Unzila Mati
SALAM, Hi, Namaste and Bonjour. I’m 15 and I live and was born in Pakistan. In these 15 years I have seen so much in my life. As I have matured, I’m starting to understand things much more clearly and differently. There is politics, economy, psychology, and in particular ‘Climate Change.’ I’m a big fan of birds, animals, sea creatures and a small range of insects like bees, butterflies, ants and Ladybird beetle in particular. I also love trees and when I love trees I obviously am a big fan of environment. But over past few years there are some issues. Not so good. All this is making me anxious. I’m just too worried about it.
Climate Change has affected not only our lives but most of the species that live on this planet and being an animal lover my anxiety is getting worse. Because of this I don’t even bother to turn on news. From the Ice age to now, we can see how climate has had an impact over the centuries. Right now the world is suffering from global warming and due to this there is a difference in nature of rainfall, water supplies and the rise in temperature, exceeding to about 1-2 degrees higher. This is not good. This should stop. We can change this. If one voice stands up then others will follow suit.
All we need is a united community that will do as much as they can to the very least but to the very end and will make this mission their first and last. It’s sad that people are talking and discussing about Area 51 and why Mars ‘deserves’ to be their second home when they should discuss about ‘how we can improve our world.’ My question to the community is why? Why in a time like this are you debating about other planets to be our home? What did we do to deserve to have Mars as our home when we are already destroying Mother Earth? My country is seventh most affected by climate change.
Glaciers are melting, flooding is getting frequent even in a place where I live where floods are rare and now I’m seeing several floods in my city. There may be many problems in each country but of the world it’s climate change. It has been said that there will be so much carbon dioxide that not even the trees would be able to save us. Climate Change is like terrorism. The longer we wait to go things by themselves the more the damage, the harder it is to stop it.
It’s 2019, I’m turning on my television, bring news and what do I hear: Amazon wildfires, melting of glaciers, near extinction of otters. So much is happening and we are doing very little. That’s not fair to the world, that’s not fair to the species who didn’t have a hand in this, that’s not fair to the future generation. Make the climate your first priority and make the solution your strength. This is just the beginning, don’t lead it to the end of the world, lead it to the end of problem. It’s possible. It’s possible to start now and end it forever. God has given us a chance and there are many plans. There are solutions, all there is left is to act.
We have a struggle we must fight. We have a choice, let’s think about it right. With all our power and might. From our head to our heel. Our world has wounds, now it’s time to heal. This cannot go on we must change. Some of us are calling it a hoax and are doing nothing, it’s a shame. Our mother is burning. We can’t let this happen. So I invite you into this struggle. For the sake of this planet and the species that live. For indeed God will succeed us and help us make a difference in this battle of green and tranquillity.
—The writer is a 15-year old girl.
