Words: Victoria Ruck (Brookfield School Work Experience)
Images: Adobe Stock
60% of our wildlife has disappeared. 80% of marine litter is from land-based sources. By 2050, sea levels are expected to rise by between 1 and 2.3 feet due to glaciers melting. If these statistics scare you, it merely emphasises the urge that we, as a whole, must do something to prevent our world from future disaster. I am one of the young people who will be affected by climate change, as a repercussion of the actions of those above me, whether it be the people in charge of our world, or simply the people who I see everyday. We must all take responsibility for our actions and come to terms with the fact that we are all contributing to it, whether we are aware of that or not.
Global warming is happening, and it is real and it must be stopped. We simply cannot sit back and wait for everything to be solved. Instead of looking up to the leaders of the country, I have since started to gain my inspiration from the likes of young activist Greta Thunberg, who has recently gained the attention of the media for being a strong voice of the people who want to take a stand against climate change. The Extinction Rebellion movement has demonstrated a sense of unity against the lack of action to tackle climate change through peaceful protests located across the world.
If we want to save our world, we all need to contribute, because if we continue to turn the other cheek and ignore the problem, it is only going to get worse. I know we’ve all been told to cut down on our meat intake, use public transport and recycle, and it may seem blindingly obvious, but doing these can genuinely help save the Earth, before we reach the point at which we can’t reverse the effects of climate change.
Whilst reading this, you may be thinking “Doesn't this sixteen-year-old girl have better things to do than ranting about global warming?” and yes, you may be right. I am certainly no expert and am definitely underqualified to educate the masses by writing an article on climate change, however, I am concerned for the animals that are dying as a consequence of the society I am part of. I am concerned for the irreversibility of our actions that have built an abundance of litter, because humans are careless with the world we’ve been given. I am concerned not only for the first world’s future, but for third world countries, who are more dangerously affected than we are. And yes, I may just be someone who’s an insignificant cog in the big machine that is the world, but if one person can make a difference and inspire many others, then I know that there is still hope left for us.