Climate Change Through the Eyes of the Children

Climate Change Through the 

Eyes of the Children

by: Jenalyn V. Cagas

Climate change (global warming) represents the greatest environmental, social and economic threats that people all over the world face today. It causes natural calamities such as flash floods, droughts, forest fires, and typhoons subsequently leading to diseases, epidemics, and property losses  including homes and lives. Its effects have been felt for years and have become more and more severe. Its alarming occurrence is everybody's concern and responsibility right now.

Perhaps for adults, climate change is a massive destruction to Mother Earth. How about the children? How do their innocent minds perceive climate change?

"Itanong mo sa mga bata kung anong buhay ang gusto nila...
dahil minsan lang sila maging bata."

"I see the thick emission of dark gas from coal-fired power station. I felt the change of climate from time to time. It's so scary that the Earth is collapsing out of control," Charlotte Sullivan (11 years old, UK) related.

With climate change, the earth has lost its protective power and is turning away from humanity. All powerful people in the world might not prevent the earth to collapse when its time comes.

Zayaan Masood (12 years old, bangladesh) asked, "Where will go?" seeing himself and his countrymen on boats suffering from floods, saving their most important possessions. many parts of his country are below sea level. Global warming is expanding the oceans and the melting of polar ice is an additional threat to the country's existence.

In China, there's a coal mine. The miners earn their living working in conditions that endanger their health. The smoke from chimneys of the power station is as black as coal. "The clouds are weeping, the rain is acid, trees are dying and the people flee the smog with face masks," calling Jiang Zian (9 years old, China) to protect the environment and the people.

Another child named Lakshmi (10 years old, India) noticed the half dried-out lake on the outskirts of their place. Recently, there has been frequent absence of rainfall in their region so the groundwater table has dropped noticeably.

"Our world nowadays is like a baby threatened by man-made monsters. The nuclear power station symbolized how human actions destroy the environment just as climate change threatens the nature," Svetlana Kuhklevskaja (12 years old, Belarus) said.

"Don't cry! If we see the clouds getting darker and darker, we still have the power to change the situation," Renee Wang (13 years old, United States) said. What sad views people are seeing make them cry. But people can see with their eyes the causes for the warming up of the Earth's atmosphere like noxious emissions, so they can change the situation.

Guy Nindorera (12 years old, Burundi) stressed that if we destroy the trees, we put our lives in danger for without trees there'll be erosion and floods   and the people will starve. The overflow river banks look the way they do today because of deforestation and soil erosion over the past ten years, which climate change is making even worse. He pointed out that if we lose even more lands, people will soon be fighting for each other.

"I observed the change of climate from time to time and I called it Ulan, Init, Piyesta sa Langit," Regine Manalo (10 years old, Philippines) answered to her science teacher asking about climate change. "But it's not  called fiesta anymore because the clouds are dark and horrible to look at," she added.

"I am an SMI ( a mining industry) scholar. I am proud that I was chosen to be a scholar," Mery Buwan (13 years old, Philippines) testified.

In countries like Philippines, children think about climate change as a broad concept to discuss. They know a little about climate change but they appreciate the establishments like coal mining due to the benefits it may bring to the people like scholarships that have been enjoyed and activities people who run the institution conduct.

To the children, climate change may not as lucid as what adults perceived. For them, what they see and feel is what they professed - gleefully play under the heavy rains, paddling and swimming in murky flood waters, flying kites despite the prickling heat of the sun    . They only feel and ponder the effects when its pangs and pains creep into their beings upon witnessing the great damage climate change created, when there's nothing to eat, nothing to stay secure day and night...Climate change...how children perceived and viewed by their innocence...young as they are yet to comprehend...but deep in their hearts, no one can tell their dreams and longings for a better and a happy peaceful world to live in...through their eyes.