Climate Change & Children
First, I worry about climate change. It’s the only thing that I believe has the power to fundamentally end the march of civilization as we know it, and make a lot of the other efforts that we’re making irrelevant and impossible —Bill Clinton, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, 30 January 2006
Adapting to Climate Change… empowering children and young people today for a sustainable tomorrow
Climate change is a wake-up call from Mother Earth to humankind. The current system of economic and industrial development has proven itself to be one which disregards essential values of respect, integrity, sustenance and safety. It is a model of ‘power over’ which has essentially drained the life blood and severed the limbs from the body of Mother Earth without consideration for the consequences to be borne by present and future generations and cannot be sustained. In fact, science has now proven that to continue to do so, will signal the end of life on Earth as we know it.
Further, the reality is that even if our Governments reach an agreement to cut harmful emissions and we all stopped using fossil fuels immediately, we would still need to cope with the impacts of past action on the Earth’s climate and life systems which have already started to change. The wheels that are already in motion will continue to threaten the basic elements of life for people around the world – access to water, food, health, use of land and the environment for many years to come.
Yet, climate change offers humankind an amazingly wonderful opportunity to change our ways. It is an exciting time from which we can shift a global society of nations away from a paradigm of degradation, separation and scarcity… moving into an international community embracing abundant and renewable resources… valuing the interdependent nature of all things, under the stewardship of confident, creative thinkers and doers.
This is a model of empowered citizenry, of ‘power among’—a complete re-thinking of our production and consumption patterns, an ability to adapt to unexpected change and make informed lifestyle choices. A world which addresses the issues of global justice and global commons (such as our shared atmosphere and water) and that goes well beyond the traditional boundaries of national interest and current environmental policies.
Did you know that children are the most adversely affected by the effects of climate change?
The Earth Child Institute is committed to supporting development and implementation of participatory formal and non-formal educational programmes which will meet these challenges. Resources that will help today’s children and future generations to answer the call, encouraging exchanges of knowledge, good practices and helping to attain the necessary resources to do the work.
Click here for Resources about and sustainability and climate change.
