AIYESHA SWARNN

Hi! My name is Aiyesha, and I am currently pursuing my bachelor's degree in History and International Relations to further pursue my interest in public policy. I am passionate about bringing young people forward to decision-making processes and discussions that have a social and environmental impact.
Due to this, my climate journey began when I noticed some students protesting about climate action at my university. Climate action these days focuses on mitigation and adaptation. There is little to no information on climate restoration and up to now, not many people realise what it is.

Climate restoration is all about using different methods to support the primary aim of restoring the climate to its healthy CO2 levels through carbon removal. This can come in many forms, such as synthetic limestone, direct air capture and tree planting.

I believe climate restoration is the answer we are looking for because, at the moment, we are not caring for the Earth, and millions of innocent people are suffering as a result. I used to believe that climate change did not matter, and this was careless of me.

Family that I have in the rural parts of Punjab, India, is severely affected and impacted by climate change as increased average temperatures are reducing the yield of all major crops in Punjab. My uncle, for instance, was a farmer in India and had vast amounts of land where he grew wheat, but because of soil erosion, water scarcity and intense heat, he no longer owns that land, nor does he farm anymore.

This makes me feel hopeless and afraid because what if the same happens in the United Kingdom? Where farmers are going out of business and are forcefully made to sell their land. Could this potentially be the new norm?

These are the questions I ask myself continually, and these questions are the motivation behind my climate activism. I don’t want other young people to have climate anxiety, which is why I am using my platforms, such as Uprising and Studenteer, which are student-based newsletters in the UK, to write about the different ways individuals can contribute to the climate restoration action. I do this by interviewing various students and asking them about their views on climate change whilst providing solutions to help relieve individuals of their climate anxiety.

Together we can help make a difference and finally combat climate change.

• You can connect with Aiyesha on LinkedIn here.