BBC Young Reporter @ LCS

Climate change is severely affecting the wildlife around us and we need to do everything we can to help. Many animals are a risk of extinction due to fossil fuels being used too often. Some animals are endangered, meaning they will very soon become extinct, including; the wildcat, the black rat and the greater mouse eared bat. The wildcat’s population has decreased by 50% over the past ten years and will soon be put on the critically endangered list if its population decreases by 80% in ten years.

‘I don’t think that this is fair. Animals shouldn’t be dying because of us.’ Manal, a year 7 student at Littleover Community School, said.

I don't think this is fair. Animals shouldn't be dying because of us.

Manal, Yr7

I think that the worst thing is the amount of plastic in the ocean. It is estimated that by 2050 that there will be more weight of plastic in the ocean than fish.

Mr Pestell, teacher at LCS

Climate change is a big problem in the world. There are many solutions to this problem. Every day we are doing something to affect this: whether we’re helping or destroying.

The amount of energy used in the UK between 1998 and 2015 had dropped by 17%. In April 2018 the UK had been powered without coal for three days in a row. Since the 19th century coal had been used daily and last year he UK had its first 24-hour period that the country ran without fuel. This came to an end after 76 hours. Without the fossil fuel nearly a third of Britain’s fuel was supplied by gas, followed by windfarms and nuclear at about a quarter each. Gas powered 30.3%, wing powered 24.9%, nuclear powered 23.3%, imports, biomass and other powered 15.3% and solar powered 6.2% of power in Britain.

This is happening because fossil fuels create an effect like a blanket trapping heat from the sun which warms the Earth. This is known as ‘The Greenhouse Effect’. Carbon Dioxide is one of the harmful gases but trees absorb much of this gas as food. Although trees get rid of much of this gas it is still dangerous to the Earth as many trees are dying and being cut down to create wood for fuel and palm oil. Also this creates space for roads, farmland, dams and oil mines.

The Earth has had many ice ages and tropical climates but this is different because over the last 150 years humans have released huge amounts of harmful into the atmosphere causing the global temperature to increase rapidly.

Mr Pestell, a teacher at Littleover Community School said,

‘I think that the worst thing is the amount of plastic in the ocean. It is estimated that by 2050 that there will be more weight of plastic in the ocean than fish.'

Plastic is also a factor of animals dying since too much plastic is thrown away and it ends up in the ocean. This causes wildlife to be affected as some animals eat the plastic and it kills them as it is not digestible. Birds are also dying due to the plastic in the ocean because they pick up the plastic from the ocean and they may feed it their chicks or eat it and it sits in their stomachs and it kills them.

In conclusion, we must decrease the amount of fossil fuels and plastic we use to prevent any further damage and risk of animals becoming extinct.