Good news but...

At the United Nations climate conference (COP 21) in Paris on 12 December 2015, the world's nations made history. At long last, they had reached a fair deal to limit climate change. Things were looking good, at last. But in June 2017, the USA — the world's second biggest polluter — pulled out of the deal agreed amongst 197 of the world's countries. Other world leaders were horrified but now, led by China and the European Union, they seem more than ever determined to stick to the 2015 deal. It looks like the USA, under President Donald Trump's leadership, will lurch backwards by supporting polluting fossil fuels for short-term gain. Sadly, this not only makes the future look more difficult for today's kids. It also means that the USA will likely lose its lead in renewable energy technologies. These are the future.

The USA spews out about 18 per cent of the world's carbon pollution, second only to China, which emits about 20 per cent, but is home to around three times as many people.

These are ways of making, mostly, electric energy using the sun's power directly (as in solar panels, also called PV or photovoltaic panels) or indirectly using wind power. There are other methods for making and storing energy too and they are all renewable – which means they can be used for ever without the global warming-causing pollution you get from fossil fuels. What are fossil fuels? These are coal, oil and natural gas, all of which will run out... but not before the pollution they create fries the planet if humans are stupid enough to continue using them!

Today's kids — you! – will be tomorrow's adults. It is you who will have to sort out the terrible mess left to you by your parents' and grandparents' generations.