Discussion questions
- We often think of climate change as a distant issue that affects polar bears or future generations, but in reality it is here now, affecting us in ways that matter to all of us. How are we being affected by climate change within the UK? What infrastructure do we have in place to protect us from extreme weather events?
- Katharine uses the example of a camel who ‘is malnourished, underfed, in poor health and already overloaded’. How useful is this image for considering poverty?
- Katharine compares climate change to a hole in a bucket: if we don’t patch that hole then the money we spend on other great needs, such as education or farming, will not take people out of poverty. What do you think about that?
- 'Climate change is not only an environmental issue. Climate change is a poverty issue. It’s a hunger issue. It’s an issue of inequality and injustice. It’s a human issue. And that’s why we care.' Is this how you think of climate change or have you seen it as more of an environmental issue?
Action to take
Watch Orbisa’s story and the effect of climate change on her and her family. If you feel that you want to give financially, or hear a church talk on how communities are struggling to survive due to climate change, then explore Tearfund’s Your Neighbour Is Thirsty campaign.
More from Katharine
If you want to hear more from Katharine on the issues raised in Study Two, you can listen to her here: ‘Developing countries need fossil fuels to reach the standard of living we enjoy, right?’ and 'Is carbon dioxide really a pollutant?'
