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BBC OS Conversations: Climate change and the young

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Climate change and the young

08/12/2023 GMT

BBC World Service - BBC OS Conversations, Climate change and the young

Living with air pollution and decidng not to have children to save the planet

Living with air pollution and decidng not to have children to save the planet.

World leaders are currently meeting in Dubai for the United Nations’ COP23 climate summit to discuss how to cope with a changing global climate. At the same time, a new study has suggested that air pollution from using fossil fuels is responsible for five million avoidable deaths around the world every year.

Host James Reynolds brings together three young people in India, Uganda and Bangladesh to hear their concerns and what it’s like to live in a country struggling with air pollution.

“I got up, I looked out the window, nothing. I couldn’t even see my own lane. It was extremely sad,” said 12-year old Myra in Delhi, India. “I was getting ready to go to the school. I was going to my bus and I couldn’t see anything. Almost all days smog is covering the entire city. It’s suffocating.”

Three women from the United States, India and the UK - all in their twenties - also share why they decided to not have children in order to help save the planet.

“Every year has become more significant,” says Melissa in London, “and of course making changes in my own life to help the climate like being plant-based and not having children seems to be quite a good decision in that regard as well.”

(Photo: COP28 Climate Change Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 08 Dec 2023. Credit: ALI HAIDER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

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