How to help children understand climate change

Concern about climate change and the preservation of the environment is no longer the exclusive property of environmentalists. Today, it is increasingly common to hear about it on the news – unfortunately, not for good news – and read analyses that anticipate the risks we run if those who govern the destinies of the world do not take drastic emergency measures to curb global warming. But those who have really emerged as the real protagonists of the struggle for the defense of the planet are the young people.

This week, the climate emergency has crept into the political agenda with the holding of the New York Climate Summit, and youth around the world, led by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, have mobilized to demand that world leaders stop talking and take action once and for all. What is at stake is their own future, and time is pressing: either drastic measures are taken now, or the survival of the planet on which they will live will not be guaranteed.

The global youth for climate movement convenes every Friday teenagers from all over the world to demonstrate and demand solutions to curb global warming, whose effects have already begun to be felt today – it is not a problem for the future: it is already here. But this week has been special for the mobilizations, which culminate this Friday with a general strike that this time will not only be seconded by students, but thousands of civil society associations have joined his call.

Young people have grown tired of the inactivity of governments and have taken charge of their future, want to change the rules of the game and demand that decision-makers respect their right to live in a sustainable world.

Educating at school and in the family

But change has to start not only from political and economic decisions, but also from an awareness of each and every one of us, to adopt habits that contribute to the protection of the environment and the sustainability of the planet. And it is very important that this awareness begins from the first years of the children’s lives, both from the school environment and from the family itself, so that tomorrow there are many ‘Gretas Thunberg’ defending our world.

But how do you make children understand that, even if they are small, they can do great things and become activists against climate change? The first step is to explain to them what it consists of and how it can affect the earth, animals and plants, and even our lives. For this we must use concepts and ideas that are close and understandable. For example, when the glaciers melt, polar bears will no longer have a place to live. Or that as the water level rises, some places we go on vacation could disappear, flooded. Or that the sea gets traces of the plastics that humans use, that eat the fish and can get sick, and then we can even get sick when we eat the fish.

There is an important variety of books and stories adapted to all ages in which they talk about all this, ecosystems, the importance of taking care of the environment, which can be an interesting option to cultivate the habit of reading while becoming aware of this reality.

In addition, in technology we find other alternatives that make it possible for the approach to these issues to be carried out in an enjoyable and fun way. Through it, children can interact and learn about animals and ecosystems with which they have no contact in their daily lives, and are able to develop empathy with the parts of the world that are currently suffering the worst effects of climate change.

Mobile applications are a clear example of the possibilities offered by technology: there is an interesting variety of apps with games, songs, stories or cartoons that help children understand in a simple way why we must take care of the planet and what they can do to contribute to this end, thus making them protagonists of environmental action. There are even those who do this work while the children practice English, making the experience even more enriching.

Learn how to avoid the unnecessary expenditure of water and electricity, how to properly recycle each type of material, how to behave when they are in the middle of nature, how to treat animals or how to reduce pollution in cities…

All this is not only possible to do from a young age, but it is necessary. Because the children of today are the adults of tomorrow, those who will have to make the decisions that will mark the future of the world, and because it is important to understand as soon as possible that every small gesture we make in our day to day to protect the environment can have enormous and wonderful consequences.

Source: ABC