I learnt about the direct effects of climate change which are happening currently such as the recession of land used for agriculture, the stress on sea defenses due to a rise in water levels and extreme weather. I believed that climate change would only affect us in the distant future and I feel this is a common misconception and therefore people aren’t concerned about their contribution to the planet. In the long run climate change and the extreme weather caused by this will have an affect on the environment such as biodiversity, air quality, forestry, water and desertification.

On consideration of politics I could see that there was a very deep link between this and climate change. Those in government are the people in power and ultimately they have the power to make decisions and change. They are able to set policies which are informed by research. Those taking action have had some positive outcomes and these include education the general public and the preservation of natural resources. As well as this they have taken steps to reduce the seriousness of our consequences and ensured that society can adapt to the changes being made.

Following the lecture and workshops, I was able to see on an individual level the impact that I have on climate change. Recently the area that I live in has been provided with a new system of recycling, this has involved a lot of community discussion where people have been able to support each other in how it will work. I feel that if I can follow procedures correctly I will be able to help make a change. As well as this I have been able to see that switching off a light or a socket although a very small change can in the long run make a big difference.

I know that the way in which I travel ( By Car ) has a significant effect on climate change. This is something which I would like to change but is difficult due to the shortage of public transport within my urban environment. In my view it is something which the government should consider when looking to make changes in relation to climate change. For example putting into place more transport links in smaller urban areas and do what they can to try and reduce costs.

Within the workshops we discussed if teaching climate change to children was important. I feel strongly about this issue and understand that it is something that on a variety of different levels should be taught to children no matter what background they come from as ultimately it is their world, their future and with their contribution a change over time could be made. This will therefore have an impact on my practice as a teacher as I will include it with my teaching and ensure that I am meeting areas of the curriculum which are linked to this topic. In my teaching I will keep the learning relevant to the children for example speak about current extreme weather which they will know about and have seen the impact of. This will help them to create an understanding and a knowledge base.

I feel that an area which I will have to read up on and further develop is The Greenhouse Effect. I have a basic understanding of what it is and how it effects us I would like to understand how it has formed, what gases form it and how it will change over the coming years.

An area of interest which I will explore further is the impact that climate change and the extreme weather. For example Hurricane Matthew which has had mass impacts on those living in places such as Haiti, I would like to like to look at the cause of this and the impact that it has had on the people within these areas. Having gained a B in higher geography I already have a basic understanding of this and it is something which I will always be interested in and try to keep up to date on.