A Word from Dr. H about Children’s Climate Risk

A Word with Dr H: August 20, 2021, Children’s Climate Risk Index

When I first started writing the first draft of Starseed R/evolution, The Awakening, it was in 2019. I realized after reading the climate science in detail that we were in trouble, and that we were leaving a damaged world for future generations. It appears that is already coming true according to this NY Times article:

“The Children’s Climate Risk Index provides the first comprehensive view of where and how this crisis affects children. It ranks countries based on children’s exposure to climate and environmental shocks, as well as their underlying vulnerability to those shocks.

It finds that virtually every child on the planet is exposed to at least one climate or environmental hazard right now. A staggering 850 million, about a third of all the world’s children, are exposed to four or more climate or environmental hazards, including heat waves, cyclones, air pollution, flooding or water scarcity. A billion children, nearly half the children in the world, live in “extremely high risk” countries, the UNICEF researchers report.”

Although I initially wrote my novel for kids with climate grief who would probably never read a hard-core science book, in an attempt to give them hope by providing solutions (they were telling me they were not going to go to college or get a job, because the world was going to end), the novel transformed over time. Into a humorous science/science fiction novel with elements of philosophy, political satire, magic, and roads to personal/global transformation. Now I understand that the global transformation is more important than ever and children have another reason to be concerned right now. One billion children are at risk for environmental hazards. This is not acceptable. We all must work together to help save our precious planet for those who follow us. Especially the children, who are going to bear the brunt of our mistakes. It is not too late to make it right, but we need to act with urgency. The window of opportunity is closing. Fast.

This Is the World Being Left to Us by Adults