Questions from Menengai High School (2)

If you could choose anyone in the world to be your special climate hero or role model, who would it be?

Magic Johnson said: “I believe in the power of heroes. What is a hero? There are as many different answers to that question as there are people in the world, and that’s a good thing: we need different kinds of role models for different kinds of people. I personally think a hero is a leader who has a positive impact on people. A hero is someone who acts and through those actions changes the world.” – Tell me your definition of a hero.

A group of students thought it would be great to collect portraits of climate heros from all over the world. That’s what they say: “If we show people that if those local climate heros can make the effort, then anybody can. Let them see that what they are doing is rapidly becoming the norm, not the exception. Your climate heros don’t need to be famous. We’d like to show people just like you and me – with the little difference that they care. The goal is to realize an impressive exhibition of portraits from all over the world.”

a) What are the most important things people in your country need to change in order to become climate heros?

b) Some participants of this projects don’t like the word “hero”. Which other words could we use instead?

In 1992, at the age of 12, Severn Cullis-Suzuki and her friends traveled to 1992’s Rio Earth Summit, where she gave a powerful speech that deeply affected the leaders who heard it. She became known as “The Girl Who Silenced the World for 5 Minutes.” She hasn’t stopped since, starting several groups and projects and becoming a dynamic, luminous light in a new generation of eco-leaders. She says: “Each individual really does count. And the more I've thought about it, the more I've realized that each person is a role model to all the people around us. That's how cultures evolve and things become cool--the influence of a few individuals that catches on.”

What change can YOU make?

Last year was a hard year in Kenya. The drought was bad. People walked several days to look for water. Some had to eat rats. Later there was this giant flashflood. It was devastating. First no water than too much water. The heavy rains have been blamed on El Nino weather patterns across east Africa and are a mixed blessing for Kenya which is emerging from one of the worst spells of drought in years. El Niños are defined by warmer than normal sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific. Increased global warming is implicated in these shifts in El Niño phenomena. Are there also strange things happening in your country?

We are very proud of Wangari Maathai. Is there anyone you are especially proud of in Switzerland ?

Tell us about the most innovative way of travel CO2-friendly in your country. In our country we have lots and lots of boda - boda: bycicle taxis. They produce no CO2 at all.

We love Kenya. the animals, the nature, the people. What do you love about your country?

Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to win a Nobel Prize. In Kenya, Wangari Maathai held several distinctions including serving as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife. She founded the Green Belt movement in Kenya. She is definitely an environmental hero. She says: “It's the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees.

a) What has planting trees to do with climate change?

b) Do you know someone who is taking action to fight climate change? What is the motivation of this person?

Your partnerclass chooses climate heros as well. Would they also be climate heros in your country? What expectation do you have about the climate heros of your partner class?

This is our moment. Perhaps you never thought you’d get a chance to play hero.

It's about the individuals that make up the statistics about consumption and pollution, as well as the people who feel the negative impact, who are actually going to be the change. 
What difference can you make?

Meeting nowadays needs depending of the ability to meet the needs of future generations and not limiting their lifestyle. How do you understand this question?