Climate Change Expo Report
Members of the WCC schools’ education team presented an expo on climate change as part of their environmental education program for Masakhane primary school learners.
A total of one hundred and seventeen Grade 7 learners came to find out more about Climate Change, and its impact around the world.
Sheraine van Wyk dealt with the effects of climate change such as floods, fires, hurricanes. In order to understand climate change, one must first understand global warming. She start with an orientation to the globe – surprisingly many learners don’t know ocean names, what a continent is nor what continent we live on!
She orientate them to where they are on the globe and then introduce them to the conundrum of increasing industrialization leading to increasing greenhouse gas emission and what that means on a global scale. Added to that is population explosion and development pressure and you get global warming at a runaway rate that is causing all sorts of negative impacts. This leads very well into Anina’s display using a kettle to demonstrate how heat adds energy to water molecules.
Anina Lee
looked at the important greenhouse gases and how a warming earth causes climate change. She started the lesson with boiling water in a transparent kettle. The learners could see the increased movement of the water caused by the increased heat energy. Once the kettle is switched off we can stop the heat escaping by covering it with a blanket.
We used this example to illustrate global warming. The sun’s heat energy is trapped by a ‘blanket’ of greenhouse gases causing the earth to heat up. This heat energy drives more extreme weather events – more wind, more floods, more droughts, more fires. The long-term change in weather patterns is called climate change.
She discussed some of the negative effects of climate change on both people and nature and emphasized the urgency of moving away from fossil fuels to renewables. Young people are becoming activists for their own future. Some are (successfully) taking their governments to court because they are failing in protecting the human rights of the youth.
Judy MacFarlaine introduced the African penguin (Model of penguin and penguin nesting box borrowed from African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary). Called Unombombiya, pikkewyn and African or Jackass penguin in different languages. About half the learners had seen a penguin, most knew about them.
She emphasized how they are critically endangered because of the combination of human behaviour and climate change and the possibility that they may be extinct by the time the learners’ grandchildren are born. She told them the story that long ago there were safe habitats on many coastal islands off SA; how climate changed and warmed after last ice age causing sea levels to rise; 200 years ago people arrived, stole eggs and harvested guano; climate change altering water temperatures affecting distribution and abundance of fish – all contributing to population decline.
The learners were particularly interested in the overfishing conundrum and how humans could share ‘penguin food’ – sardines and anchovies, sustainably. They were concerned about penguins starving. They had time at the end to talk about the conservation initiatives that are being followed in order to save the penguin, specifically, protecting breeding sites, establishing new/safe colonies, creating artificial nests, rehabilitating sick/injured birds and establishing marine protected areas.
Some of the learners had family in the fishing industry, several learners were keen to visit/volunteer at SP&AP.
Kathy Buley discussed whether there is anything we can do about Climate Change. What is the Just Energy Transition? They discussed how humans as a group can halt Climate Change but big paradigm changes like switching to clean energy. This can only be done at a governmental or corporate level. However, as individuals we can urge government to take bold action such as investing in renewables. Job opportunities using solar energy were discussed. At an individual level each person can reduce his/her use of plastic. Ideas in this regard were brain stormed. Activists and the difference they have made were discussed. Ayakha Melithafa and Wangari Maathai were mentioned.
Shirley Mgoboza focused on how to save water as some parts of the country are experiencing drought as one of the effects of climate change. She told the learners about water being a scarce resource and that only about 1% of fresh drinkable water is available around the world.
They then looked at how human actions affect water bodies such as rivers, dams and lakes. Water pollution and sewerage pollution were amongst the issues they discussed. She also touched on alien invasive plants that grow along the riverbanks which withdraw a lot of water from rivers. They then discussed ways of saving water at their home, by looking at everyday activities around a household such as toilet flushing, bathing, washing dished and clothes.
The learners were so shocked to find out that every single flush of toilet takes between 12 – 15 litres of water, one cycle of the washing machine takes about 90 – 150 litres of water. Learners were encouraged to use water more than once where it is possible and report leaking pipes to the municipality when they see one.
We are most grateful to the AVI Community Trust for sponsoring this schools education programme.
