nine!and! seven.!They!have!gathered!just!under!500,000!signatures!after! noticing!the!toys!that!come!with!fast7food!toys!are!not! environmentally!friendly.!As!an!alternative,!the!sisters!promoted! books!or!cardboard!games!that!they!brainstormed!in!their!lessons! at!school.!In!a!recent!BBC!documentary!‘The!War!on!Plastic’,!both!the!girls!helped!to!take!several!plastic! toys!back!to!the!McDonald’s!headquarters,!before!they!were!escorted!away.!Ella!said!that!they!also!plan!to! meet!Burger!King!to!discuss!the!firms’!plans.!Since!their!infamous!petition!both!franchises!have!promised!a! reduction!in!their!plastic!toys,!with!suitable!alternatives!by!2020!after!over!two!decades!of!plastic!toy! production. ! ! It!is!the!children!of!our!generation!and!of!our!nation!who!are!inspirations!in!their!climate!change!activism.! Make!sure!to!think!of!the!environment!with!every!decision!that!you!make!7!join!the!thousands!of!youths! who!campaign!for!a!cleaner!and!greener!future.! ! ! ) ) ) ) )
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THE)IMPACT)OF)CLIMATE)CHANGE)ON)YOUTH) Vita)Rotternberg) ! The!effects!of!climate!change!on!the!youth!are!often!perceived!to!be!those!of!the!future,!with!the!majority! of!the!impacts!occurring!as!the!younger!generations!grow!up,!and!then!shoulder!the!burden!of!potentially! irreversible!climate!change.!However,!it!is!becoming!evident!that!climate!change!is!already!having!a! significant!impact!on!the!lives!of!young!people,!in!particular,!regarding!their!education!and!their!health.! ! Climate!change!has!many!wide7reaching!impacts,!including!an!increased!irregularity!of!rainfall,!more! frequent!extreme!weather,!as!well!as!increased!temperatures!in!many!parts!of!the!world.!One!of!the! implications!of!this!is!the!negative!impact!on!education.!Research!published!in!the!Proceedings!of!the! National!Academy!of!Sciences!of!the!United!States!of!America!entitled!‘Climate!Change!and!Educational! Attainment!in!the!Global!Tropics’!revealed!that!when!temperatures!were!above!average,!children!in! Southeast!Asia!received!fewer!years!of!education,!as!did!those!in!other!parts!of!the!world.!The!research! also!showed!a!link!between!increased!rainfall!when!children!were!younger,!and!decreased!educational! attainment!in!Central!America!and!the!Caribbean.!! ! Moreover,!sea!level!rise,!due!to!thermal! expansion!of!water,!is!threatening!many!low7 lying!countries!such!as!Bangladesh.!NASA! states!that!the!rate!of!sea!level!rise!is!3mm!a! year,!and!although!this!seems!relatively!small! and!insignificant,!it!actually!poses!a!serious! threat!to!coastal!areas.!If!settlements!are! submerged,!it!forces!families!to!relocate,!and! so!children’s!education!is!disrupted.! ! The!negative!effects!of!climate!change!on! children!are!again!highlighted!in!the!book! ‘Global!Health!Risks:!Mortality!and!Burden!of! Disease!Attributable!to!Selected!Major!Risks’,! which!was!published!by!the!World!Health! Organisation.!It!investigated!six! environmental!factors!(unsafe!water,!sanitation!and!hygiene,!urban!outdoor!air!pollution,!indoor!smoke! from!solid!fuels,!global!climate!change,!and!lead!exposure)!and!found!that!they!caused!‘around!one7 quarter!of!deaths!and!disease!burden!in!children!under!5!years!of!age’.!!Some!of!these!factors!are!not! related!to!climate!change,!but!air!pollution!and!smoke!are!linked!to!climate!change.!Air!pollution!is!largely! attributable!to!air!pollutants!emitted!by!power!stations!and!the!burning!of!fuels!that!produce!smoke!can! also!contribute!to!climate!change.!! ! The!impact!of!climate!change!on!education!is!deeply!concerning!as!education!is!one!of!the!key!drivers!of! development,!both!socially!and!economically.!If!climate!change!continues!to!impede!the!education!of! those!in!developing!and!emerging!economies,!their!development!will!be!hindered,!and!furthermore,!the! children!will!be!less!well7equipped!to!deal!with!the!challenges!of!climate!change!in!the!future.!The!data! !
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regarding!the!effects!of!climate!change!on!mortality!in!children!is!a!stark!reminder!of!the!importance!and! significance!of!climate!change,!and!the!urgent!need!to!combat!it.! ! ! ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) !
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“DEAR)HEADMISTRESS…”)-)HERE)IS)WHY)NLCS)SHOULD)ENDORSE)THE)SCHOOL)STRIKES) FOR)CLIMATE)CHANGE) Clara)Grosz) ! Last!year,!a!letter!was!sent!home!to!parents,!explaining!why!the!school!would!not!endorse!participation!on! the!School!Strikes!4!Climate.!This!is!a!‘grassroots’!organisation!hosted!by!the!UK!Student!Climate!Strike! Network!(UKSCN),!prompted!by!Fridays!for!Future,!and!is!the!mass!movement!initiated!by!Greta!Thunberg! in!August!2018.!Since!then,!the!movement!has!developed!rapidly,!culminating!most!recently!in!the!Global! Week!for!Future!in!September!with!around!7.6!million!participants.!Given!that!there!have!been!no!further! communications!from!school!despite!the!expansion!of!this!movement,!this!topic!must!be!addressed!as!a! matter!of!urgency.! ! And!this!urgency!must!not!be!downplayed.!Our!language!must!reflect!this.!‘Climate!change’!itself!is!a! scientifically!outdated!term.!We!know!that!Earth’s!climate!changes!over!periods!as!a!result!of!changes!in! its!orbit,!or!Milankovitch!cycles,!however,!according!to!the!global!average!temperature!patterns!that!these! cycles!predict,!we!should!be!entering!a!period!of!cooling.! ! But!this!is!not!the!case.!According!to!the!2018!IPCC!report,!the!Earth!has!warmed!by!1°C!since!the! Industrial!Revolution,!a!rapid!increase!of!temperature!in!a!relatively!short!period!of!time.!Therefore,! human!activity!has!altered!patterns!in!the!climate!to!the!extent!that!there!are!significant!effects!on!our! environment.!The!language!that!was!used!in!this!letter!does!not!capture!the!gravity!of!our!predicament.!To! accurately!reflect!this!government7declared!emergency!we!must! refer!to!the!climate!crisis!instead.! ! The!letter!proposed!the!idea!that!‘real!and!lasting!change’!will!come! from!action!to!reduce!our!individual!carbon!footprint.!Personal! accountability,!together!with!the!school’s!steps!to!become!carbon7 neutral,!is!a!start.!However,!the!impact!of!most!individuals!is! statistically!minute!when!compared!to!global!corporations!endorsed! by!governments.!This!concept!was!summarised!by!Michael!Mann,!a! leading!climate!scientist!commenting!on!the!Climate!Accountability! Institute!findings,!he!said!“The!great!tragedy!of!the!climate!crisis!is! that!7.5!billion!people!must!pay!the!price…so!that!a!couple!of!dozen! polluting!interests!can!continue!to!make!record!profits.”! ! Given!the!government’s!duty!to!protect!its!citizens,!it!is!now!more! important!than!ever!before!to!campaign!for!climate!justice.!As!a!diverse!community!with!global!links,!NLCS! must!understand!that!even!within!the!UK,!its!BAME!students!and!their!families!will!be!gravely!affected!by! the!climate!crisis.! ! Therefore,!I!urge!the!school!to!shift!its!stance;!the!school!hours!that!are!missed!a!few!times!a!year!have! already!been!outweighed!by!the!successes!of!the!climate!change!movement.!Why!should!we!deny! students!the!right!to!peacefully!protest!on!one!of!the!greatest!emergencies!of!today?!Assuredly,!the!time! missed!will!not!be!‘wasted’.!Strikes!led!to!the!declaration!of!a!Climate!Emergency!in!March!have!already! mounted!increasing!pressure!on!the!government!to!act.!We!are!at!a!critical!point!in!human!history!and!our! school!must!not!stay!silent!on!the!urgency!of!this!crisis.!Therefore,!I!urge!you,!as!educators,!to!foster!the! dream!that!students!have!to!live!in!an!equitable,!safe!and!sustainable!society!and!endorse!the!Climate! Strikes.! ! !
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ARE)YOUNG)PEOPLE)EQUALLY)AS)MUCH)TO)BLAME)IF)NOT)MORE)FOR)ACCELERATING) CLIMATE)CHANGE)AS)THE)OLDER)GENERATIONS?) Anastasia)Malugin) ! It!is!part!of!human!nature!to!avoid!guilt!and!constantly!throw!accusations!and!blame!other!people!for! things!one!is!meant!to!do!themselves.!Nowadays,!millennials!and!generation!Z’s!shift!over!the!blame!for!all! the!problems!revolving!around!climate!change!to!their!parents!and!grandparents!and!so!one!can!assume! that!it!is!they!who!are!avoiding!culpability.!Climate!change!only!became!recognized!as!an!issue!30!years! ago!and!has!in!recent!years!gained!massive!momentum!due!to!its!popularization!in!mainstream!media.! Only!in!the!past!century!has!it!been!discovered!that!the!enhanced!greenhouse!effect!is!because!of!man7 made!activities,!as!fossil!fuels!which!release!greenhouse!gases!have!been!used!as!fuel!sources!since!as! early!as!1000!BC.! ! Climate!change!has!happened!due!to!the!enhanced!greenhouse!effect!caused!by!the!human!race's!need,! as!well!as!desire,!for!progression.!This!is!especially!true!in!terms!of!technology,!transport!and! infrastructure!over!the!last!200!years.!The!larger!our!advances!in!these!fields,!the!greater!the!volume!of! non7renewable!fuel!sources!needed.!Looking!at!smartphones!as!an!example,!approximately!75%!of! generation!Z’s!and!70%!of!the!millennial!generation!own!a!smartphone,!compared!to!the!drastically!lower! statistics!of!smartphone!ownership!by!older!people.!This!means!that!young!people!are!the!reason!why!the! demand!for!technology!has!increased,!as!we!constantly!require!better!and!more!high7tech!gadgets!and! appliances.!This!is!a!significant!reason!why!there!is!increased!use!of!fossil!fuels,!thereby!contributing!to!the! increase!of!greenhouses!being!released,!causing!higher!and!more!alarming!rates!of!global!warming.! ! Because!children!are!the!pride!and!joy!of!their!parents,!something!the!majority!of!parents!prioritize!is! education.!Millennials!are!the!most!educated!generation!in!history!and!so!they!have!a!responsibility,!as!the! educated!ones!of!society,!to!decrease!the!demand!for!products!that!contribute!to!global!warming.!TNCs! making!these!products!dominate!and!control!global!politics,!meaning!governments!are!reluctant!to!take! action!against!them!to!help!slow!down!climate!change.!By!continuing!to!buy!products!from!these!TNC’s,! the!young!generation!are!at!least!partially!responsible!for!climate!change.! ! Theoretically,!the!reason!why!technology!is!developing!at!such!a!fast!rate!is!that!it!enables!people's!lives!to! be!better!and!easier.!Ironically,!the!mass!production!of!technology,!construction!and!current!methods!of! transportation!make!our!lives!more!efficient!rather!than!more!sustainable.!Of!course,!the!older! generations!have!some!responsibility!to!bear!because!they!did!not!do!enough!to!combat!the!issue!as!they! did!not!think!of!it!as!a!priority.!A!problem!is!easier!to!ignore!if!one!does!not!know!anything!about!it!–!older! generations!have!relatively!less!education!about!global!warming!because!it!has!only!recently!gained! momentum.!As!well!as!this,!current!politicians!are!less!focused!on!climate!change!and!more!focused!on!the! economy!and!social!issues!because!they!have!an!agenda!of!success!rather!than!sustainability.! ! I!believe!that!both!generations!are!equally!at!fault!for! contributing!to!global!warming,!however,!the!difference! is!that!the!younger!generations!are!trying!to!take!some! form!of!action!towards!stopping!climate!change.!In!my! opinion,!drastic!measures!such!as!carbon7free!journeys! across!the!Atlantic!on!obscenely!expensive!and!high! maintenance!yachts!(to!carry!three!people!costing!£3.7! million)!are!completely!unrealistic!on!a!global!or!even! national!scale.!Protesting!is!arguably!very!effective!but! young!people!need!to!remember!they!also!have!to! make!sacrifices!in!their!own!lives,!such!as!buying!less! technology!less!often,!so!that!they!practice!what!they!preach.! ! 8!
THE)IMPACT)OF)CLIMATE)CHANGE)ON)YOUNG)PEOPLE)AND)CHILDREN! Keira)Cumming) ! In!recent!years,!climate!change!has!become!a!much!more!prevalent!issue!as!scientists!debate!its! inevitability,!and!the!point!of!no!return!where!we!will!have!done!irreparable!damage!to!the!planet.!In! terms!of!the!physical!consequences,!these!can!be!seen!throughout!the!world!as!over!half!a!billion!children! live!in!extremely!high!flood!occurrence!zones![UNICEF,!2015].!The!natural!disasters!caused!by! environmental!changes!will!affect!children!due!to!their!vulnerability,!especially!those!in!poverty7stricken! areas,!and!they!will!only!grow!more!extreme.!Furthermore,!toxic!fumes!causing!polluted!air!will!have!a! greater!effect!on!children!because!they!breathe!at!twice!the!rate!of!adults.! ! Besides,!the!effects!of!climate!change!will!only!worsen!over!the!years!as!we!get!older.!The!decisions!we! make!today!will!affect!the!world!we!live!in!in!the!future,!and!that!of!our!children,!and!our!children’s! children,!etc.!As!the!generation!that!will!inherit!this!ruined!planet,!how!seriously!are!we!taking!it?!What! are!we!doing!about!it!and!do!we!even!care?! ! When!you!think!of!youth!activists,!Greta!Thunberg!and!the!innumerate!climate!change!marches!inspired! by!her!immediately!spring!to!mind.!Having!interviewed!several!teenagers,!the!overall!impression!I!received! was!clear.!They!felt!that!in!essence,!the!marches!were!a!key!force!in!raising!awareness.!However,!there!is!a! thin!line!between!being!disruptive!enough!to!garner!attention!and!being!too!disruptive,!causing!the!public! to!lose!sympathy.! !!! How!prevalent!is!climate!change!in!the!minds!of!Generation!Z?!As!the!media!releases!new!articles!every! day!about!the!extinction!of!yet!another!species!or!another!natural!disaster!due!to!climate!change,!it’s!hard! to!not!have!it!at!the!forefront!of!our!minds.!Through!social!media,!more!and!more!people!know!about!the! damage!climate!change!has!caused!and!how!we!must!act!now!before!it!is!too!late.!Some!believe!that!we! have!more!time!than!we!do,!however,!it!is!up!to!the!young!people!to!do!something!because!this!is!the! mess!we!will!inherit.! ! Now,!because!it!is!such!an!important!issue,!what!can!we!do!for!the!environment?!As!teenagers,!we!are! often!dependent!on!our!families!and!we!have!little!control!over!household!emissions,!so!it’s!difficult!to!see! that!what!we!will!do!will!be!effective.!In!reality,!there!are!only!little!things!we!can!do,!like!recycling!and! donating!clothes!rather!than!throwing!them!away.!Some!people!are!more!skeptical,!waiting!until!they!can! vote!to!make!a!real!difference!because!it!seems!pointless!to!do!the!little!things!when!massive!corporations! do!very!little.!However,!the!consumer!is!still!responsible!for!contributing!to!this!issue!and!we!are!leading! ourselves!down!the!route!to!no!return!if!we!sit!back!and!shift!the!blame!onto!adults.! ! In!conclusion,!the!future!of!the!planet!relies!on!the!decisions!we!make!now!as!it!is!our!responsibility!to! leave!our!children!a!habitable!world!to!live!in.! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
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EXTINCTION)REBELLION)AND)YOUTH) Nitya)Kapadia) ! The!last!two!years!have!been!both!a!trying!and!new!time!for!all!age!groups,!particularly!since!the!youth! generations!have!taken!up!a!more!active!and!significant!role!in!politics!by!broadcasting!their!views!on!a! much!larger!platform!as!the!world!faces!the!existential!threat!of!the!destruction!of!the!planet.!With!the! immediacy!of!this!threat!of!destruction!looming!over!everyone,!it!has!sparked!the!youth!to!take!action! themselves!and!advocate!profusely!for!the!environment.!One!of!the!biggest!groups!with!a!remarkable! youth!following!is!Extinction!Rebellion,!who!make!their!statements!by!carrying!out!forms!of!non7violent! civil!disobedience,!ensuring!that!they!do!not!harm!anyone!in!their!protests.!! ! Despite!their!ethos,!there!has!been!much!controversy!surrounding!them!of!late,!with!several!of!them!being! arrested.!In!eight!days!of!protesting,!1,400!Extinction!Rebellion!protestors!were!arrested!after!defying! orders!from!authorities.!Their!protests!and!demonstrations,!both!sources!of!contention,!have!included! glueing!themselves!to!trains,!chaining!themselves!to!politicians’!houses!and!spray!painting!their!messages! on!oil!and!gas!company!headquarters.!While!many!people!vouch!for!their!actions!and!support!them!to! help!raise!awareness!of!the!threat,!many!people!have!surmised!that!their!demands!are!unrealistic!and!that! their!actions!are!not!helping!the!environment.! ! Five!members!of!Extinction!Rebellions!youth!sector!climbed! the!entrance!of!the!Youtube!headquarters!and!protested! against!the!amount!of!content!being!uploaded!about!climate! change!denial!in!comparison!to!the!amount!of!content! addressing!the!serious!climate!problems.!The!youth!of! Extinction!Rebellion!has!amassed!a!huge!following,!with! around!80!youth!factions,!of!an!average!age!of!16.!One!of! the!youth!members!said,!‘We!are!the!first!generation!which! has!been!completely!united!by!such!an!existential!universal!threat,'!which!is!a!sentiment!shared!by!many! members,!also!noting!that!Extinction!Rebellion!is!an!opportunity!for!them!to!be!heard!and!be!able!to!voice! their!views.! ! Aside!from!the!negative!aspects!of!social!media,!with!it!being!a!powerful!tool!that!is!used!by!billions,!it!is! incredibly!easy!to!voice!one's!opinions!and!views!and!arguably!the!youth!now!have!greater!access!to!the! world!of!politics!and!current!affairs!than!ever!before.!Youth!groups!like!Extinction!Rebellion!offer!young! people!another!platform!to!not!only!speak!out,!but!to!take!action!as!well.!From!the!publicity!of!this! movement,!hundreds!of!thousands!of!people!globally!went!on!strike!to!express!their!dissatisfaction!and! the!critical!nature!of!the!situation!to!their!governments.!However,!it!boils!down!to!the!simple!question:!are! they!helping!or!are!they!causing!increased!chaos?! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
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IS)GRETA)THUNBERG)REALLY)AIDING)AWARENESS)FOR)CLIMATE)CHANGE?) Caroline)Utermann) ! Greta!Thunberg!is!a!167year7old!environmental! activist!from!Sweden!who!campaigns! internationally!to!raise!awareness!for!climate! change!and!its!negative!impacts!upon!the! world.!She!began!to!attract!attention!at!the! age!of!15,!campaigning!outside!the!Swedish! parliament,!skipping!school!to!call!upon!the! Swedish!government!to!take!more!effective! and!deliberate!action!against!climate!change.! More!recently!she!has!gained!publicity!when!she!featured!on!the!cover!of!Times!magazine!and!was! nominated!for!the!2019!Nobel!peace!prize.!Yet!despite!her!eco7friendly!campaigning!and!how!she!has! gained!the!attention!of!worldwide!leaders!as!well!as!millions!of!students,!her!controversial!attitude!and! blunt!manner!have!meant!that!her!credibility!and!suitability!to!a!role!in!the!spotlight!is!being!questioned.!Is! this!criticism!of!her!justified?!! ) How!is!Greta!raising!awareness?! ! One!of!the!key!movements!that!Greta!Thunberg!has!inspired!is!the!youth!movement!which!has!had!a! significant!impact,!not!only!here!in!the!UK,!but!globally.!Greta’s!inspirational!speeches,!as!well!as!her!active! twitter!and!Instagram!accounts!(on!which!she!has!respectively!3!and!8!million!followers),!have!inspired!the! current!school7aged!generation,!the!generation!who!will!be!most!affected!by!climate!change,!to!get!up!in! protest.!Last!month,!Greta!encouraged!over!4!million!children!worldwide!to!leave!school!on!Friday!20th! September!and!join!her!in!protest!against!national!and! local!governments.!In!London!alone!around!100,000! students!gathered!in!Westminster!holding!placards,! demanding!for!their!future!and!the!planet!to!be!saved.! She!has!stoked!what!is!known!as!the!‘Greta!effect,'!a! response!to!her!brash!stance,!and!is!believed!to!be! accountable!for!a!more!proactive!stance!on!change,! including!inspiring!a!doubling!in!the!number!of! children’s!books!advising!about!climate!change.!For! these!strikes,!and!the!latter!half!of!2019,!Greta! travelled!to!America,!however!not!by!conventional! methods.!She!refuses!to!travel!by!plane!and! encourages!others!to!take!a!similar!stance,!also!offering!the!alternative!of!carbon!offsetting.!Alternatively,! Greta!travelled!across!the!Atlantic!for!2!weeks!by!solar7powered!boat,!proclaiming!a!completely!carbon7 neutral!journey.!She!then!attended!the!UN!Climate!Action!Summit!in!New!York!where!she!spoke!directly!to! world!leaders!—!her!key!message!to!them!was!“We!are!watching!you”.!In!the!first!week!of!November,! Greta!also!gained!large!amounts!of!awareness!through!meetings!with!activist!and!actor!Leonardo!DiCaprio,! as!well!as!Ellen!DeGeneres!an!American!comedian!who!hosts!a!popular!talk!show.!These!events!have! gained!vast!amounts!of!media!coverage,!and!her!face!and!message!are!constantly!depicted!on!social!media! platforms,!teaching!both!younger!and!older!generations!about!the!critical!policy!changes!that!must!be! implemented!to!curb!atmospheric!warming.!So!if!Greta!is!inspiring!so!many!people,!why!is!she!being! criticised?! ) !
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What!is!Greta!doing!wrong?! ! Greta’s!harsh!and!blunt!manner!of! public!speaking!has!been!attacked!by! many,!including!American!and! Russian!Presidents!Donald!Trump!and! Vladimir!Putin.!Recently,!Trump! tweeted,!“She!seems!like!a!very! happy!young!girl!looking!forward!to!a! bright!and!wonderful!future.!So!nice! to!see!",!to!which!Greta!responded! by!making!this!her!twitter!bio.! Trump’s!complaints!are!not!so!much! with!Greta,!but!more!the!message! that!she!spreads;!that!climate!change!is!real!and!its!effects!are!already!to!be!seen.!It!is!obvious!what! problems!Trump!has!with!this!—!he!doesn’t!believe!in!climate!change.!However,!the!media!too!is!criticising! Greta.!Her!UN!speech,!while!powerful!and!emotive!is!slightly!uncomfortable!to!watch.!She!makes! extremely!bold!statements!which!lack!scientific!data,!and!many!people!suggest!that!she!is!offending!more! leading!businessmen!and!politicians,!rather!than!inspiring!them.!In!her!speech!she!claims,!“You!have!stolen! my!dreams!and!my!childhood!with!your!empty!words.!And!yet!I'm!one!of!the!lucky!ones.!People!are! suffering.!People!are!dying.!Entire!ecosystems!are!collapsing.!We!are!in!the!beginning!of!a!mass!extinction,! and!all!you!can!talk!about!is!money!and!fairy!tales!of!eternal!economic!growth.!How!dare!you!”.!This!is! enough!to!make!anyone!unnerved!!Her!open!support!for!the!extreme!group!Extinction!Rebellion,!which! has!caused!uproar!for!its!disruptive!climate!change!demonstrations!in!central!London,!has!also!made!her!a! target!for!those!who!doubt!the!good!that!activism!and!strikes!achieve,!other!than!causing!bother!to! commuters!and!city!workers.!While!this!is!perhaps!a!simplistic!view,!it!too!is!gaining!support,!leading!to! complaints!about!“evil!eco7warriors”.!In!addition!to!this,!there!are!suggestions!that!instead!of!attacking! corporations,!Greta!would!be!more!successful!by!offering!them!solutions!and!alternatives!to!their! strategies.!Another!criticism!made!of!her,!mainly!by!parents,!is!that!instead!of!encouraging!children!to!skip! school,!she!could!perhaps!encourage!them!to!work!hard!for!their!futures!or!petition!on!their!own!time! rather!than!sacrificing!their!education.!! ! To!conclude,!I!think!it!is!clear!that!Greta!Thunberg’s!courage!and!resilience!are!without!doubt!raising! awareness!for!climate!change!and!support!for!her!activist!cause,!however,!I!believe!if!she!changed!her! methods!and!perhaps!her!vehement!language,!her!message!could!be!used!far!more!effectively!and!to! encourage!more!positive!change!in!the!future.!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
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“YOU)ARE)FAILING)US.)BUT)THE)YOUNG)PEOPLE)ARE)STARTING)TO)UNDERSTAND)YOUR) BETRAYAL.)THE)EYES)OF)ALL)THE)FUTURE)GENERATIONS)ARE)UPON)YOU”)–)GRETA) THUNBERG) Emily)Clark)
! Climate!change!is!a!daunting!subject!which!affects!the!youth!of!today!more!than!anyone!else.!Young! people!make!up!more!than!half!of!the!global!population!and!the!youth’s!voices!about!climate!change!are! being!raised!more!than!ever,!however,!in!many!cases,!their!voices!aren’t!being!heard.!This!has!led!to!a! build7up!of!anxiety!in!youth!all!over!the!world!as!they!fear!what!kind!of!a!future!will!be!left!for!them!as!it! seems!that!no!meaningful!action!is!being!made!to!slow!down!the!damaging!effects!of!climate!change.! ! The!youth!need!to!be!included!in!climate!discussions!around!the!world.!They!have!a!different!perspective! as!they!are!the!ones!who!will!have!their!futures!directly!affected!by!climate!change.!Older!politicians!in! government!do!not!have!this!perspective!and!they!do!not!need!to!worry!about!whether!they’ll!be!able!to! grow!up,!get!jobs,!raise!families!or!whether!climate!change!will!have!already!destroyed!their!planet!to!an! irreversible!state.!Many!politicians!are!mainly!concerned!about!whether!or!not!they’ll!be!elected!and!are! therefore!thinking!about!more!short7term!things!where!as!reducing!the!impact!of!climate!change!will!be!an! ongoing!issue!and!last!long!after!they’ve!left!politics.!This!could!leave!some!to!pose!the!question!of!why! they!must!make!changes,!changes!that!are!most!likely!to!have!expensive!short7term!costs,!if!they!aren’t! going!to!be!there!to!see!the!difference!it!makes!to!the!planet.!Furthermore,!making!changes!to!the!energy! supplies!and!materials!we!use!could!be!seen!as!an!economic!risk!to!the!governments!and!this!is!seen!as! more!important!than!the!devastating!effects!of!climate!change.!The!youth,!on!the!other!hand,!are!in!a! better!position!to!comment!on!climate!change!because!their!stakes!are!higher!as!they!might!lose!their! chance!of!a!future.!Some!people!call!climate!change!activists!like!Greta!Thunberg!“fear!mongers”!for! stating!that!we!only!have!11!years!to!prevent!irreversible!damage!and!other!worrying!statistics.!However,! Greta!Thunberg,!being!a!young!person!herself,!has!helped!other!young!people!to!have!a!voice,!creating!a! state!of!panic!which!some!suggest!as!the!only!way!to!force!people!in!higher!positions!to!take!action.! ! It!is!infuriating!for!young!people’s!opinions!on!climate!change!to!be!dismissed!because!they!are!“merely! children”!and!therefore!must!have!no!knowledge!of!what!is!going!on!around!them.!Moreover,!young! people!under!the!age!of!18!are!not!able!to!vote!and!so!their!opinions!and!views!in!climate!change!have!no! way!of!being!represented.!Mixed!signals!are!being!sent!as!some!young!climate!change!activists!like!Greta! Thunberg!are!being!congratulated!for!her!efforts!and!initiatives!towards!climate!change,!but!then!the! people!congratulating!her!haven’t!continued!her!efforts!of!!trying!to!reduce!climate!change.!! ! The!movement!against!climate!change!is!constantly!growing!throughout!young!people!and!large!numbers! all!around!the!world!are!attending!the!Friday!climate!change!protests!every!week.!With!so!many!young! people!now!involved!and!making!noise!about!climate!change!there!is!a!higher!chance!that!their!voices!will! be!too!loud!to!ignore!and!governments!will!start!taking!action!to!protect!the!planet.! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
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IS)IT)REALLY)POSSIBLE)FOR)THE)YOUTH)TO)DEFEAT)CLIMATE)CHANGE?) Raabia)Kara) ) 2!weeks!ago,!I!attended!the!Education!for!the!Future!Climate!Emergency!Conference!with!a!few!friends.! There!were!many!interesting!speakers!such!as!Sakina!Sheikh,!who!pushed!labour!for!a!green!deal,!and! Farhana!Yamin,!a!climate!activist!lawyer.!The!whole!theme!of!the!conference!was!the!role!of!the!youth,! and!how!we!are!the!ones!in!charge!of!our!own!futures!regarding!the!crisis.!But!is!this!really!the!case?!Are! we!in!control!of!our!destinies!and!can!we!defeat!the!intimidating!monster!of!climate!change?!! ! One!of!the!most!discussed!issues!at!the!conference!was!the!lack!of! interference!from!world!leaders!such!as!Donald!Trump,!a!global! warming!denier!who!has!even!refused!the!crisis!to!be!discussed!at! the!G7!conference!next!year.!He!was!even!caught!saying!that!"The! concept!of!global!warming!was!created!by!and!for!the!Chinese!in! order!to!make!US!manufacturing!non7competitive."(With!more!CO2! in!our!atmosphere!than!any!other!time!in!human!history,!powerful! action!from!world!leaders!such!as!Trump!needs!to!be!enforced,!not! refused.!! !! However,!we,!the!younger!generation,!seem!to!be!doing!more!and! thinking!more!about!solutions!to!the!crisis!than!anyone!else!in!the! world.!From!young!climate!activists!such!as!Greta!Thunberg!raising! awareness!globally!by!addressing!world!leaders!at!the!UN!Summit,! to!those!in!education!going!on!strike!to!protest!on!a!Friday,!we!are! the!ones!making!a!change.!On!march!15th!1.6!million!students!in! over!300!cities!around!the!world!walked!out!of!their!schools!for! climate!change,!and!a!group!of!teens!in!the!US!even!sued!the!US! government!for!failing!to!protect!them!from!the!emergency.!The!main!reason!why!the!youth!feel!so! strongly!about!the!crisis!is!because!it!will!eventually!directly!affect!us.!The!crisis!is!real.!We!only!have!12! years!to!limit!global!warming!to!a!maximum!of!1.5C,!and!avoid!climate!breakdown,!and!the!worst!impacts! of!climate!change!could!be!irreversible!by!2030.!So,!how!can!we!help?!What!can!we!do!to!make!a!change?!! ! At!the!conference,!the!speakers!discussed!raising!awareness!in!schools,!in!order!to!make!sure!everyone! knows!exactly!what!is!going!on!–!by!making!posters,!speaking!about!the!crisis!in!assemblies,!or!even! incorporating!climate!change!into!teaching.!This!is!because!many!teenagers!even!at!the!conference!didn’t! know!the!stats!or!figures!or!didn’t!even!know!what!climate!change!was.!Moving!towards!healthier!plant! based!diets!was!also!discussed,!however!this!is!an!action!that!can!completed!by!all!age!groups.!But!the! biggest!way!in!which!we,!the!youth,!can!help!to!defeat!climate!change,!is!acknowledge!it.!Climate!change! exists.!So,!we!are!responsible!for!our!future.!We!all!have!to!try!and!make!a!change.!Together.!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
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THE)RISE)OF)VEGANISM) Diya)Jain) ! In!the!past!decade!a!‘trend’!of!veganism!has!emerged.!The!UK!itself!has!experienced!a!350%!rise!in!the! number!of!people!who!are!vegan.!On!top!of!this,!it!is!suggested!that!close!to!half!of!vegans!in!the!UK!are! aged!15734,!with!a!mere!14%!being!over!the!age!of!65.!The!youth!are!driving!this!‘trend’!and!for!many,!the! core!reason!for!this!switch!in!lifestyle!is!for!reasons!surrounding!environmental!sustainability.!But!why!are! we!seeing!a!rise!in!veganism!particularly!in!teens?!A!major!factor!to!this!‘trend’!is!social!media.!88%!of! Americans!aged!18730!use!social!media,!this!includes!various!platforms!such!as!YouTube!and!Tumblr.!With! influencers!on!sites!such!as!YouTube!promoting! veganism!as!a!healthy!and!sustainable!diet,!it!allows! people!to!gain!insight!to!a!first!person!account!of!a! vegan!lifestyle,!which!they!often!paint!as!desirable.! In!one!year!the!number!of!saved!vegan!recipes!on! Pinterest!increased!by!52%;!in!fact,!an!independent! article!linked!the!rise!of!Instagram!with!the!growth! of!veganism!as!a!direct!relationship.!Furthermore,! recent!documentaries!such!as!Cowspiracy!and! Earthlings!have!revealed!how!damaging!the!meat! industry!can!be!to!our!planet,!whilst!also!raising!concerns!about!animal!cruelty.!Lastly,!figures!such!as! Greta!Thunberg!have!begun!large!movements!and!inspired!the!youth!to!speak!up!for!the!future!of!our!own! planet.!Whilst!there!are!clearly!other!reasons!as!to!why!there!has!been!a!rise!in!veganism!in!the!last! decade,!such!as!health!and!animal!cruelty!issues,!the!main!driving!factor!causing!this!rise!to!be!exponential! is!environmental!benefits.!Among!all!of!these!statistics!the!core!question!of!how!veganism!can!promote! environmental!sustainability!arises.!! ! The!Intergovernmental!panel!on!climate!change!(IPCC)!issued!a!statement!that!“The!Earth!is,!in!no! uncertain!terms,!doomed!if!we!continue!as!we!are”.!The!Paris!Agreement!is!a!plan!signed!by!196!countries! to!keep!climate!change!below!2°C!or!if!possible!1.5°C.!This!relies!on!a!commitment!to!cut!down! greenhouse!gas!emissions!as!the!world!is!already!1°C!hotter!than!it!was!in!the!pre7industrial!era.!! ! Animal!agriculture!is!the!main!cause!of!carbon!dioxide!emissions,!deforestation!and!water!pollution.! Globally,!it!is!responsible!for!9%!of!human!caused!carbon!dioxide!emissions.!Whilst!in!certain!places!such! as!the!Arctic!a!vegan!diet!may!be!difficult,!the!main!issue!is!that!the!west’s!consumption!of!meat!is!too! high,!with!agriculture!and!forestry!accounting!for!a!quarter!of!all! greenhouse!gas!emissions.!By!cutting!meat!and!dairy!out!of!your! diet!it!can!reduce!your!carbon!footprint!by!up!to!73%!! ! There!are!two!main!issues!which!arise!from!meat!production.! Firstly,!it!requires!a!lot!of!space.!Trees!are!cleared!for!the! expansion!of!arable!land!to!produce!food!for!the!animals!but!also! space!for!breeding!the!animals!themselves.!By!turning!vegan,! you!can!make!more!food!per!meter!square!of!land!and!therefore! the!land!can!store!more!carbon.!On!top!of!this,!animal! agriculture!itself!is!a!source!of!greenhouse!gases.!Cattle!produces! methane,!which!is!a!greenhouse!gas!that!is!20!times!more!potent! than!carbon!dioxide,!as!well!manure!which!emits!nitrous!oxide,! another!greenhouse!gas.!! !
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Beef!in!particular!is!contributing!to!climate!change!as!its!production!process!is!significantly!more!complex! compared!to!other!types!of!meat,!as!well!as!cows!being!the!main!contributor!to!methane!expulsion.!It!is! estimated!that!producing!beef!requires!28!times!more!land!6!times!more!fertilizer!and!11!times!more! water!than!chicken.!Therefore,!beef!is!said!to!release!as!much!as!5!times!the!amount!of!greenhouse!gases! as!an!equivalent!amount!of!poultry.!!
! On!the!other!hand,!vegetables!produce!approximately!375!times!fewer!greenhouse!gases!than!the! equivalent!mass!of!poultry!as!it!is!more!efficient!to!grow!a!crop!and!eat!that!crop!rather!than!having!to!go! through!a!two7step!process!of!feeding!the!animals!the!crops!and!then!eating!the!animal.!! ! These!factors!combined!with!promotion!of!animal!cruelty!and!health!benefits!have!led!to!an!exponential! rise!in!veganism!over!the!past!decade,!with!the!increase!being!most!prominent!in!the!youth,!as!climate! change!is!now!considered!one!of!the!most!important!factors!shaping!the!livelihoods!of!young!people.!With! continuing!development!in!technology!the!research!into!the!environmental!benefits!of!veganism!in! correlation!with!climate!change!will!continue!to!progress,!as!well!as!awareness!surrounding!the! importance!of!sustainable!living!and!lifestyles.!Veganism!may!play!a!key!role!in!the!future!sustainability!of! our!planet.!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
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For!further!reading‌! ! https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth7flash/feature/2018/06/beyond720307youth7taking7charge7 of7the7environment/! ! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/15/its7our7time7to7rise7up7youth7climate7strikes7 held7in71007countries! ! https://www.independent.co.uk/life7style/teenagers7save7planet7world7environment7day720197climate7 change7plastic7pollution7protest7a8945131.html! ! https://hbr.org/2019/03/young7people7are7leading7the7way7on7climate7change7and7companies7need7to7 pay7attention! ! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/28/generation7greta7young7climate7activists7 around7world! !
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