What will you do?

I have now spent almost three wonderful weeks with 27 amazing people from all around the world on a journey called Cape Farewell Youth Expedition. I feel so honoured that the British Council decided to pick me, as all these students from ages 14 to 17 are some of the cleverest, most active people I have ever met. This voyage isn’t just about 28 students having fun in the Arctic; it’s about 28 students trying to make a difference regarding climate change.

Surely all of us have read those two words before. I reckon that at least half of us don’t take them seriously enough; another apocalyptical prophecy, made up by the media or fanatic environmental activists. However, during these three weeks, my fellow students and I must recognize that this is a foolish assumption. We saw a landscape that has changed in the last few years. We talked to scientist and made measurements which definitely proved that global warming is happening

But the most touching experience was to see the Inuit who live in this fragile environment called the Arctic. They are the first who have to deal with this urgent issue. And they are not alone; there are many regions in the world which are on the edge.

Right now, we are at a stage where we completely control our destiny. We can choose to push our planet’s climate beyond its tipping point, or we can start now to take action to attract the attention of the media, and get more people to follow us. The 28 of us have already begun to do our part. The rest depends on whether you decide to do the same.