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Why is it important to learn about climate change?
The effects of climate change are being felt in several ways, including increased temperatures, flooding and devastating storms. And children must know about it because they are our future. Being a parent, you must help them know about climate change and how to tackle it. But before we get started, let's first dive deep into the reasons that can help us understand why it is essential to learn about climate change.
- Environmental impact
Climate change has been impacting rainfall, sea level, and glaciers and causing extreme weather events in many parts of the world. Many people might not know, but the rising level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is making the ocean absorb more carbon dioxide, increasing its PH value. All this is causing ocean acidification, which is dangerous for marine life. Climate change is also impacting pollination and carbon storage by changing the distribution of species.
- Social impact
You might not be aware, but climate change also has substantial societal effects in addition to its effects on the ecosystem. Due to air pollution and waterborne diseases, people are now getting more vulnerable to respiratory issues, heat strokes and other health issues. Also, the scarcity of resources leads to conflict and migration, which leads to social instability. Top schools in Barotiwala help children know about the impact of climate change by incorporating environmental studies in science classes, using case studies and encouraging students to take some action on climate change.
- Economic impact
Climate change impacts the economy as extreme weather events damage infrastructure and agriculture. It also affects many other sectors, such as tourism and insurance. We have mentioned before that climate change leads to floods and storms, which damage roads and buildings. All of which eventually lead to costly repairs and disruptions in transportation. Climate change also changes the rainfall and precipitation patterns, which decrease crop yield, leading to food shortage. Climate change also affects the cost of insurance, healthcare, and tourism.
All the above reasons have made climate change one of the most urgent issues to address. And you can apply several ways to teach children about climate change. Below are a few ways.
Begin with fundamentals
Start by teaching your children about the weather, seasons, and the water cycle. These concepts will help them get a basic idea about the things that are related to climate. After that, slowly move towards teaching them greenhouse gasses and how they impact the environment.
Use appropriate materials
Use stories and games to help young children learn about climate change. To teach older kids, use online resources like articles and journals which describe climate change in detail.
Encourage critical thinking
It is vital to teaching your children how to discriminate between trusted and doubtful online resources, as the internet contains a wide variety of information. Also, teach them how to evaluate the information provided in journals and articles and develop their opinions. Top CBSE schools in Baddi help children develop critical thinking by giving them the freedom to learn and encouraging project-based learning.
Emphasize positive actions
After educating children on the impact of climate change, the next is to teach them how they can help solve the problem by encouraging them to reduce their carbon footprint, etc. To teach them the value of protecting the environment, take them to a park or beach and pick up litter together. Also, involve them in decision-making for deciding sustainable home practices.
Teach through example
Teach children by showing them your example. Follow sustainable practices at home, such as conserving water and electricity, composting, reducing plastic usage, planting trees and doing several other things.
Connect them to real-world examples
Use virtual aids, such as pictures and graphs, to illustrate the impact of climate change on the planet. Images of melting glaciers and droughts can help children visualize the effect of climate change. You can also talk about how various plant and animal species are being impacted by climate change.
Impact of climate change on soil
Children and even adults might not know climate change adversely affects soil health. Intense and frequent rainfall can lead to soil erosion, which takes away essential nutrients from the soil which is needed for growing and sustaining crops. Also, groundwater gets salinised with the rising sea level in coastal areas. Conversely, a decrease in precipitation with increasing temperature leads to drought-like situations in some areas. And more frequent droughts kill the ability to grow crops.
What can children do to save soil?
Children can do several things to save soil, including composting, planting trees and reducing waste. Let us understand them to know how they can help.
Composting- Composting is a process of breaking down kitchen scraps and organic matter into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. You can encourage children to compost by involving them in the process and taking their help to use it in the garden when it is ready.
Reducing waste- Plastic and other materials can contaminate the soil, so children can protect it by following the three R’s- reduce, recycle and reuse.
Planting trees- Trees hold the soil together and prevent it from running off during heavy rains. Children can prevent soil erosion by planting trees near their homes and surrounding areas.
The bottom line
Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges that our planet is facing right now. The rising sea level, frequent droughts, and extreme rainfall are a few of their negative impacts on earth. Learning about climate change helps us and our children understand the seriousness of climate change. All this will help us take action and mitigate its effects. It's our collective responsibility to make our children aware of climate change and ensure their safe future.