It's an exciting time for football fans across the world. At the Young Writers' Club, teens who are sports enthusiasts and otherwise came together to talk about World Cup going green. What that means to them? Should events such as World Cup be banned to reduce emissions etc. were some issues that were discussed.
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If you follow football, you would know that this is Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup. If Portugal had reached the finals, his exit would have felt sweet. Portugal lost to Morocco, making his exit a sad one not just for him but all his fans. His fans even on the Young Writers’ Club lamented how, they will not be able to see him play once again at the World Cup.
What’s in a title? The key to writing something that will be read.
Given this context, the article titled “What would a green World Cup look like?” perplexed all the teens. The title, they said, confused them but strangely made them curious too. Interestingly both the sports enthusiasts and the others shared similar reactions. They wanted to know more.
What’s green about World Cup?
Are they referring to the green grass? Are they referring to the environment consciousness movement? Could it be the littering problem that stadiums often face? Could it be in reference to the newly built stadium with recyclable materials in Qatar that can be dismantled after use?
The Climate Change Angle?
After briefly discussing climate change caused by carbon di oxide emissions across the world, we dived into the article to know more. How does a huge event such as this one cause climate change?
The preparations
Qatar expected 1.2 million visitors, a vast majority arriving by air. These people need good hotels to stay in, convenient modes of transport and whole lot of other facilities. New roads, metros and hotels were built. Starting with the aircraft flights, significant carbon emissions occurred. More traffic, more vehicles on roads added to the emissions count. New buildings added to the carbon footprint, an angle that is not widely discussed and hence not understood.
If the World Cup contributes to climate change, should it be banned? Is that the solution?
A very interesting discussion followed when this question was raised. Here is an account of the teens’ views on the matter.
Banning an event of this kind which is enjoyed by millions cannot be the answer. We must devise alternate ways to tackle climate change. The pandemic changed the way sports events took place- sans physical audience. The events were telecasted live across the world. This could help save energy and prevent emissions from increased flights.
Attending an event of this kind is an experience that is one of a kind. There is something magical about experiencing a match live in the company of other fans. There is some energy to be experienced which cannot be witnessed at home even on a large screen. The events are prohibitively expensive hence making sure that fans undertake the trip may be once or perhaps twice and not every time it happens.
Children attended online school during the pandemic. Can we continue it now in the name of reduced emissions, since they don’t need to travel? If that doesn’t make sense, the same is true for World Cup as well.
Should the infrastructure projects be phased out over a long period of time to conserve resources and reduce the impact of emissions? Typically these projects are time consuming and having a narrow time frame for an event helps with development.
Employment opportunities
Help spread awareness about climate change and action to reverse it.
Could reducing the size of the stadiums help? The area used to play the game cannot be reduced but the seating area around it could be reduced.
Perhaps it leads the way to newer inventions.
Time having run out, we wrapped up the session on the note, that banning an event that interests and entertains millions cannot be the answer. This is a problem that must be approached differently.
At the Young Writers' Club, every week, we read and discuss curated articles that cover current affairs and intriguing stories from across the world. The purpose is manifold.
Become more aware
Discover new perspectives and ways of thinking.
Share information to help one another establish connections across matters and gain a macro perspective of worldly matters.
Actively listen to one another, raise questions, encourage free thinking and possible ways to resolve a real life problem.
Observe and analyse writing approaches.
Contributing one's thoughts and perspectives with clarity in group discussions every week thus enhancing self confidence in public speaking.
The Young Writers' Club program is designed for teens in the age group 13-15. If you would like to know more please fill in the contact form and we will revert asap.
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