“It’s so hot!” I groaned, dreaming of ice-cream and cool glasses of lemonade as I took refuge under a daybed in the Spa. “It’s the same everywhere I go,” sighed Solstice, a friendly hawksbill turtle, basking in the shallows nearby. “Our ecosystems are going into meltdown, literally: Arctic sea ice is disappearing at a rate of nine percent per decade!”

I thought of those funny, furry white bears I’d read about and wondered where on earth they’d live once the ice was gone…

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Solstice continued. “Global warming causes unpredictable weather phenomena like storms, wildfires, droughts and hurricanes. Eighty percent of the Maldives lie less than a metre above water, so the island communities, flora and fauna are really threatened by rising sea levels.”

“And as for turtles like me, the temperature of our nest determines whether eggs hatch male or female. Our population will seriously decline with no boys about!”

I was rapidly filling my notebook. “Can you get humans to help too?” Solstice asked. “Since pre-industrialism – when they started building things – the planet has got 1°C warmer, so we need their support to make a difference.”

“It’s so hot!” I groaned, dreaming of ice-cream and cool glasses of lemonade as I took refuge under a daybed in the Spa. “It’s the same everywhere I go,” sighed Solstice, a friendly hawksbill turtle, basking in the shallows nearby. “Our ecosystems are going into meltdown, literally: Arctic sea ice is disappearing at a rate of nine percent per decade!”

I thought of those funny, furry white bears I’d read about and wondered where on earth they’d live once the ice was gone…

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Solstice continued. “Global warming causes unpredictable weather phenomena like storms, wildfires, droughts and hurricanes. Eighty percent of the Maldives lie less than a metre above water, so the island communities, flora and fauna are really threatened by rising sea levels.”

“And as for turtles like me, the temperature of our nest determines whether eggs hatch male or female. Our population will seriously decline with no boys about!”

I was rapidly filling my notebook. “Can you get humans to help too?” Solstice asked. “Since pre-industrialism – when they started building things – the planet has got 1°C warmer, so we need their support to make a difference.”

She explained how coal, oil and natural gas – used to power everything from televisions to trains, planes and computer games – are major contributors to global warming.

“They need to be swapped for clean alternatives, like solar power,” Solstice waved a flipper towards the panels here at Landaa. “Much better for the economy than importing expensive fuels from far away,” she added.

“So, if everyone helps, it’s not too late to prevent a climate catastrophe?” I asked hopefully. Solstice agreed. “In fact in 2015, leaders from 195 countries met in Paris and pledged to keep global warming below 2°C – and if possible, get it down to 1.5°C,” she said.  “But they need public support to make it happen by 2020.”

I have heard the phrase ‘global warming’ so much, it sometimes becomes meaningless, but that’s one of the biggest dangers of all. We must all take responsibility, play our part, and keep COOL – every little bit helps!

She explained how coal, oil and natural gas – used to power everything from televisions to trains, planes and computer games – are major contributors to global warming.

“They need to be swapped for clean alternatives, like solar power,” Solstice waved a flipper towards the panels here at Landaa. “Much better for the economy than importing expensive fuels from far away,” she added.

“So, if everyone helps, it’s not too late to prevent a climate catastrophe?” I asked hopefully. Solstice agreed. “In fact in 2015, leaders from 195 countries met in Paris and pledged to keep global warming below 2°C – and if possible, get it down to 1.5°C,” she said.  “But they need public support to make it happen by 2020.”

I have heard the phrase ‘global warming’ so much, it sometimes becomes meaningless, but that’s one of the biggest dangers of all. We must all take responsibility, play our part, and keep COOL – every little bit helps!