Muggle Madness (Volume No. 1 August)
Witches and wizards already have a bunch of magazines and newspapers, but we don't have one about the lives of Muggles! In this new magazine, you'll learn about exciting Muggle games and read about news from all around the world!
Last Updated
08/06/22
Chapters
5
Reads
868
Climate Change by Andromeda Riddle & Narcissa Slytherin
Chapter 4
Hello Readers,
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Narcissa Slytherin and I have been on HIH since September 2021. It has been super fun and exciting to meet all of you and my adventures are thrilling around the castle. I love most books, the style they are written in and the fantastic, creative ideas. The encouraging, lively groups are active and always bursting with enthusiasm - from assignments problems, to friendship needs and it really makes me pleased that people always say things like sure, I’m always down to make friends! Every person needs someone to talk to, to share worries with…then, since life is so happy, can someone explain why I am here? Standing in front of you with a pained expression?
I am making this speech to express how disgusted I am. I stand here today, in this well-accomplished world but I don’t feel happy. How would you feel if this all suddenly vanished? Including you? The cars we made, the roads we built, the books we wrote. Yes, I’m talking about that. About what will happen in 99 Years or less. Climate change. It even pains me to speak about it, but everyone has to know. Because, if not me, then who? If not now, then when? If not this, then what? I urge you to help me make the change that the world desperately needs. We are the only hope, and change starts with you. I need to tell you this: the world is getting stolen, and we are the thieves. Every single person reading this knows this issue, and every single person reading this is ignoring it. I urge you to make this change. I urge you to help me fight. I urge you to save the world.
In kids stories, fairy-tales, there are superheroes. Doesn’t it make you smile when someone saves the day? Doesn’t it feel happy when Harry Potter defeats Voldemort after what seemed to be the end? So, I give you a choice. Either take action, become the superhero, and be respected so much, or be like Fudge and let the world die in the hands of Voldemort? You choose. Climate change is like a disease. It spreads quicker and makes so many people worried. It’s like Covid-19 but worse. I will constantly remind you - there is no planet B. As Albert Einstein said, "The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything."
Animals are decreasing. The air pollution is increasing. Can’t someone see it? Are we all that blind? I ask myself. But no, we are just ignorant people, let’s change that fact. I stand here today, making this speech, in hope that this can show you more hope in the dark. So this is what I propose we do. For now, let’s stop the rude comments, bullying, rasicm, sexism, feminism and lets unite. Together, we can do it, so just stop the nonsense, the bullying because this is a bigger issue. It will impact your and my life. For the sake of the planet, let’s fight. We shouldn’t be selfish pigs. We owe the future to our children and theirs. If I may borrow Andromeda's phrase,
Fight with me,
Stand with me,
Help with me,
And conquer this mess. Below, you can find several photographs of the disasters that mankind has created. But, if you want to help, I have created a short list for those hopefuls:
Keep fossil fuels in the ground. Fossil fuels include coal, oil and gas – and the more that are extracted and burned, the worse climate change will get. All countries need to move their economies away from fossil fuels as soon as possible.
Invest in renewable energy. Changing our main energy sources to clean and renewable energy is the best way to stop using fossil fuels. These include technologies like solar, wind, wave, tidal and geothermal power.
Switch to sustainable transport. Petrol and diesel vehicles, planes and ships use fossil fuels. Reducing car use, switching to electric vehicles and minimizing plane travel will not only help stop climate change, it will reduce air pollution too.
Help us keep our homes cosy. Homes shouldn’t be draughty and cold – it’s a waste of money, and miserable in the winter. The government can help households heat our homes in a green way – such as by insulating walls and roofs and switching away from oil or gas boilers to heat pumps.
Improve farming and encourage vegan diets. One of the best ways for individuals to help stop climate change is by reducing their meat and dairy consumption, or by going fully vegan. Businesses and food retailers can improve farming practices and provide more plant-based products to help people make the shift.
Restore nature to absorb more carbon. The natural world is very good at cleaning up our emissions, but we need to look after it. Planting trees in the right places or giving land back to nature through ‘rewilding’ schemes is a good place to start. This is because photosynthesising plants draw down carbon dioxide as they grow, locking it away in soils.
Protect forests like the Amazon. Forests are crucial in the fight against climate change, and protecting them is an important climate solution. Cutting down forests on an industrial scale destroys giant trees which could be sucking up huge amounts of carbon. Yet companies destroy forests to make way for animal farming, soya or palm oil plantations. Governments can stop them by making better laws.
Protect the oceans. Oceans also absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which helps to keep our climate stable. But many are overfished, used for oil and gas drilling or threatened by deep sea mining. Protecting oceans and the life in them is ultimately a way to protect ourselves from climate change.
Reduce how much people consume. Our transport, fashion, food and other lifestyle choices all have different impacts on the climate. This is often by design – fashion and technology companies, for example, will release far more products than are realistically needed. But while reducing consumption of these products might be hard, it’s most certainly worth it. Reducing overall consumption in more wealthy countries can help put less strain on the planet.
Reduce plastic. Plastic is made from oil, and the process of extracting, refining and turning oil into plastic (or even polyester, for clothing) is surprisingly carbon-intense. It doesn’t break down quickly in nature so a lot of plastic is burned, which contributes to emissions. Demand for plastic is rising so quickly that creating and disposing of plastics will account for 17% of the global carbon budget by 2050 (this is the emissions count we need to stay within according to the Paris agreement).
Now that you have heard me out, you can leave. I want you to remember this:
There is no planet B.
You have the choice.
Action against climate change, the smart choice.
Please. The world is desperate, and so am I. Climate change is a slow poison, and it weakens the world…it’s happening this very minute. Time is sliding through your fingers like sand, the future is dying. Remember what I said. And don’t tell me I didn't warn you.
Thank you.
Narcissa Adalinda Slytherin
(Any compliments, well-wishers or supportive of what I wrote, please post so on my wall with the hashtag #SaveTheWorld and #AgainstClimateChange. https://www.hogwartsishere.com/1380959/)
