UN Climate Expert Answers Kids' Burning Questions in Victoria

When 11-year-old Murphy Tripp raised his hand, he had one worry on his mind: will there still be snow to ski on when he grows up?

His question was one of many posed to Elisa Morgera, the United Nations special rapporteur on climate change, during her visit to Bright P-12 College in northeast Victoria. Students fired off questions ranging from "when did climate change begin?" to "which countries are handling it best?"

Professor Morgera travels the world as an independent expert on climate-related human rights, but she said answering children's questions was crucial work. She told students the media often makes things sound hopeless, but that's not reality.

The visit connected to an existing project called Climate Kids, a University of Melbourne video series where scientists answer questions from primary school students. Co-producer Lily O'Neill launched the project after her son was evacuated during bushfires and came home with unanswered questions.

"They ask the best questions," O'Neill said. "They are not embarrassed about what they should or shouldn't know and they get right to the heart of the issue."

Professor Morgera shared an important message about renewable energy with the students. The switch away from fossil fuels needs to happen, but it has to be done right, protecting everyone's human rights and making sure no communities get left behind.

Year 4 student Hazel Pike felt encouraged by what she heard. "I feel like we can make a change if society actually puts their mind to it," she said.

Why This Inspires

Research shows 89 percent of Australian kids aged 12 and 13 worry about climate change. Rather than dismissing those concerns or sugar-coating the truth, programs like Climate Kids prove there's a better way forward.

When adults take children's questions seriously and answer them honestly, something powerful happens. Fear transforms into understanding, and understanding becomes action.

Year 6 student Elsie Fenton acknowledged the challenge ahead. "We've created something wrong with the planet, we've hurt the planet," she said. But she and her classmates aren't sitting in despair. They're planting trees, asking questions, and learning how to be part of the solution.

Murphy still worries about losing his beloved ski slopes, but now he understands the bigger picture and knows change is possible.