Holloway young people fear the planet will disappear in their lifetime

By Omotunde Sotuminu

Young Holloway residents are disheartened with the future of the environment. New research released by the BBC shows that climate change could move into uncharted territory after a record hot March. 

For Holloway’s Gen Z’s, environmental activism is more than just a fad, but a real issue with serious effects that they’ll have to live through.

Ana Paula, 23, an education researcher at Holloway said: “I see climate change as the earth answering our careless actions towards it. It is a legitimate issue and is as serious as a terminal disease.

“We are killing the planet,” she affirms.

Image credit: Omotunde Sotuminu

Paula goes on to compare the environment to humans who get help when they’re medically sick and questions why people don’t see the need for us to help the environment like we do any living creature.

Despite the visible effects of climate change such as intense heat waves, rising sea levels, rainfall patterns changing; there is still growing climate change denial, with a third of UK teenagers still believing climate change is exaggerated, according to an insight piece in The Guardian.

Sarah Motunrayo, 19, is puzzled by the anti-climate change sentiment: “We see the impact everyday, the impact on wildlife with animals losing their homes due to change in temperatures and putting their existence at risk,” she said.

Nonetheless, Motunrayo acknowledges that it’s more complex than it seems. “I hope my generation can slow down the process of climate change,” she said. She emphasizes the words ‘slow down’, seeing it takes influential governments around the world to band together with dedicated civilians to bring about change.

However, some people like Paula remain worrisome. “I feel that the planet will disappear in my lifetime and I feel guilty for the future generation that will have a worse environment to live in and we didn’t do enough to prevent it,” she said.