Climate Awareness Book for Kids

Climate change Is an urgent problem and to tackle this is of the most importance. This book is aimed to bring an awareness of the world we live in to children, it is aimed towards kids of the ages 7-13. Here is a link to a version of the book that allows you to flip through page by page like a book.

https://www.paperturn-view.com/us/birthdayesi/kids-awareness-book-final-pdf-10-may?pid=ODk89890

The book was divided into sections to correspond with the main colors of the spectrum of light, starting with red. Red has components such as uncertainty, worry and lower energy. That’s why I chose to correspond this color with the ‘Did you know’ page. I wanted there to be a gradual transition from facts to hope which is most prevalent at the end pages and the last paragraphs of each section. The last color which is Indigo corresponds with the ‘Projects’ page. This is color is associated with higher energy (high frequency and vibrations of rays of light on the spectrum). All illustrations were done by me using a drawing application on the Ipad. The text was edited by Professor Joanna Huxster and Frempongma Wadee to ensure the best language was appointed towards children. I had sent the book out to relatives and friends as a test run to receive feedback. I received feedback such as the book being very informative on environmental issues and the book being a creative way to engage children with the environment and issues pertaining to climate change. 54 people have viewed the book  around the world since I posted it on Facebook on the 10^th of May. 3 out of the 54 respondents have viewed the book on blogger. 

In the book I gave a positive outlook in terms of a vision and obtaining a goal this allows for more efficient and hopeful approach that doesn't leave the audience confused and with no direction. It is important to get the audience interested in the environment and climate change, and that's why this book is designed the way it is. Stoknes brings up a very valid point in his discussions on how people excuse certain actions such little individualistic gains as having a large affect in terms of contributing immensely to climate change. I am aware of this concept and the ways it is noted to backfire. It is important to be aware of such psychological accidents when communicating on solutions towards climate change involvement. My book aims to instill little children with firm beliefs in facts about climate change with a positive outlook so that they are better informed and are interested and taking action especially when the time comes for them to make largely influenced decisions such as voting in advocating for policy . The article ‘Climate change education for mitigation and adaptation’ by Allison Anderson et al. ‘discusses ‘the education sector an untapped opportunity to combat climate change’ this can easily be due to political polarization and where funding are sourced from for schools.

Efficient climate change communication requires one to frame climate change to overcome boundaries creating a solution by using opportunity framing as Stoknes discusses in great detail in his text. For example in the book I discuss solar power which is a positive gain and can correlate with climate change adaptation.

It was quite difficult at the beginning figuring out how to make all the colors correspond with climate change issues. I do believe it all worked out at the end because a lot of facts appertaining to climate change are covered. I admire how I can combine my visual arts major along with my environmental studies major. This made me enjoy doing the project a lot more and allowed me to work ongoing hours without a break. I am proud of creating means of communicating to young children about vital issues that pertain to each and every one of us. I hope my book would spark some interest in regards to caring for the climate change issues. Hopefully this book will remain ingrain in the children’s mind and cause them to stand up like Greta Thunberg and grow into caring adults who aspire for a more sustainable future.

References

 Alexander, R. (2010). Children, their world, their education. Final report and recommendations of the Cambridge Primary Review.

Anderson, A. (2012). Climate change education for mitigation and adaptation. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 6(2), 191-206

Balbus, J. M., & Malina, C. (2009). Identifying vulnerable subpopulations for climate change health effects in the United States. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 51(1), 33-37.

Hayhoe, Katharine. "Yeah, the Weather Has Been Weird." Foreign Policy 224 (2017): 40-45.

Ojala, M. (2012). How do children cope with global climate change? Coping strategies, engagement, and well-being. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 32(3), 225-233.

Stoknes, P. E. (2015). What we think about when we try not to think about global warming: Toward a new psychology of climate action. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Pruneau, D., Liboiron, L., Vrain, É., Gravel, H., Bourque, W., & Langis, J. (2001). People's Ideas about Climate Change: A Source of Inspiration for the Creation of Educational Programs. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 6, 121-138.