Climate Change

The effects and The solutions

Climate change is already happening and represents one of the greatest environmental,
social and economic threats facing the planet. When we thought about climate change,
we thought about global warming, rising sea levels and crop failure. If climate change
and global warming doesn’t receive a serious respond soon, entire Indonesian coast
lines and its minor islands in will be gone in the year 2030-40.

Our generation will face a problem bigger than our current problems; crop failure,
flooding and unpredictable weather. Fifteen years from now food and water prices will be
to high for third world countries like ours could handle. Our children will be forced to live
life harder than us. We no longer fight for money; we’ll fight for food and survival.

Indonesia’s current population is a staggering 250 million, ten times larger than the
current Australian population. With a population this big, Indonesia’ population will rise
3% in the next fifteen years. Java, the densest island in the world will be the hardest
place to live. The population will be so huge that there’s hardly any place to grow crops
such as paddy and wheat.

Indonesian children will face strange weathers and hideous storms. The rainy season
may last a year and the next year there’s hardly any rain at all. Rising sea levels will
prevent fishing in the stormy season and coastlines will retreat as much as 100 meters
from current beaches. Tens of islands are already been lost because of rising sea levels.
In the next fifteen to twenty years, Indonesia will lose about 2000 islands.
 What can Children do to combat climate
Change?
We are one of the main causes of global warming. Children our age caused more
damage to the environment than adults 20 years ago. Children from first world countries
produce three times more greenhouse gasses than adults in third-world countries.
In Indonesia, there are more children than adults. We (children) produce 1/3 of
Indonesia's total greenhouse emission. There are many ways children that children can
do to stop global warming.

 Children could tell their parents or relatives to stop wasting water and paper.
Children who have younger brothers or sisters can teach their brother/sister to
use toilets (because diapers and pampers are considered as waste).
 Children need to know the damage they are doing. Parents could help their kids
to browse the internet for information about global warming.
 Indonesia is an agrarian country; it means that we grow our own food. We could
buy rice, potatoes and other crops that are grown in Indonesia. Importing goods
and food form other countries cost us more money and pollution.
 Parents can teach their children to not to use electrical appliances if not
necessary. By doing this we can save power and money.
 Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Children can sort their own trashes into three types;
organic, reusable, and recyclable.
If we follow these simple solutions, our lives will become healthier and better.

By : Filipus Gilang Wicaksono

SMP PANGUDI LUHUR 1 YOGYAKARTA