Children sent a unique message to world leaders asking them to stop climate change

Act as One is an urgent call to action by the generation that will be most impacted by the climate crisis.

End of summer, the colors start to change, and the blue skies are gone. (photo: Alexander Verbeek)

I spent a long summer on the Dutch island of Schouwen-Duiveland and shared my impressions, thoughts, stories, and the island's history in 48 'Island Notes.' These newsletters were joyous, happy notes and photos about life on this beautiful island, its history, culture, and nature, reflecting the summer mood. 

Although this newsletter is only half a year old, the tradition to share more light content in the summer, around the end of the year, and on the weekends is something I started many years ago on Twitter. Writing about the destruction of our climate and biodiversity isn't an easy thing to do; reading too many reports about all the wrongs we commit towards the planet is quite depressing. So, a focus on the beauty of the earth, our only home in a hostile, cold universe, and on positive stories brings back a balance while it also reminds us what's at stake.

The church in Burgh, still in the sunlinght just before the rain (photo: Alexander Verbeek)

In the last weeks, when the late summer weather became more stormy, wet, and autumn-like, I left the happy summer concept and wrote more about environmental challenges. If you missed it, you can still read the posts of the past ten days about climate anxiety (and how to help your children) or the wildfires that threaten the giant sequoias in California. I also wrote about the warning of the UN Secretary-General that we face the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetime, and about the role of the UN Security Council on the climate's impact on security. There was a post on wind turbines, and I wrote on how hard it is to imagine the future. That doesn't mean that I will deprive you of positive stories and my photography. I posted, for instance, on Wednesday these pictures of autumn in my village. 

I want to thank all paying subscribers who make this publication possible and motivate me to write about the planet. This summary of recent posts is mainly for the new supporters of the last weeks to welcome you and get you started. It is also for those of you that need the weekend to catch up on reading. Finally, this newsletter is also for those that like to read it but can't support it; please stay and enjoy; you are all welcome. 

The dunes, a short walk from home (photo: Alexander Verbeek)

I will be traveling a lot in the next two weeks, and I don't know if there is enough time to write, but I will likely have more pictures to share. So expect photos and travel impressions, perhaps a different style, size, or frequency, and I will be back in the regular writing mode in mid-October. 

I am proud of my nephew Jens, who is one of these 2000 kids. Like all the others, he asks the world leaders to stop climate change and act as one. (shot from video)

Today's post combines the 'island notes,' positive news, as well as the climate crisis and COP26. It is a fascinating project of pupils from every primary and secondary school on the island Schouwen-Duiveland. These 2000 kids, youngsters, and some adults who volunteered, under the guidance of the creative minds of Act as One, made a unique animation to deliver an urgent message to COP26 to stop climate change and act as one.

The project consists of two parts that supplement one another in content: the Gauge and the Animated Movie. First, a 40-meter high gauge was painted on the grain warehouse in Zierikzee, creating an enormous landmark on Schouwen-Duiveland. The second part is the three-minutes animated movie, which presents the message on climate change in a way I have never seen it done before.

I hope you will watch, like, and share the YouTube video of the living climate message for our world leaders: Act as One. 

---

If you are a paying subscriber: thank you for your support!

I write this newsletter because I believe that together we can do better on this beautiful but fragile planet.

This newsletter is an independent production. Accordingly, I have never accepted any advertising offers. I also aim to make as many editions as possible available for free.

Support from those who can afford it makes this independent newsletter available to all. You can join this initiative by taking a paid subscription.

If the cost of this newsletter ($6/month, $60/year) would create any financial strain, please stay on the free list; I value all readers.

---

---

Notes:

For more information: https://actasone.nl/nl/

---