Save the Planet. Green-living Guide for Teens.

Table of contents

2. What is really happening to our planet?

3. Greta Thunberg – a role model for teens.

9. Be or not to be a vegetarian? Is it a good idea to cut down on eating meat in order to save our planet? - an interview with a vegetarian.

5. Do you really know how to sort out garbage?

10. My favourite vegeterian dish by Zuzia.

6. Weekly weather diary.

11. Some simple ideas of how each teenager can help the environment.

1. Introduction.

Every year a team of language experts working for the institution called Oxford Languages picks one special word. You are probably curious about what criteria are used for choosing it. Their website says: “The Oxford Word of the Year is a word or expression that we can see has attracted a great deal of interest over the last 12 months.” So it must be something that reflects people’s attitudes towards the contemporary world, their feelings or worries. No wonder The Oxford Word of the Year 2019 is climate emergency. As we, teenagers, are aware of the significance of the problem, we have decided to get involved in the project connected with the environmental issues and this interactive book is the outcome of our efforts. Additionally, we have also decided to ask our school community what they think about it. The survey consists of 12 questions and it checks our peers’ knowledge on the environment as well as their attitude towards the problem to tackle.

Here are the results of the survey!

worried but inconsistent and lacking initiative!

75% of teenagers think that they pay a lot of attention when it comes to caring for the environment. They declare this topic relevant. However, according to the survey, the young people’s intentions do not translate their actions. We do not like to participate in mass protests, marches, or other events aimed at raising awareness about this matter.
Most of us feel ecological issues are too rarely mentioned at school or during conversations among family members. Of course, we cannot modify the school curriculum, but why don’t you take an active part in fighting for the better world right on your doorstep!!! Your home seems to be a perfect place to express your opinions and share your views with people that take care of what you really think. They might be even eager to follow in your footsteps, they might want to become eco-activists or vegetarians in the future!

generally interested but not enough educated!

The survey shows that young people from our school are generally aware of the issue, but they cannot demonstrate specific knowledge in relation to ecology. For example, almost everybody has heard about Greta Thunberg - the most popular representative of the young generation of ecologists but they have no idea what FridaysforFuture are and that it is Greta who initiated this action.

Conclusion

This interactive book is just for you! It is a project done by teenagers for teenagers. It will give you a chance to broaden your knowledge on ecological issues. You will learn more about the major threats to the environment and simple things you can do to help protect the earth. You will also find out about changeable weather or endangered species in Poland. If you consider changing your eating habits, read the interview with a vegetarian or try our vegetarian recipe. We have also prepared a special surprise for those who love puzzles and are into learning English!

Enjoy your reading and have fun!

Here you will find the questions we have asked our school community members

2. What is really happening to our planet?

Parents’ recollections

Do you remember your parents telling you stories about really freezing winters with temperatures 40 degrees below zero? So, how come you, as a young person, have never seen winters like those? It is a good question because it somehow proves that our climate is changing and unluckily, it is changing for the worse. So, what is really happening to our planet?

Two opposing views

There are two contradictory attitudes towards climate change. Some people say that the climate has been changing all the time since the world was created. In that case there is nothing to worry about. Others find the accelerating pace of climate change disturbing. According to scientists, since the beginning of the 20th century, the surface temperature of the globe has risen by about 0. 75°C, and by mid-century it will probably rise by a further 1,5-4°C.

Nature or human activity?

Global warming – what is it?

There are two main factors which cause climate change. Firstly, it is quite a natural process. For example, volcanos have always given off carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The problem is that the impact of natural factors on the environment is nothing to be compared with human activity. It is people who are mainly responsible for contaminating the Planet Earth

Do you know what global warming is? This term refers to the rise in global temperatures while the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases, such as methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide (and the heat they produce) cannot leave the atmosphere.

We are to be blamed!

Using fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas as the main energy sources leads to a huge amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Trees might help fight climate change because they absorb the harmful greenhouse gas but, in the era of industrialisation, there are more and more people who are continually cutting down forests (this process is called deforestation).

Another problem is inefficient waste management. Over the last few decades people have been using more plastic than ever before – shopping bags, containers, electronic devices, you name it. When something gets broken, it seems easier to buy something new than repair it. As a result, tons of dumping waste is put in landfills. When it starts to decompose, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas which is extremely toxic to the environment.

Another source of this dangerous pollutant is agriculture and animal farming. They are also responsible for emitting nitrous oxide into the air.

Disastrous effects

Earth’s warming climate is causing glaciers to melt. Rising sea levels mean a significant risk of flooding. That is why such cities as London and Amsterdam have built dams as a form of protection. Another negative consequence of global warming is shifting weather patterns with trees coming into leaf much earlier in the spring or fewer cold winters. A great number of animals and plant species are in danger of extinction since they will not be able to adapt to rapid changes in their natural habitats and ecosystems.

As water evaporates faster due to higher temperatures, some areas are affected by droughts. Rainfall scarcity increases crop failure or loss of livestock and eventually causes famine and migration of people who are now forced to look for safer places to live.

Have you ever heard about dead zones on seas? They really exist!!! These are the areas where even the least demanding plants do not grow because of lack of oxygen. There are 405 places like that around the world.