The climate crisis through children’s eyes – join this special project

Statue Julius Schrank / de Volkskrant

“Adults keep saying: we owe it to young people to give them hope. But I don’t want your hopes. I want your panic.’ These words by climate activist Greta Thunberg illustrate that young people approach the climate crisis differently than adults. They often feel more strongly that their future is at stake.

During the annual UN climate summit in November, we will therefore start a project in which we will follow seven children aged 14 to 18 around the world who live in places where there is an acute climate threat.

These local climate correspondents – from America, Canada, Great Britain, the Philippines, Peru, Kenya and the Netherlands – will show how different climate problems such as drought, forest fires and floods affect their lives, reflect on the consequences and possible solutions and get through the newspaper the opportunity to ask questions of policy makers who are deciding about their future.

The editors would like to involve readers in this project: both adults and children. Would you like to participate and let us know what questions you have? Or do you have children in your area who may have questions for these climate correspondents? Then sign up below for the Open Redactie, the readers’ panel of de Volkskrant. Then you will receive more information by e-mail next Monday 3 October.

We introduce some climate correspondents

Mary, 17, lives in Kenya, which is experiencing the worst drought in 40 years. She is mother to 1.5 year old Loyoto whom she can barely feed. Stocks are exhausted and food prices are high because of the war in Ukraine.

Emhil, 15, from Peru, lives at high altitudes and fights with his family against the melting glaciers. Rising temperatures are melting the ice and drying out agricultural land. His family does not want him to become a farmer, because there is no future in the countryside.

Marisa, 18, in Canada’s Pond Inlet, watches Inuit traditions come under pressure from melting sea ice. She dreams of traveling the world as an Inuit and drawing attention to the climate crisis. “There are robins and other birds from the south that you never saw here before.”

Charlie, 14, lives near Angel Fire in New Mexico. She and her family fight the forest fires. “After a scary movie, you can turn off the light. This kind of fear doesn’t go away.’

Do you work at a school?

Are you a teacher and would you like to pay attention to this project in class? We can help you with that. Send us an email: [email protected]

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