I’m 13 and I speak for the planet. This is a cry for help

As summer wanes into autumn, here in the UK it has been moderately warm and pleasant. However, in Europe especially, the soaring temperatures of the hottest summer on record have caused more extreme wildfires and loss of life than ever before. These wildfires, and other extreme weather events were, in turn, caused by us.

We, who sit here in the comfort of airy, modern houses while 10 single-use, plastic fans whirr around, keeping us cool. Ironic, isn’t it?

The climate crisis is proving the ultimate test. Will the oh-so-advanced, pinnacle-of-evolution modern humans put aside their greed and ignorance, their desire for power and wealth above all else, to help the planet? Will we extend a hand of friendship and act, or lock ourselves away in a dark corner?

Will we be the heroes or the villains? Will we sacrifice the security of future generations, just so we can keep living in EXTREMELY limited luxury? Can the power-hungry hunters discover empathy just in time? Will we kill the fawn before it is born, or let it grow to reap the rewards? Will we act in time? Do YOU choose to act in time?

As many climate-aware people now know, around the year 2030, we will no longer be able to reverse the effects of climate change. Fast forward only six-and-a-half years and imagine hideous heatwaves and spiking temperatures, typhoons, floods and wildfires wreaking havoc all across the globe. Imagine hearing about all the casualties on the radio and knowing you could have done something. Imagine, the crushing guilt in remembering that you could have saved some of these lives.

We have to stop ignoring this.

Imagine how I feel. This is my future, all young people’s future, and if you ruin it, if nobody does anything, our lives will be ruined. Imagine the sadness of watching a world that you know used to be so beautiful.

Imagine the pain of watching it all slowly fall into ruins. All that beauty gone, all those lives wasted.

I say we prevent this. I say we harness the power of the population for good. I say we act, and those who don’t will be forced to. Because we are running out of time. We are running out of time, so we have to use this time to save the world.

Don’t you want to be remembered as a hero? So stop hiding and save this one. I speak for the planet, and this is a cry for help.

Do you want to be remembered as a heartless monster? Do you want our only planet, our only hope, our only future, to end up in ruins? If not, help.

Amélie Hunnable, 13

Address supplied

I’m not a brave man, but here goes! What an irrelevant hoo-ha narrow-minded people are having over the congratulatory kiss which occurred at the medal-giving ceremony of the women’s World Cup.

No, I would not and do not kiss anyone on the lips other than my partner. Additionally, I only offer a handshake to others I meet and greet. But I have never been to a such a heightened occasion, so am uncertain of what my reactions would be.

Surely a relatively innocent action such as a kiss, in these unique circumstances, should not attract the reaction it unfairly has? And certainly it should not have resulted in a governing body suspending their representative, the Spanish women’s team withdrawing their labour and wide disagreements about women’s rights?

To me, this shows just how narrow-minded some people have become.

This “kissing” episode has severely detracted from the magnificent spectacle of the Women’s World Cup. I watched in awe at the trickery, athleticism, effort and skill of the players. From all over the world, football players came together and elevated the women’s game to its rightful level and encouraged more participation of young women.

My hope is that common sense will prevail and no longterm damage will result.

Keith Poole

Basingstoke

Disappointing that the female Spanish football player, Jenni Hermoso, presumably felt forced to walk back her original comment after being kissed by the head of the Spanish football league – a man named Luis Rubiales.

After being grabbed by the head and having a kiss planted on her lips – which you could say amounts to a public assault – Jenni Hermoso said she “didn’t like it”.

A day later, after the public furore erupted in social media, the Spanish Football Federation put out a media statement quoting Ms Hermoso saying that the assault was “a spontaneous mutual gesture” (it wasn’t) “because of the immense joy winning a World Cup brings”. She continued: “The president and I have a great relationship, his behaviour with all of us has been outstanding and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude.” Oh dear. Gaslighting herself to protect this man’s position after he refused to resign after what he did, which was caught on camera.

Yet another woman is forced to sell out her honest reaction to a special assault by a man in a powerful position. This, despite all the support she had from Spanish women and politicians and the six Spanish football coaches who resigned in protest. The power of men in a patriarchal society. Depressing.

Genevieve Forde

Address supplied

Susan Alexander’s exasperation with Trump’s belief that his sulky mugshot will gain him more support isn’t surprising... we’re all thinking the same “over here”.

Oddly, we clearly aren’t able to empathise or resonate with the unfathomable blue-collar American mindset which seems almost childishly susceptible to his bizarre “charm”. How is it that two nations with such similarities, shared pasts and shared aspirations cannot both see this frankly cartoonish gargoyle of a man is anything other than a ridiculous joke?

To us, he’s beyond the pale and we struggle to understand why he’s seen as a serious option for US voters but then we don’t have to look far to see how a clearly non-serious, cartoonish “joke” option ended up as our prime minister... I’ll leave you to decide which one!

Steve Mackinder

Denver