Television viewers around the world will get a special weather report on Thursday (21/3), as children appear on screen to deliver special predictions about their future, which is threatened by the climate crisis.
From CNN to France 2, and in languages ranging from Spanish to Arabic to Hindi, the show is part of an effort initiated by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and The Weather Channel.
“I'm Kaylee, with a very special weather report. From down there to up here, everything is weird,” eleven-year-old Kaylee told viewers. “This is not just a weather report for us. “This is our future,” he said.
In the report submitted by Kaylee, or Noam or Esteban in other languages, the temperature appears to continue to rise on the world map. That's just the beginning. The report then moves on to predictions for 2050, based on fires and houses collapsing due to the pressure of overflowing river water.
This one-minute report is scheduled to be broadcast in more than 80 countries on various TV channels and on online platforms.
The report will be published in French, English, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Swahili and even Thai and Portuguese, UNDP said in a press release.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau attends the sixth season premiere of “Game Of Thrones” at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, April 10, 2016. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
“Our children will be tomorrow's weather reporters, climate journalists, emergency aid workers and medical professionals,” said actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau of “Game of Thrones,” one of the initiative's ambassadors.
The campaign “shows us the faces of those who will be most impacted by our climate action.”
Another ambassador, actress Michelle Yeoh, said that “while their weather reports are currently fiction, it is vital that we take meaningful action to protect the planet for our children and future generations.”
There is a high possibility that in 2024 record high temperatures will be reached. Meanwhile the WMO said that last year was the peak of “the hottest 10-year period on record.”
ILLUSTRATION – Children playing in a fountain enjoying the end of a hot day at VDNKh (Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy) Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 27, 2022. (AP/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
“Our decisions today will shape the future of many generations to come. “This campaign is a call for urgent action for people and planet,” said WMO Secretary General Celeste Saulo.
Weather forecasting by children is a continuation of another UNDP campaign launched in 2021 in an effort to mobilize climate action.
In the campaign, a computer-generated dinosaur named Frankie barged into the UN General Assembly and exclaimed, “At least we have an asteroid. What is your reason?”
“Don't choose extinction. Save your species before it's too late.” (uh/ns)