Student Concerns over Climate Change
By Barbara Stanford
Climate change is an immediate challenge to many of our students. Their letters to sponsors reflect their concerns.
In the fall of 2023, Pabel Daniel Quispe Callisaya, a student of medicine at Franz Tamayo University wrote, “It seems that the planet is ending. In La Paz-Bolivia we are in a severe drought, and as we know, water is an essential element to all life. In the area where I live, at night they ration our water. Since there’s less water, food prices have also increased.”
As a future doctor, Pabel is particularly concerned about the health consequences of climate change. He wrote, “In October and November we have what’s called chaqueo” a slash and burn practice in the Yungas, a humid, subtropical region in western Bolivia. “...people burn a large amount of land to plant and the air in the city becomes toxic.” According to Pabel, “The elderly and people dealing with the consequences of COVID are especially affected by respiratory problems. If there were better environmental policies, we would reduce health cases of this type.”
Liseth Copa Lupa, who graduated last fall from the Public University in El Alto in Business Administration wrote, “...every year we feel the changes more than the previous year. It is sad to see how we destroy ourselves. I ask the Lord to grant our authorities wisdom so they can understand. In El Alto, people only think about themselves and how they can generate money at the expense of everything. It is sad to see. I saw a speech about climate change a year ago by Leonardo Di Caprio when he spoke at the UN, I recommend you see it. His statement “You will either be lauded by future generations or vilified by them.” really stuck with me. It is up to us to change our future.”
Eddy Nelson Nogales Paco, who is studying aeronautics at the University of San Andres, wrote, “The past couple of months were the most stressful of the year, partly because of the long distance I have to walk but also because of the weather got worse just as I was working on a presentation about the effect of air pollution on bees. In my research, I found an alarming article by the UN, “The era of global warming has ended and the era of global boiling begins.” It is alarming because climate change is getting more serious, with droughts, and heat waves.
Veronica Chalco Blanco, studying to become a public accountant is also concerned about climate change. she said, “Many areas in Bolivia are running out of water” and she’s worried about relatives who live in the countryside who say there is no point in sowing seeds since the land is so dry. She is thankful there is still water in her area, but the river near her house is drying up.
These reflections on climate change were written by BQEF scholarship students in the fall of 2023. More recently, in March 2024, La Paz, Bolivia declared a state of emergency due to catastrophic rains and flooding. This year’s Quaker Study Tour will be focused on the topic of Climate Change and Adaptation. Please donate to our Youth Scholarship Fund so that young Quakers can participate in this life-changing experience.
