For our Share-a-Story Challenge this week, we invite you to create a story about Climate that champions the health of our planet. From saving endangered animals to developing sustainable living, you could take your story in many different directions.
We live on a very special planet – one unlike any other in our Solar System. Our planet provides us with air, water, food and an atmosphere that protects us from dangerous radiation.
But Earth has been significantly damaged by human activity. By burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests, we have increased greenhouse gas emissions to dangerous levels. Oceans and forests can’t absorb those gases quickly enough to compensate for our actions.
When we view Earth from space, it still looks like an enchanting blue marble filled with life. But satellites show us a different picture of our home planet, through the data they collect. Observing Earth from space has become an important tool in understanding climate change.
Climate change is a complex issue, one that affects life on Earth in many different ways. Authors are helping young readers learn about its impact through books like Charlie and Lola: Look After Your Planet, A Planet Full of Plastic and How You Can Help and Earth Heroes: Twenty Inspiring Stories of People Saving Our World.
But words aren’t the only way to tell a story. When ESA astronaut Tim Peake was aboard the International Space Station, he took beautiful photos of Earth, creating a visual story of our planet. You can be inspired by these photos too in our Looking at the Earth from Space activity. They remind us of how precious our planet is and how we are part of a much larger network of existence.
Share your stories with us by using #discoverydiaries on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And don’t forget to check out the National Share-a-Story Month reading list, for more important books about climate change.
Photo by Tim Peake. Credits: ESA/NASA
