Account of 1.5 Max Experience- Hannah White (5th Year)

The 1.5 max summit has been an inspirational experience which has expanded my knowledge about climate change and the devastating consequences it’s having around the world. During the 3 days, we have talked to a range of schools around the world about the issues they are facing as well as their solutions. I have learned about how different countries are suffering as a result to the rising temperatures and sea levels while being inspired to how many communities have adapted to save their homes, for example how the children of Palau have come together to form a pledge all tourists must sign to preserve their small island home. It’s shocking how the countries who have contributed least to the rising temperatures are facing the most extreme consequences with the ocean threatening to devour some, if not all, low-lying areas as water level rise. On the second day of the summit, we focused on the problems our local community is facing by looking at ideas from other schools and using those applicable to find our own solutions. This activity provided an opportunity to research more about the climate issues that we are facing and what actions we can take individually, in school and out in the wider community to help our area and beyond. We are not facing the most extreme effects of climate change- this is one of the main reasons why many people still believe that 'climate change isn’t happening’ or ‘it would have happened anyway so why should we change the way we live?'. It’s disgusting how people are ignorant enough to say that we shouldn’t change how we live when others are facing extreme droughts, flooding, wildfires and more; all of which are eating up the livelihoods (and often the lives) of those around the world who have no choice but to try to live with the ever-growing problem as the western world waves away their cries for help. This is the main thing I took away from the summit; we need to be doing more to educate those around us as by working together, we have the power to secure not only our future and the future of those who are losing everything to climate change.