Climate Change and How People React

Hi kids, Bando from the Junior Mirror introduces you to Charani and her dad, who will help to improve your knowledge with interesting facts and stories covering many topics.

Given the rainy days experienced by Colombo residents in recent days, Charani couldn’t go out and play all the time. She was a little frustrated with the weather, hence she was reading the newspapers. Her father, Herath was at home as well. Whilst she was reading the newspapers, Charani read a piece of news about some parts of Sri Lanka suffering from a drought. She was astonished because she saw how it was either raining or cloudy in Colombo.

A bemused Charani wanted to get clarifications because it was driving her crazy. “How can a small island like Sri Lanka have excessive rain in some places and drought in some places?” was her question. She decided to ask her father, her advisor.

Charani: Dad, isn’t the weather weird?

Dad: What do you mean, Charani?

Charani: It’s weird that it’s raining heavily in Colombo and it appears cloudy almost all the time, but some areas in Sri Lanka are affected by the drought.

Dad: It’s weird, yes. But, it’s also not surprising because the weather is changing these days.

Charani: Isn’t the weather supposed to change all the time? Do you mean climate?

Dad: Yes yes. I’m sorry. The climate is changing. By the way, we’ve spoken about weather and climate before. Let me check whether you remember what we discussed. What are the differences between weather and climate?

Charani: You taught me that well. I still remember it. Weather is

for the short term. Hence, if it’s raining today and if it’s sunny tomorrow, it’s the weather. Climate is a long-term one. If it rains in January in Colombo all the time, it’s the climate. Colombo being a wet zone is a climate thing. Am I correct, Dad? Dad: You’re spot on, as usual.

Charani: Is there any gift for getting that correct?

Dad: Absolutely. A gift of knowledge!

Charani: You could give me chocolate and some knowledge. You can do both, Dad. Anyway, what are you going to share with me today?

Dad: Since we talked about the weather and climate, let’s talk about climate change. You have heard about climate change, right?

Charani: Our curriculum doesn’t discuss it in great detail. But after our discussion on climate and weather, I searched online and read a few details. There’s a change in the climate of this world, especially the warming of the planet.

Dad: Correct. Since you know this, we will talk about the people who deny that there’s a climate change happening.

Charani: Wait! What? There are people who deny climate change? Why?

Dad: Yes, there are. Before we talk about them, do you know that 97% of the scientists and scientific researches confirm that climate change is happening and the activities of the humans are the primary reason for this problem?

Charani: Do you mean, 3% of the scientists don’t accept that climate change is happening? Why Dad?

Dad: There are many reasons, Charani. Among these scientists, some of their research models and methods are questionable. They might have done the research in a way to achieve the result they wanted, rather than doing the research with an open-mind. Further, nothing can be 100% unanimous most of the time, Charani. There will be someone or something that will be an exception.

Charani: I accept that nothing can be 100% unanimous. But we also see the public and politicians saying that climate change is not real. How do we explain this?

Dad: Climate change affects many fields. Using fossil fuels, such as petrol and diesel, is one of the most important reasons that bring about climate change. Hence, there have been calls to use environment-friendly fuels. Some countries have started banning vehicles that use fossil fuels. Hence, it is alleged that powerful fossil fuel companies have politicians to lobby on behalf of them. Even in Sri Lanka, going away from coalpowered power plants to more environment-friendly power plants has been a struggle.

Charani: That is a terrible situation, Dad. It’s sad that politicians are doing that.

Dad: We can’t solely blame politicians for this mess. We, as the public, are responsible too. Even when we know that climate change is real and it is affecting everyone, we use private vehicles instead of using public transport.

Charani: But, don’t both of them use fossil fuels, Dad?

Dad: They do. But, a car can carry maximum four people. Many

of us use it only for a person. If it’s a bus, nearly 50 people can travel in it. In Sri Lankan buses, nearly 70 to 80 people travel at a time. If we travel in a train, it’s even better. Thousands of people can travel in a train. Even though these public transport options use fossil fuel, because many people can travel at a time, emission per person is less in these.

Charani: Yes, I understand your point, Dad. But, travelling in a bus or train isn’t easy, is it? Sometimes, I’ve seen you taking a cab because you feel tired or are in a hurry to go somewhere. We can’t blame people, isn’t it?

Dad: Yes, I do. And, yes, we can’t blame people. Our country’s public transport system is so bad that it’s not easy to take a bus or train all the time. It’s a sad situation. That’s why everyone should work together and do something.

Charani: Yes, Dad. We should do something. Shall I become a politician and fix everything?

Dad: People with good intentions should enter politics and try to change the system. But before that, you have to study well and develop your skills. After that, you can choose whatever you want to do in your life, Charani. I’ll support your choice.

Charani: Thank you, Dad. You’re the best!