TEENS' BEST
Uluslararası Pendik Kız Anadolu İmam Hatip Lisesi
Editor:Nihal KÖROĞLU ÇEVİK
Eco-Learning Reflections
Our School
A message from our students
Welcome to the latest edition of our high school magazine!
As we navigate through the challenges of our ever-changing world, it has become increasingly clear that we all have a role to play in shaping a sustainable future. In this special issue, we are proud to present a collection of our works focused on creating a greener world and combating climate change.
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and it requires collective action and awareness. Through this magazine, we aim to raise awareness about the importance of environmental conservation, sustainable living, and the urgent need for climate action. We believe that education and awareness are powerful tools that can inspire positive change and empower individuals to make a difference.
In this edition, you will find a variety of topics ranging from renewable energy solutions and eco-friendly lifestyles to the impact of climate change on our planet and communities. We hope that these articles will spark meaningful conversations, encourage thoughtful reflection, and inspire you to take action in your own lives and communities.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the contributors, writers, and editors who have dedicated their time and effort to make this magazine possible. Your passion and commitment to creating a greener world are truly inspiring.
We invite you to explore this magazine, share it with your friends and family, and join us in our journey towards a more sustainable and resilient future. Together, we can make a difference and create a world where future generations can thrive.
Thank you for joining us in this important conversation, and we hope you enjoy reading this edition!
Warm regards,
Climists Team
Students' Works
Eco-Learning Reflections
Over the course of the project, we explored causes and effects of climate change and had the opportunity to develop solutions and take action.
You can see our works during the project.
Posters on Climate Change
Reasons
As we started our project, the posters and brochures were created by Climists Team. We searched for "The Causes of Climate Change" and reflected our findings via works.While learning about environment, we had opportunities to learn new words and use their target language 'English'.
Brochures on Climate Change
Results
As a second step, we discussed about how climate change effects our country. You can reach our findings by clicking on each video given below.
Global Effects
Global Issues' Products:
Solutions of climate change
Time to create solutions!
Our aim is to be the part of a solution not a problem. Our researches brought us to this point and we created works to wish that our voice spread all around the World. We hope to stop the climate change. It is an honour to present our practices.
An Essay on PLASTICS --Should plastic be banned?--
Do you know the harms of plastics to our world? Plastic, contains subtances called Bisphenol A and Flalein. If these compounds get into food, it shows carcinogenic effects. However, these damages the thyroid gland and pancreas. This is not just harmfull for human's health, it is alsa harmfull for environment.
Plastic is dangeorus for humanity and nature. Especialy if plastics get into the meals, children and adults are badly effected. For example it creates a risk of cancer. It poses a danger for human but also for all living creatures.
Plastic is harmfull for naturel life but these things are not found in the nature. They are abtoined by human. As can be seen from this sentence, these problems arise because of people. We throw our plastics into the nature. Then, these subtances remain in the environment for years. For instance, when we throw plastic bags on the ground, they will disappear after 1000 years at least. Likewise, plastic dishes require 500 years.
As a result, plastics are dangeorus for everyone. For flowers, for birds... They are easier to use but harm of it is terrible. The use of plastics should be banned or the use of these subtances should be reduced. Please, don't throw away your future by throwing away plastics.
Are you still sure to use plastics?
Special thanks to our "Climate Pioneer"
A Climate Pioneer- Vildan TÜYSÜZ
I'm Vildan Tüysüz. I have been working to make change for a while. My process of becoming a Climate Activist started with my passion to change things. I have constantly improved myself to do something, to contribute to the solution as an individual.Currently, I am working as a coordinator and volunteering in the field of climate in various places. I attend events and give speeches.
What is Activism? What Is Climate Activism?
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good.
However, activism should not be understood as just holding banners and going on strikes as protesting. Activism has a wide spectrum and is very important for societies. In this broad spectrum of activism, there is the concept of Transformational Activism.
Transformational Activism is considered not only as an individual change and but also cultural and social change. For example, it puts pressure on the producers to make the carbon emissions that cause the Climate Crisis carbon neutral, but for this it also addresses individuals to change their consumption habits.Because, production activities with high carbon emissions have effects on people.
The United Nations has called Transformational Activism “a way of helping to create the conditions for sustainable peace in a country devastated by contradictions”.
I see Climate Activism right here. The concept of 'Country' here is our planet destroyed by polluting activities and wrong policies, biodiversity and everything. The concept of 'a way of helping ' is climate activism. A climate crisis that incorporates the intersectionality of the climate crisis. An activism that knows that the climate crisis is also a right crisis.
According to this definition of activism, harming art, which is one of the most important things that make the society 'society', which are the values of the societies, is not activism.
The Climate Crisis is a Rights Crisis.
As I mentioned in the introduction of the article, the climate crisis is an intersectional crisis. The Climate Crisis is therefore also a crisis of rights.
By negatively affecting the natural balance, the Climate Crisis significantly affects and changes public health, cultures, agriculture and economies. The effects of the climate crisis cause the groups that are marginalized due to gender, race and socio-economic status to be more socially, economically and politically oppressed and to be more affected by the climate crisis.
Also associated with this Climate justice is an expression that emphasizes those who have the least impact on the experience of climate change are those who are most affected by the negative consequences of climate change.
While China and America, where industrialization is intense, are the leading countries that play the biggest role in the occurrence of climate change, one of the regions most affected by this is Africa. In other words, the extraordinary climate events we experience do more damages to the people who have the least impact, not the people who cause it the most.
For these reasons, we must try to solve the climate crisis knowing that this crisis is a crisis of rights and justice that affects everything.
ATTENTION GREENWASHING!
One of the most important things to consider when working about the climate crisis is greenwashing. Greenwashing, also called "green sheen", is a form of advertising or marketing spin in which green PR and green marketing are deceptively used to persuade the public that organization's products, aims and policies are environmentally friendly. Companies that intentionally take up greenwashing communication strategies often do so in order to distance themselves from the environmental lapses of themselves or their suppliers.Without external monitoring and verification, greenwashing strategies amount to corporate posturing and deception.When a company decides to be responsibly and adopts a sustainable development vision, it may have to change its corporate culture deeply, in order to understand and appropriate the concept. I will give an example from the agenda on this subject.
Coca-Cola's sponsorship of COP27 for greenwashing
Coca-Cola has copped flak for sponsoring this year's UN climate conference (COP27) in Egypt. Because Coca- Cola the beverage manufacturer was even described as the "world's top polluter" in a 2021 brand audit report by Break Free From Plastic, a global alliance of organizations and individuals.Coca-Cola produces 120 billion disposable plastic bottles a year, and 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels, making both the plastic and the climate crisis worse. It has yet to acknowledge that this is a problem or explain how it will respond to its climate targets without ending their plastic addiction. This partnership completely contradicts the purpose of the event it aims to sponsor. For this reason, this situation is completely greenwashing.
The greenwashing doesn't just happen at big events or brands like this. Many places have greenwashing scams. That's why we need to pay attention to this. We have to turn them from this green scam to real green
A Research on Our Awareness
We asked some questions to our friends to understand their level of awareness on climate change.
- 100% of respondents know that greenhouse gases cause climate change
- 35% of the participants answered that we use greenhouse gases rarely, 45% said we use them, 5% said we do not use them, and 15% answered that we use them frequently.
- 100% of the participants know that urbanization affects climate change.
- 71% of the participants stated that Turkey's climate change is not given the necessary importance, while 28% stated that they were undecided on this issue.
- While 50% of the participants know about the project of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization to bring recycling bins to homes, 50% do not know this project.
- While 43% of the participants stated that they recycle foiled, brightly packaged paper, 56% stated that they did not.
- While 78% of the participants stated that they recycle, 21% stated that they do not recycle.
- While 65% of the participants knew that natural factors also cause climate change, 10% of the participants stated that natural factors do not affect climate change, and 25% stated that they had no opinion on this issue.
- While 3% of the participants think that climate change affects only humans, 96% know that the climate also affects other living things.
- While 86% of the participants stated that they would pass on the information they learned about climate change to those around them, 15% stated that they would not.
- While 66% of the participants had hope that climate change would get better, 33% stated that they had no hope.
Final Step-Take Action!!!
Now, it's your turn to apply what you've learned. The world is for all of us. Let's keep it for our future
Extras
You can find a few games to enjoy on the topic ;)