Shell Malaysia Limited and the New Straits Times, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, are collaborating on a year-long campaign to develop an awareness of climate change issues among primary and secondary school students. CHRISTOPHER GEORGE reports.

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DROUGHT. Extreme weather events. Rising sea levels. Water scarcity.

Flooding. Rock avalanches.

Lower crop yields. Disease and death. Overturning of natural ecosystems.

These are not just buzzwords of an age. These are the realities facing the world today — the impact of global warming on countries.

Though global warming has been receiving considerable worldwide attention in recent years, many are still unaware of their role in contributing to the problem and unsure of how they can become the solution.

To quote the 17th century philosopher and poet, John Donne, “No man is an island entire of itself, each man is a part of the continent, part of the main spacing... every man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls my brother, for thee.” The global warming bell heralding cataclysmic change is tolling for all mankind.

The threats are imminent, and if mankind continues to exploit the world’s resources, pollute its air and water, lay waste its lands, in less than 50 years, it will be too late to reverse what has already been set in motion.

It is with this thought in mind that Shell Malaysia Limited and the New Straits Times, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, are collaborating on a year-long campaign to develop an awareness of climate change issues among primary and secondary school students.

The first part of the campaign will involve secondary students in a series of nationwide journalism workshops focusing on global climate change issues.

The aim is to create and sustain awareness of the devastating effects of global warming on the planet.

The workshops — which will kick-start the campaign — will run from April to May in Kuala Lumpur, Port Dickson, Ipoh, Penang, Malacca, Kuching, Johor Baru, Kota Baru, Kota Kinabalu and Kuantan.

About 800 students and 200 teachers are expected to participate in these workshops, whose content will help students to draw up a list of important issues and to come up with a manifesto of change that they would like to see as possible solutions to the problems.

All this will be interwoven into the creative fabric of journalism.

The workshop content is also intended to further the student development goals of the National Blueprint for Education announced last year.

The workshops will culminate in students submitting articles, photos and posters on global warming for publication in a World Environment Day supplement to be published in the New Straits Times and Berita Harian on June 5.

Participating students will also be enrolled as pioneer members of the NST MEDIA CLUB, where they will continue to submit articles for publication on global climate change issues from May to December.

Students’ work will also be posted on NST’s NIE online site for schools — NiEXUS.

In addition to this, these students will be given support to start media clubs in schools and create online or printed newspapers for their schools.

They will get the opportunity to engage in other club activities which will include internships during the school holidays and participation in the Online Newspaper of the Year contest hosted in collaboration with Jaring Communications Sdn Bhd.

The Shell-NST Global Climate Change Campaign will end with an Inventors Contest that all primary and secondary schools can take part in from May to September.

Students are urged to send in proposals on how they would create simple products that use water, wind and solar energy.

During the contest period, participating schools have access to scientific workshops that will further the objectives of the competition.

Teachers of schools that have responded to the invitation to participate are pleased that their students will have the opportunity of expanding their knowledge and skills.

Khairul Anuar Yang Ahmad, head of the English Department at SMK King Edward VII in Taiping, Perak, says: “This is a rare opportunity for students to explore journalism and develop interest in writing, especially creative writing, because they seldom get this sort of opportunity in academic writing.

“The workshop will evoke their interest and make them delve into the issues of global climate change, which will be a concern for them in the future.

The Inventors Contest too will encourage their exploration of creative and analytical thinking and improve their scientific knowledge.

“I believe there is a solution to every problem if we put our heads together. I am sure this is what students attending the workshop will come away with,” adds Khairul Anuar.