This short documentary, “COP26 – In Your Hands”, made me feel really quite sad. I saw it a few weeks ago on Sky News, but the documentary originally aired on Sky Kids. Why should it be up to these six young people (from Indonesia, Australia, Cameroon, Brazil, Canada and the UK/Sweden) to highlight the problems that need fixing? I feel sad for them and for the future that’s in front of them (and me, to be sure). Watching the documentary makes it clear that it could be (not could be, “is”) our current systems of government that are a large part of the problem. The real challenge for us to surmount globally is; can we repair this situation? Can we stop polluting and create better systems of government? There’s a clear message here from six young people to our leaders – it’s in your hands! That is, your and my hands!
Comments on COP 26 – In Your Hands
The person from Indonesia showed how forests have been removed for palm oil plantations and that Jakarta is sinking which, combined with sea-level rise due to the rising atmospheric temperature, means the Indonesian government is planning to move the huge city into the mountains. What a huge task!
From Australia, we have a young person who looks at the detrimental effect of rising sea temperatures on the Great Barrier Reef, and the increasing amount of devastating bushfires. I found it interesting that this young person said that during their childhood, they recall that almost every year was pronounced the hottest summer ever, and this led to mental health challenges. There was this nice quote;
If the rich want to be great, what’s greater than saving humanity?
Once again, we see the effect of palm oil plantations in Cameroon. Lake Chad is drying up and there is a clear, negative effect on the animals.
Of course, the person from Brazil talks about the Amazon rainforest – the lungs of the Earth. In the last 20 years, an area bigger than the whole of the UK has been lost to soy farming, used to feed livestock in the rest of the world!
Canada is a place rich with lakes and native forests, but these are now at risk. We are shown some of the huge “oil sand” scars on the landscape which the young person calls “madness”.
Finally, a young person with links to the UK and Sweden talks about new coal projects in the UK – is this crazy? Steel mills need coal, but in Sweden a company is building a steel mill that will use hydrogen instead of coal.
In Your Hands
This video is a challenge to all of us. It’s not too late to fix this if we act seriously. Was the COP26 meeting a success? Barely. Our representatives and politicians have to do better, and so do we. We have to demand more from our leaders and be more aware of the issues and more forceful. Our young people are now clearly seeing what we’re leaving for them to deal with, and that just not fair. It’s In Your Hands. It’s In My Hands.
Related links – COP26 – In Your Hands
- This is the best place I found to watch COP26 – In Your Hands – https://schools.firstnews.co.uk/fn-education-tv/cop26-in-your-hands-2021/cop26-in-your-hands/
- https://www.nowtv.com/watch/cop26-in-your-hands-2021/A5EK3JYiLcaAP37jSYXE9
- https://www.skygroup.sky/article/young-people-challenge-world-leaders-in-new-sky-kids-original-cop26-in-your-hands-are-they-listening
- The Natural Thermostat and CO2
- Offsetting and Printing – from walkingcommentary.net
- Drink water to reduce CO2 emissions – from use10percentless.com
- Lockdown and Private Jets – from peterwhiting.net
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