Who is Romina Pourmokhtari?
Romina Pourmokhtari is a 26-year-old politician from Sweden. Though she was born and brought up in the area around Stockholm, her parents are originally from Iran.
She joined politics at the young age of 18. In 2019, she became the chairman of the Liberal Youth of Sweden, an organisation of Sweden’s Liberal Party.
She is the Minister of Climate and Environment in Sweden’s new government. As of today, Ms. Pourmokhtari is the youngest person to become a [[minister::A senior member of the government who is in charge of a government department.]] in the country.
Why should young people care about the climate?
The Earth’s climate undergoes shifts every few million years, mostly due to natural causes. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main reason for climate change.
By burning [[fossil fuels::Fuel such as coal/oil that formed over millions of years from parts of dead plants and animals.]], cutting down trees, and purchasing a lot of goods, we have unfortunately caused global temperatures to rise.
If the temperatures continue to rise, our planet may face more [[droughts::Refers to a long period of time without any rainfall or water.]], [[wildfires::A huge fire that burns natural areas like forests, grasslands, etc.]], sea level rise, loss of [[biodiversity::The large number of plant and animal species that live on Earth.]], etc.
Young people should know about climate change and its effects because they will ultimately look after the planet. Their participation is necessary to fight the climate [[crisis:: A time of great danger or difficulty.]].
Who is Greta Thunberg?
Greta Thunberg became famous because of her protest outside the Swedish parliament in 2018. She was only 15 years old at the time.
She wanted her government to reduce its [[carbon emissions::Refers to the carbon dioxide gas released by planes, cars, factories, etc., which is harmful to the environment.]] to the level agreed on at the [[Paris Climate Accords::It is an international treaty on climate change that was adopted by almost all countries in 2015.]]. Her bravery has been an inspiration to millions of young people around the world.
What can we do to protect the planet from climate change?
Not all of us can be Greta Thunberg, but we can still make a difference by changing our lifestyles to [[benefit::To be useful or profitable.]] the planet. We should carry [[reusable::to use again or use more than once.]] cloth bags when we leave the house. It will help reduce the use of plastic bags.
We can collect all [[recyclable::Refers to things that can be used again after some treatment.]] products at home (such as used notebooks, pens, empty cartons, old newspapers, etc.) and sell them to a recycler.
We should try to purchase clothes less often and instead wear our old clothes for longer periods. It will not just save our parents’ money but also [[conserve::To protect something.]] Earth’s limited [[resources::Natural substances necessary to support life, such as wood, water, etc.]].
What did we learn from this article?
We learned about Sweden’s youngest climate minister, Ms. Romina Pourmokhtari. We now understand the importance of being aware of climate issues.
We also read about Greta Thunberg, an inspiring young girl working to protect our planet. We can all do our bit by reusing, recycling, and reducing our purchases.
How do you plan on helping the environment? Tell us in the comments below
Quick Revision
Romina Pourmokhtari – 26-year-old Swedish politician of Iranian origin, youngest Climate and Environment Minister.
Climate change is mainly caused by human activities like burning fuels and cutting trees.
Young people must act since they’ll inherit the planet.
Greta Thunberg inspired millions by protesting for lower carbon emissions.
We can help by reusing, recycling, and reducing waste to protect
Earth.
