​Shalini's Story - India

Shalini lives in Mumbai India, and every day she walks two miles to go to school. Her neighbourhood is becoming busier every year, and the road she walks along to go to school has many more cars, making the pollution very bad. Also, the last two summers have had record-breaking hot temperatures. Together this makes it hard to breathe, making her tired and struggle to concentrate in school.

Burning fossil fuels not only produces greenhouse gasses that warm the planet, but also other pollutions that can harm health or affect food and water supplies. Scientists estimate that up to 9 million deaths each year are associated with air pollution. Often it is the poorest, who cannot afford to move to cleaner areas, who are most affected.

Reading Aloud

Imagine you are Shalini. Talk about the story as if it was your own.

Discuss.

Describe how you feel about the effects of climate change on your local environment, explain what you would want others to know about your situation and changes you would like to see in the near future.