I recently spoke to a classroom full of 8-10 year olds about climate change. Although I have spoken to a room full of scientists about my research and to industry practitioners on how to interpret climate data, this was the first time I addressed a group of school children. At first, I was a bit hesitant to give it a go, despite the fact that I liked the idea of talking to kids about a topic I am very passionate about. In the end, it turned out to be a great experience for me. This is the story about an opportunity that I almost didn’t take up! Last month, the director of the Climate Change Research Centre, sent out an email asking if anyone would be interested in talking to school students about climate change. When I saw the email I immediately knew it was something that interested me but I reckoned there would be others who would be better suited for this activity and so I didn’t respond. However, there was a second email calling for volunteers and I signed up for it with three others from the department. We were then put in touch with Lycee Condorcet Sydney. When preparing for the talk I imagined myself as an 8 year old. I don’t remember being concerned about any local/global issue at that age. Climate change was not a hot topic 20 years ago. Times have changed since then and technology has brought many things to our fingertips, making the world a smaller place. Kids are becoming more aware of climate change as it is constantly being mentioned in the news. So I prepared my talk, simplifying the science as much as I could. I was also determined not to give these children climate anxiety. On the morning of the talk I felt really excited. When I logged into the Zoom link and saw the kids for the first time, I was slightly taken aback at how small they were! Although I knew I was speaking to youngsters, I guess it never really occurred to me how small they would be! :D I spoke for about 20 minutes covering topics such as the difference between weather and climate, the greenhouse effect, global warming, impacts of climate change and my research on heatwaves. I concluded the talk by sharing a few tips on individual actions that can help minimize our impact on the environment. At the end of the talk the kids had many questions for me. They asked me things such as what I thought of Greta Thunberg, what more they could do to conserve the environment and what other animals emit methane. They also asked me if I were vegetarian and what made me get into studying about the environment and climate change. Overall, we had an interesting discussion and it was truly encouraging to see the students being so engaged. I felt very happy that I did this outreach event and I kept thinking about how I almost didn’t take up the opportunity. I discussed this with one of my mentors who pointed out that some of my confidence issues may be associated with humility. I always have this feeling that someone else can do a better job than me. While this may be true, it is also important to step up and say you are available to take on a role. I wrapped up the session with this quote by the Senagalese forest conservator Baba Dioum - ‘In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.’ It beautifully sums up the importance of climate literacy. We cannot bring about change if we don’t understand the need for it. Therefore, it’s important to have a conversation about climate change with children. In a world where parents protest against climate change education in schools, it was refreshing to see Lycee Condorcet Sydney taking these steps to create awareness among their students. Here's to having more conversations on climate change with children 😊
2 Comments
Janith
10/21/2020 09:33:17 pm
I loved this bit: "I felt very happy that I did this outreach event and I kept thinking about how I almost didn’t take up the opportunity. I discussed this with one of my mentors who pointed out that some of my confidence issues may be associated with humility. I always have this feeling that someone else can do a better job than me. While this may be true, it is also important to step up and say you are available to take on a role."
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Charuni
10/22/2020 03:32:09 pm
Thanks so much Janith! Hope you're keeping well :)
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AuthorBudding climate scientist from Sri Lanka, currently pursuing a PhD on heatwaves, at the Climate Change Research Centre (CCRC) at UNSW, Sydney. Believes in using effective science communication to bridge the gap between science and society :) Archives
June 2021
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