Climate change affects the lives of people around the world, especially young people. From the Pacific islands of Tuvalu to the jungles of Brazil, young people are victims of the effects of climate change – but increasingly, we are also key actors for positive change.
Young people (under the age of 30) are a large proportion of the world’s population, and in some countries, the majority of the population are young people. These youth hear about and see the changes happening in our world, and when they speak with one voice cannot be ignored. We also see things differently, bringing a creative zeal that is vital to meeting the challenge of climate change. When facing a challenge as broad as this, you need to be flexible and as a saying goes in Fiji, “you can only bend a tree when it is young”.
Above all, young people need to be engaged in the response to climate change because we stand to inherit an increasingly dangerous world from today’s follies. We must not only know about climate change but also need to be armed with the skills needed to tackle it. Knowing about climate change is a first step, but without stepping forward to take action, it will only ever be a single step.
Climate scientists now say some amount of warming and subsequent climate change is inevitable, regardless of how much we reduce emissions. The question is: how do we take on this challenge without feeling a sense of despair? Fortunately, there are great examples of Red Cross and Red Crescent youth taking positive action. From community drama shows in Colombia and health messages to prevent Cholera outbreaks in Zimbabwe, to youth forums in the Solomon Islands and Dengue prevention messages spread by Indonesian Red Cross volunteers, young people are responding to the challenge.
Are you Ready For the youth and climate change challenge.
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