Climate Change

Recently, Polar explorer Paul Rose was in town to attend the climate talk on 'The Global Meltdown - What's really happenning with our Climate" organised by British Council in association with CEE at its auditorium. He mentioned that the world leaders lack climate change leaders but in future, youth from developing nations who have access to internet has opened a world of imagination, encouraging them to come up with innovative change ideas. Humans are responsible and they will have to do what it takes to set things right.

Paul addressed the following issues:

- Can we drastically slow down the human effects on our climate and make sensible, sustainable adaptations to the changes that are happening now?
- Can we reduce our rate of population growth to sustainable levels?
- Can we protect our ecosystems and biodiversity?

With the Climate Change Department, first in the country, we now have the Gujarat Government's State Awareness Campaign on Climate Change. Launched on Tuesday, 23rd february - The Gujarat Ecology Commission under the State Department of Forests and Environment has been made the nodal agency for the campaign. Educating masses and that is the need of the hour (Read in Kidsfreesouls News)

Btw, Gujarat's low lying coastal regions in the Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambhat may face erosions as seas have risen. This means, Projects in this regions will need to be planned on the basis of the studies and risk management exercise need to be taken. Human population may be affected by this coastal erosion. I gather, a workshop organised on Climate change by State Forest and Environment Department, Isro and Bisag was held when experts opined their concerns.

Well, here's this week's Earth Talk Questions:

Dear EarthTalk: If the ice caps are melting, what is happening to the salt content of the oceans? And might this contribute to weather patterns or cause other environmental problems? - George Boyer, via e-mail

"The melting of the polar ice caps is sending large amounts of fresh water into the world’s oceans. Many climate scientists fear that if the climate heats up fast enough and melts off the remaining polar ice rapidly, the influx of fresh water could stall out the Gulf Stream and rob the northeastern U.S. and northwestern Europe of their natural heating source, plunging the two continents into a cold snap that could last decades or longer."

Dear EarthTalk: Where do I recycle old ski boots (hard plastic)? My recycling center does not take hard plastic. - Beth Fitzpatrick, Stamford, CT

"Americans recycle more plastic than ever these days, but there are still plenty of items that are not accepted by municipalities, including many hard plastic items like ski boots."

Find In English In Spanish

Wondering what's in for kids here? Well, log on to Kids News section and the news for the day can be read in classroom sessions (many teachers call for news read out in the class) or gather the information in their Project Books.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/
Kids Newspaper
Author of Guardian of Angels: A practical guide to Joyful Parenting