Arjun Marwaha. Our Changing Earth.

Arjun Marwaha. Our Changing Earth. Why Climate Change Matters to Young People. Independently published, 2019

Our Changing Earth is written primarily for young people. Arjun Marwaha, who was only sixteen years old when he published Our Changing Earth, explores some of the major environmental challenges facing us today – challenges that will determine the future of young people and their children.

Marwaha discusses and explains the main and most disturbing consequences of environmental change, including rising temperatures, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and extreme events. Part three of Our Changing Earth is devoted to the implications – physical, social, and emotional, of such events for human health and happiness. Each implication is supported by solid research.

The final section of Our Changing Earth suggests several ways of either adapting to or combatting the climate crisis.

Marwaha’s message, ‘Nature is giving us an ultimatum: change our ways or perish’, is made abundantly clear. While he acknowledges that some of our climate problems have natural causes, most are the result of human activity, and especially industrial activity. It is the young people who will face the greatest challenges. Understanding what these are is essential if we are to take action and ensure not only the future of young people but also that of their children.

It is Marwaha’s hope that Our Changing Earth will help young people to explore opportunities and ‘solve issues in small, yet meaningful ways’. Social media are particularly important in this context. Indeed, Marwaha argues that social media is at the very core of teenage identity. But the media are not the only possibilities: we can, for example, change our lifestyle, use carpools, and follow news headlines in order to keep up to date.

Marwaha understands the power of words. Communication, sharing knowledge, and awakening awareness of the seriousness of our current and steadily deteriorating situation are crucial. Our Changing Earth is a step in the right direction, and has a special power because it is written by a young person for young people – the most important generation, the one that will inherit our Earth.