Although climate change impacts are unequal, with poorer countries being more vulnerable despite lower emissions, the Paris Agreement in 2016 committed both rich and poor countries to voluntarily determine their own actions, improving governance compared to previous ineffective treaties like the Kyoto Protocol.
Student submissions:
This image from April 2019 shows Buckingham Palace being brought to a halt by thousands of furious teenage protesters that skipped school to participate in the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement, sending the message that school doesn’t matter without a protected future.
These waterlogged flyers are all over Christchurch, New Zealand, prompting passers by to consider the climate crisis. The actions originally advertised can no longer be seen on the fading paper.
This mural is the first thing people see as they exit the bus interchange in downtown Christchurch, New Zealand. It serves as a reminder that New Zealand’s beloved biodiversity – featuring little blue penguins, hector dolphins, albatrosses, shags, seals, whales – quite literally rests in our hands. The Kiwi Bank logo in the corner suggests that climate action and awareness may be ingrained in the fabric of day to day life here – or perhaps that it only extends as far as the advertisement market will allow.
Description: Located in Christchurch’s famed Cathedral Square, this mural serves as a mournful reminder of New Zealand’s melting glaciers and the impacts climate change is having on beloved species worldwide. However, its location adds another layer of meaning: Christchurch’s Central Cathedral and the surrounding district were devastated by earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. The ongoing restoration process has been slow, expensive, and frustrating for many locals, but the Cathedral is being rebuilt, more resilient and beautiful than before, nonetheless. Witnessing the transformation occurring beside this mural makes me think that maybe, just maybe, the slow, expensive, and frustrating fight against climate change may succeed as well.
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