A Burning Planet

• Ingrid Schreiber, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2008

Alice sat on the school wall, swinging her tanned legs out in front of her. The day was tiring and hot, and she was sweating like a pig in a sauna. The sun shone down on the messy school yard, highlighting the graffiti on the toilet block, and the rubbish scattered around the playground. Sometimes Alice wished she went to a more elegant school, a school with clean toilets and considerate teachers, a school that at least had a shade cloth over the courtyard at lunch. It wasn’t just Alice who was feeling this heat on a September day, no less. Forty degrees in the start of spring, was, after all, ridiculous, Alice thought to herself. Alice lived in Adelaide, a city that had been mostly cool or mild, but ever since the early twenty-first century the weather was as crazy as the city itself. She could barely remember a time when the sun was active only in summer and spring, and they would have to light the fire on a winter day. Alice’s grandmother, Ingrid, used to tell her tales of a world without the everlasting heat, a world where the sun could take a break once in a while. Before she had died, some three years ago, Ingrid told Al stories of her childhood, about living in the hills, where they welcomed the sun, for on a hot day, she could pop next door for a swim in her best friend’s pool. Of course, that was almost a century ago, and pools had since then disintegrated. Alice remembered when Ingrid had first told her about the things she used to have, and the things she used to do, Al had scoffed and laughed at her old grandmother’s old fashioned taste. She couldn’t believe that people had once actually used those old CV, no CD things to hold music. She even doubted whether you could buy a MP3 player anymore! Once, for grandma’s birthday, Al had tried to buy her an old DVD player that actually had a tray. She found one at the museum, but they refused to let her purchase it, as it was a perfect example of the way people used to live. The world, it seemed was a very different place, to what it was when her grandmother was her age (which is, by the way, 13 years, one month, and twelve days). Shortly before she had died, Ingrid had given her a small momentum of what the world used to be like, before the Global warming had kicked in. It was a photo album of Ingrid’s childhood in the Adelaide hills, eighty seven years before now. The case was leather, and decorated with golden swirls, holding the photos in place. Smiling Ingrids gazed up at her whenever she opened it. After she had tried to take it to school with her, Lily (her mother) had insisted that she leave it at home for safekeeping. After two arguments, and a few tears, Alice agreed, and now it was kept in her wooden chest for treasures, underneath her bed. A loud bell ringing brought Alice back to where she was, in the hot school yard. Al bit a large chunk out of the ice-block she had been eating, but had been left forgotten when she was caught up in the past. Alice was about to take the last bite of her icy-pole, when she stopped suddenly and stared at it. The heat of the sun had almost melted it completely. And as the last drips fell to the ground Alice wondered if that was the future of the world, her world. Slowly melting, slowly dying, and slowly falling apart. Drip, drip, drip. The sun shone, and showed no mercy.

Eighty seven years earlier, present day, 2007.

Ingrid sat on the green school grass among her friends Emily, Alex, Claire, and Emma. They were about to have science after lunch and as they were doing projects on the effects of global warming and burning fossil fuels, they were having a discussion about their future.
“I mean” Claire began, plucking out a tuft of grass as she spoke, “It’s not as if it’s really going to affect us.”
“It might not even be real.” Said Emma reasonably, as always “All we know is what the media chooses to tell us. Which could really be anything they want us to believe!”
Emma, with her straight brown hair, and wide eyes, had a habit of being a complete know-it-all, which gave the others reason to be jealous. Emma was a model student: Perfect grades, perfect hair, neat locker, homework always finished and never left til the night before. Emma was also, undoubtedly modest and never boasted of her organisational skills. Claire, on the other hand was a passionate but fair girl, with wild curls, and bright blue eyes. Privately Ingrid believed that Claire was so full of personality that it had burst out of her head in the form of crazy blonde curls, all over the place. Claire was a vegetarian, and wished to pursue a career in medicine when she is older. She certainly had the potential for it. Emily was a sweet blonde, but definitely not a bimbo, as she had known Emma for years in their childhood, and she believed a bit of Emma’s intelligence might rub off on her. As if she needed it! Emily was a creative and caring sort of person, and she was a perfectionist- she probably kept her locker tidier than Emma, which is really saying something! Emily was particularly talented at mathematics, and she was top of the maths class, with high A’s ruling her report. Which leaves Alex: an attractive and ambitious girl, with flaming red hair, and a talent for gymnastics. Alex was also quite gifted at science and maths, and she had done very well in the test to get into Glenunga High school, which is where all five teenagers went to school.
“But still” Alex wondered, “I guess the saying innocent until proven guilty applies to this situation. We don’t have any proof that global warming isn’t happening, so we should probably do something about it.”
“I know-its amazing people still haven’t got the message” Ingrid chipped in, and opened her mouth to continue but Claire cut across her.
“We can’t really talk. When was the last time you did anything to help the environment?”
“Well, what about those rubbish pick-ups we do sometimes in class?” asked Emily.
“The ones where we all stand around and watch the teacher pick up rubbish?” Emma laughed, and Ingrid joined in.
“Good point.”
“But the hot water at my house is solar hot water.” Ingrid reminded her, “That’s something, I guess.”
“Maybe” said Claire mysteriously.
“Oh fine then Miss. All knowing” Alex chortled, “What have you done?”
“Well” Claire said, combing her electrifying hair gently with her fingers, “I am a vegetarian, and processing meat requires a lot of water, much more than use in the household.”
“You sound like you just swallowed the text book.” Emma giggled (Emily and Ingrid told her she was a hypocrite).
“Well at least I listen in S and E!” Claire snapped.
“What about you Al?” Ingrid asked promptly sitting on Emily as she turned to her friend. Alex didn’t answer and gazed over their heads.
“Oh I don’t know.” She said softly, “Don’t you ever wonder that this, I mean global warming, might actually be a big thing? That it might affect us all?”
“Whenever I start thinking like that I eat a slab of chocolate and watch an episode of the Gilmore Girls.” Emily laughed. Her love of the Gilmore Girls was probably better known than Santa Claus. Claire mimed puking behind her, much to Emma’s delight. But Ingrid’s thoughts were still on what Alex had said. What if everything she did could affect the earth? In fifty years time would she look back and wonder why no-one did anything about it? Imagine her children and her children’s children- would they have to live on a burning planet?

Alice couldn’t concentrate. Her fingers kept fiddling with her stitching on the pencil case she had in front of her. Mr. Sanger’s voice droned on in a monotone, blabbing about all sorts of things Alice didn’t care about- like geometry and angles and such. Alice wished she was at home sitting in her lounge room with iced water and a book. That was one thing she really loved- reading. Many adults had commented on her uncanny reading ability, she had read more grown-up books than her own mother! Oh why couldn’t she be at home now, reading her new fantasy novel “Eüwad?” She glanced down at her timetable and realized she still had an assembly before she could retire to her sanctuary. She laughed. More like retire to the hours of homework that awaited her!
“Something funny, Alice?” Mr. Sanger asked, “Perhaps you would like to share it with the class?”
“Um, no thanks Mr. Sanger.” Alice said, quickly, hurrying to find the right page in her textbook.
“I thought as much. In that case could you kindly do question four, part b on the board, Miss?”
Alice scowled, found her page and lifted the book in her hands. Slowly she walked to the board, making sure to move at a leisurely pace. By the time she had reached the board the bell had rung for the next lesson, assembly, to begin. Mr. Sanger sighed and set the class a page for homework. The children bustled out in to the corridor, and began the walk to the hall. The principal had organised a ‘learning’ journey, so everyone could become well informed about the world they lived in and the threat of global warming. He had invited some guest speakers from the national institute of science to talk about how they could counteract global warming and how they could make a difference. When the procession entered the gym Alice noticed four men in grey coats and business ties. I suppose they’re the famous guest speakers she thought, pushing her hair back and joining her seated class in the third row. One of the men was holding a black briefcase in a dignified manner, his hair was over in a neat comb-over and as Alice watched him he straightened his tie, as though he was slightly uncomfortable or surprised at his surroundings. The first man stepped up on to the low stage and asked for silence. His voice was deep, booming and somehow reassuring.
“Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls,” he began in a business-like tone, “We have been asked here today to inform you about the greatest threat to mankind earth has ever experienced.”

For today’s science lesson Mr. Currie had organised a guest speaker to talk to the class about global warming, and the threat it poses on the society- at least those were the terms he put it in. The class had to go into the Performing Arts Centre because Mr. Currie wanted his guests to feel welcome. Ingrid, Emily, and Claire were walking through the corridor when a small man dressed in a grey suit bumped into them.
“Beg your pardon, my good ladies” He spluttered, taking off his hat and bowing deeply, before he set off again on his way. Claire looked bewildered.
“What was all that about?” She wondered aloud.
“He looked like he had just stepped out of Pride and Prejudice!” Emily laughed, pulling a face at the man’s retreating back.
“But still, he was awfully polite. What an odd character!” Claire murmured.
When they entered the P.A.C Ingrid spotted Alex and Emma sitting at the back of the auditorium. Happily, they joined them, pleased there were seats vacant nearby.
“Look!” Claire exclaimed, grabbing Ingrid’s hand and gesturing at the stage, “It’s that man, the one in the grey suit!” Sure enough, there he was standing next to the principal, fiddling with his suit uncomfortably. It was a rather old fashioned suit, with tails at the back, and a large neckline.
“He must be one of the guest speakers!” Emily said, craning her neck to get a clear view of him.
“I wonder what he’s talking about?” Ingrid said, straightening her skirt.
“Global warming remember? Mr. Currie told…” She broke off, as Mr. Turland, the year eight manager, quietened the audience down with a whistle. Alex returned to her seat with a frown.
“Thanks, guys, settle down now.” He began, picking up his clipboard of notes.
“I am honoured to introduce our guests from the National institute of science, who will be talking to us today and… oh thank you Miss. Hall”
Miss. Hall the other Year eight manager had entered the hall with another class.
“I thought it was just our class?” Ingrid whispered to Claire.
“So did I! Maybe this is a bigger deal than we thought.” Claire said under her breath.
Once the other class was seated, and several more as well, the presentation began. Mr. Turland introduced the man in the suit as Professor. Westerd, from the institute of science.
“Hello boys and girls”, he said, in the pompous and posh tone he had addressed the three girls, “My name is Wilfred Westerd, and I am here today to alert you to the danger of the growing threat Global warming. As many of you know, due to our Carbon dioxide emissions, caused by burning fossil fuels for electricity, we have endangered our planet.”
“Yeh, yeh blah de blah de blah” Emily said quietly. Claire put her hand over her mouth to stop her from snorting. Wilfred’s voice was slow, posh and utterly boring, when listened to at long amounts. Ingrid was grateful when he finished and began a movie presentation on a slide projector. The movie was quite stimulating and inspiring but, Ingrid realised, none of these kids really care that much about it. Sure, they study it in science, but beyond the classroom it was just a silly subject that was no better than math in the afternoon. It didn’t occur to any of them that what they were constantly reminded about actually affected them. Perhaps, Ingrid realised, it was time to do something about it. Maybe she could make a difference, and Claire and Emily would help her of course. There was an upcoming science project that she hadn’t even started yet, maybe she could use her motivational ideas to start an activist alliance, with Emily, Claire, Alex and Emma.
“Ingrid?”
“Sorry, what? I was away in a dream!”
“We’re leaving now” Emily said wearily, “I haven’t heard a speech that boring since I watched an episode of Gilmore Girls five times in a row! I don’t think even Mr. Currie understood all those words!”
“I know, he was rather posh and dreary, wasn’t he?” Emma asked, joining them as they filed out into the corridor.
“I don’t think he was all that bad.” Ingrid began, with all the confidence she could muster, “Hey guys, listen to this. I have an idea.”


All in all it wasn’t a bad speech, Alice thought to herself as she left the gym. The first speaker Mr. Allort had been an inspiring and passionate person. The same could not be said for Mr. Westerd. He was an odd person though and he was exceptionally dull and pompous. His speech had lasted almost an hour and she was getting pins and needles in her feet. Finally, she thought, breathing out deeply in relief; time to go home. It had been a long and tiring day, she needed a rest in a cool air-conditioned environment, not the stuffy sweaty gym of Bellsworth high school. Alice missed the bus and had to walk home, forcing her feet to drag along. It had just been one of those days where it seems that the whole world had turned its back on you. Then again, Alice was, and always had been, quite a pessimistic person, so it might not have been that terrible. When she reached home, after what seemed like hours, but really was twenty five minutes, Alice did what she always did when she felt bad- she looked at her grandma’s precious photo album. Old as it was, it raised no dust when Al lifted it out of her dark wooden chest, from between her diary and a charm bracelet that had belonged to her deceased Aunt Anne. Among these were a lucky charm pouch, photo of her family, a heavy gold locket, and a glass ornament from the Bern markets. By far the most treasured of these was Ingrid’s beautiful black leather album. On the cover were four gold swirls, beginning in the corners and bursting out in curly strands. She opened it to the first page, and a gleaming Ingrid smiled up at her. She couldn’t have been any older than four, and she was wearing a pair of crimson overalls. She was a very cute child, with chubby cheeks and blonde wispy hair. As time progressed, and Alice flipped further through the book, Ingrid’s hair slowly became darker, a mousy mixture between blonde and brown. Alice watched her bake cakes, and go camping. She watched her play with toys, and competing in sporting events. Al felt as if she was holding Ingrid’s entire childhood in her hands. She must be careful to keep it safe and loved.

“Yuck!” Alex said distastefully as she popped the chips packet in the black rubbish bag Emma was holding, “You know what, guys?” She asked, wiping her hands on her jeans.
“You can’t believe I talked you into this?” Ingrid guessed with a slight smile.
“No. Well, yes, that also, but I just never knew helping the environment would be so…” She paused, for lack of words.
“Messy? Disgusting?” Emma provided whipping of her gloves and putting her perfect hair into a perfect ponytail.
“Yes, exactly!”
“Well, at least it’s for a good cause.” Ingrid said, “I’ve been thinking and...”
Alex groaned.
“Oh no! When she thinks it usually ends with me and Em being forced into some other inhumane activity!”
“Hey! I didn’t force you, you wanted to remember? And I’ve been thinking we should start some other kind of work- maybe promoting environmentally friendly sources?”
“Oh please!” Claire joined them, with a smile, “Do you really think people will pay any notice to five thirteen year old girls?”
“Well it’s worth a try, isn’t it?” Ingrid retorted hotly., “Who knows, it might actually make a difference!”
“Yeah, and pigs might fly!” Claire laughed.
Ingrid, Emma, Alex and Claire (minus Emily, as she had caught the flu, and was home in bed) were doing a rubbish pick- up around the parks in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, where Claire and Emma lived. Ingrid had persuaded the others to help her, and was working on starting an environment saving alliance- but she was still short of a name. Alex had suggested ‘The fantastic five’ but Ingrid had refused, as she wanted an original name, a name with character. Claire had wanted them to be called ‘The enviro-girls’ but Emma had said it was too cheesy. Finally after a few meetings of discussion they settled on the perfect name. Emily had suggested it and it was just right for what they wanted, how they wanted to look. After all, Claire had said, First impressions are the most important.

There was only one photo in the entire album that Ingrid wasn’t beaming out of. It was near the end, after a photo of her and Maddy, her best friend, when they were baking a cake. In the photo Ingrid had her arm around a curly haired girl that looked about Alice’s age. The caption read: ‘Claire and I, Environmental conference ‘08’. It had always stumped Alice why she had included a photo of some old school thing. Ingrid had never mentioned a girl called Claire, but Alice guessed it was some other friend from school. As Al began to turn to the next page, a piece of paper fell out of the album. Alice stared at it. She had never noticed something in there before. It must have been tucked behind the photo out of sight, and Al had simply flicked past the page, and never looked at it too closely. Slowly and deliberately Alice turned the paper over. It was a newspaper clipping from the sixteenth of March, 2008. Inspiring students raise awareness of the growing global threat the head line read. It was followed by an article about her grandmother and four other girls called Claire, Emily, Emma, and Alex. Alice smoothed out the clipping and began to read.
Ambitious Glenunga High school students Ingrid Schreiber, Emily Hendrikx, Claire Gray-Starceivic, Alex Standfield, and Emma Renner have set off on an exciting and inspiring learning journey, writes Martha Walters. The girls, at the mere age of thirteen, have already begun to think outside the square, and counteract the environmental issues pressuring our planet. Since September last year the five students have been known as E.W, or the Eco- wizzes, a group of motivated and diligent people who work against global warming, setting an example for all. They have recently been invited to the annual youth environmental conference, to be held in June. They are the first youth group to be invited from South Australia, so we offer our most sincere congratulations to these young leaders. Once a fortnight the five girls are working hard in many different ways. “I guess what we mainly do is raise awareness.” Says Emma, “But it also involves litter pick-ups and promotion of environmentally efficient products and energy sources, like solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal.” The alliance began at Glenunga International High School, where all five girls are currently attending. “We were working on a science project about Global warming and climate change” Ingrid tells us “And we were really inspired to actually do something real to help the environment. Sooner or later the world is going to feel the effects of climate change, in fact as we speak ice burgs are melting because of the rising temperature caused by our greenhouse gas emissions.” When asked to elaborate Emma replied “Greenhouse gases are chemicals that we produce like Carbon dioxide, which are trapping the heat in and endangering our planet. We can work against this threat by using renewable energy sources and becoming more eco- friendly.” The girls certainly are determined to continue to work against the world wide danger, and are urging others to follow their example. “If we don’t do this, and people do nothing to counteract Global warming, the world will be affected in awful ways.” Says Emma, “For one thing the temperature will increase, and that will cause endangerment and extinction of wildlife, especially the marine life around the Great Barrier Reef. Snow-topped mountains will become bare, there will be more cyclones and hurricanes of greater danger, and weather patterns will change.” “And farmers crops will reduce, flooding will occur and some places will become too dry to live in” finished Ingrid. Global warming is definitely the great debate of this time, for politicians and scientists alike. “If we don’t change the amount of carbon dioxide we are producing, I wouldn’t be surprised if these changes will have already set in fifty years from now.” says Ingrid.
Alice paused pressing the paper onto her shaking hand. It was true, it was all true. No matter how many times the Prime Minister Peter Rosethorn argued against it, or laughed it off, global warming was happening. It was all around them. Cyclones were flourishing, ice caps were forever gone, and Port Adelaide was already partly under water. But somehow, the world refused to believe it. Really, it was no different from the world Ingrid had lived in, where not much was done to counter act it. But Ingrid hadn’t lay down and let politics and lies walk all over her. She had stuck up for what she believed in, along with her loyal friends. And before Alice had even put the clipping back, she knew what she was going to do. And as she closed the album she could have sworn Ingrid was finally smiling.

20 years later the year of 2118
The sun was shining bright on the September morning of Rose’s birthday. It shone through the gap in her curtains, streaking the bed, and waking her up. It wasn’t particularly warm, just pleasant, Rose though to herself merrily as she jumped out of bed in her stripy blue pyjamas. She joined her mother Alice and her father Jim in the lounge room, and squealed with delight when she saw the large pile of carefully wrapped gifts sitting on the couch.
“Hello you! I thought for a second you weren’t going to get up in time to celebrate!” Jim caught Rose playfully on the shoulder, and gave her a birthday hug.
“Daddy!” Rose exclaimed, “You’ll be late for work!” Jim was an assistant district attorney and was required to be at work very early.
“Why the sad tone?” He joked tickling her tummy, “It’s not every day my daughter turns six, you know! I made special allowances to stay a little late.”
Pleased, Rose turned to the stack of presents wrapped in green paper. On the top was a flat square present wrapped in pink tissue paper.
“Oh, can I open that one first?” She asked her mother.
“It’s your birthday,” Alice reminded her, “Go ahead.”
Rose took great care to unwrap her present, and made sure to keep all the wrapping paper in perfect condition. Rose was a very tidy little girl, and always took care to make things neat and orderly. She pulled off the final layer to reveal… a book. No, not a book, she realised. It was a black photo album with beautiful designs curling on the cover. She looked at her mother, perhaps for a hint of what she would find inside. Then she opened it and buried her nose in the parchment-like papers.
“It belonged to your great grandmother, Ingrid Schreiber” Said Alice, putting her arms around her cheerful daughter, “Do you like it?”
“I love it, mamma.” Rose bopped on to Alice’s lap, making her laugh.
“I added some photos at the back in the spare frames,” Alice continued, “Of when I was just a little girl.”
“What’s this one?” Rose asked, pointing to a photo of Alice and Ebony, her best friend. They were smiling and holding plastic rubbish bags. Eve sat next to them, holding a large sign. It read Stamp out global warming!
“That’s me and my friends Eve and Ebony. We were protesting against global warming and climate change.”
Rose looked up, with a confused expression on her little face.
“What’s Global warming?”
Alice smiled. It was odd after all, that so little time could make such a difference.
“Well,” she began, “We used to put bad gases into the air, which polluted earth, and made the planet go all funny.” She struggled to put it in to six-year-old words.
“It made it hotter, and caused lots of harm on our animals.”
“So the earth was heating up? But why didn’t we just stop making the bad gases?”
“Well eventually they did, see? But until then we were burning fossil fuels to make electricity.”
“Why? Haven’t they ever heard of hydro, solar and wind?” Rose smirked, “Silly Billy’s”. Alice laughed.
“Yes, that was how it was resolved. It took a lot of protesting but eventually a ban was put on fossil fuels and we began to use renewable energy.”
“But what would the world be like if we hadn’t stopped the fossil fuels?” Rose asked.
Alice smiled. “Well, I suspect you would be having a pool party this year! Let’s put it that way!”
“And also I would be even hotter than I am now!” Jim joked, ruffling Rose’s light wavy hair.
“Dad!” Rose groaned. “No-one says that anymore! You’re so old fashioned!”
The corners of Alice’s mouth slowly turned up. She could just remember a time when she used to tell her mother, and her grandmother, how old fashioned they were. Life is like that; a never ending cycle. You begin things and you end them, and as some people stop things, others start them. As one is born another dies, that’s just the way it is. And Alice believed that, no matter how many years pass, that will always stay the same, tying families together, looking to the future, but not forgetting the past.