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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To let my DD go on strike on Friday? (Youth Strike for Climate Change protest)

93 replies

PuppyMonkey · 22/05/2019 13:59

She’s very passionate about the environment and has even been suffering from anxiety worrying about the future of the planet. I think it’ll be good for her to attend the local protest march on Friday.

She’s written a brilliant letter to her form teacher expressing her reasons for wanting to go. The teacher said “thanks for this, it’s great.” I’ve also emailed the head informing him she intends to strike, no response yet.

Am I going to get a massive fine?Confused

I think she has a basic right to peaceful protest. Am I wrong?

She’s in Year Seven.

OP posts:
MsRabbitRocks · 22/05/2019 19:17

As that was passively aggressive towards me KizzyWayfarer, I didn’t say they were mutually exclusive. However, the time, energy and carbon footprint it takes to cause disruption re protesting, would be better spent actively problem solving solutions. Take the previous protest. Stopping someone who is working as a career to halt climate change by protesting, is counter productive.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.standard.co.uk/news/london/im-an-engineer-i-work-in-fing-sustainable-energy-ire-of-scooter-rider-caught-in-latest-london-a4121146.html%3famp

MirriVan · 22/05/2019 19:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fridakahlofan · 22/05/2019 19:21

Of course she should go - please thank her from me and my baby daughter!

I also suffer from anxiety related to climate change and have found that doing something about it is the best way to soothe my frazzled nerves.

I think people on here who are listing things they don’t believe young people would be able to give up are seriously underestimating:

  • the determination of our youth
  • the severity of the crisis.

We don’t have a choice - we all need to give a lot to stand even a small chance of having more than one future generation.

Original poster
PuppyMonkey · 22/05/2019 19:24

Thanks all for your views - I was very worried EVERYONE would say IABU for even thinking of letting her strike. As I said before, she’s not just “bunking off,” she’s going to the protest all day. I think it will be a good educational experience for her.Smile

OP posts:
Fridakahlofan · 22/05/2019 19:27

Also the comments on here about how you are a hypocrite if you protest but get a bus there... So childish.

FFS - the only way not to be a hypocrite is to stop living. Stop using any resources at all. Stop breathing in precious oxygen. Stop treading on insects when you take a step.

Given that mass suicide isn’t an option can we stop expecting climate change protesters to be carbon neutral... society has made that virtually impossible.

InspirationUnavailable · 22/05/2019 19:28

Good on her!

Delaying action on climate change is currently a far bigger issue than denying its existence and so the youth climate strikes are so important in pressuring the government to bring about change. Because, yes, as much as we can make individual changes what is required is systematic. And it sounds like the OP’s DD is committed to making changes in both her own life and raising awareness - the best of both worlds.

I have young adult DC and when they were teenagers there would have been a riot if I’d banned lifts and cut meat out of their diets! They now travel everywhere by public transport and are largely vegan. If teens are willing to make such sacrifices now I can’t see why that wouldn’t translate into long term change of habit.

soundsystem · 22/05/2019 19:33

I would absolutely let her go!

I think it's great that she's engaged and wants to do something, and people saying she shouldn't go as it involves taking a bus are being ridiculous!

Porpoises · 22/05/2019 19:33

The posters saying "think about what we'd have to give up" - have you educated yourself about what climate change will mean? The secretary general of the UN has said we face a direct existential trust. This girl's generation will face mass extinctions of species, food shortages, mass displacement of peoples as whole regions become uninhabitable.

We are not doing okay on climate change. Carbon emissions need to halve within a decade. Instead they are increasing. Governments' policies are woefully inadequate.

Everyone should be out there doing everything they can to fight this.

Gth1234 · 22/05/2019 19:35

@OP

I had composed a diatribe, that I have shelved for the moment, and will just make a couple of somewhat cynical observations.

I assume you are a middle class family with a decent income and your daughter is very well looked after, although maybe not.

Your daughter, and her friends, just haven't got a clue. Suffering from anxiety??

The trouble is, the solutions they think they want would destroy society, and reduce all of us to a subsistence level existence. Then no-one would ever want to be vegetarian. It wouldn't be an option.

I will leave it at that.

FriendsForeverForNow · 22/05/2019 19:38

Gth1234 what should the alternative be? Is it impossible to have a society not based on ever growing consumption of resources?

InspirationUnavailable · 22/05/2019 19:40

The trouble is, the solutions they think they want would destroy society, and reduce all of us to a subsistence level existence. Then no-one would ever want to be vegetarian. It wouldn't be an option.

And what sort of society will doing nothing leave?

Perhaps it won’t be in our lifetime, or even or DC’s lifetime, but for some parts of the world human life is already untenable. The rate of species extinction globally shows that non-human life is become untenable. And you’re concerned that solutions will reduce us to a subsistence level existence?

SmileEachDay · 22/05/2019 19:41

Nope that’s ridiculous, she should be in school. Not protesting

One of my friends is the director of a university dept with huge funding for research into climate change.
They, and their colleagues, are very much of the opinion that mobilising the public - especially the younger will be voting in a few years public - is the only way to sort out the utter mess we are making of the planet.

I’m a teacher - I have vocally supported climate change protests for young people with the caveat that children involved must be able to articulate the issue and the aims of the protest.

janetforpresident · 22/05/2019 19:42

When they do have the freedom to decide what kind of lives they want
But isn't the point that so many people of her generation won't have the freedoms we are used to because of the crisis?

Original poster
PuppyMonkey · 22/05/2019 19:51

Gth1234 - thanks for not writing a diatribe. Grin

OP posts:
MirriVan · 22/05/2019 20:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SE13Mummy · 23/05/2019 01:47

My DD is in Y9 and would like to go on one of the Friday strikes, mainly because she thinks her friends are going. I've said no on the grounds that she isn't especially engaged in climate crisis related issues or solutions and it feels as though it's an excuse for a day off school. I have said that I'm happy to change that stance if she starts using her free time and resources to campaign.

FagashJackie · 23/05/2019 01:53

I think the message is that the next generation of voters do care. Good message.

Poloshot · 23/05/2019 07:38

Get her to school. Sounds like she's developing some sort of issues if she's got anxiety over this I'd keep an eye on her

Original poster
PuppyMonkey · 23/05/2019 09:15

Thanks Polo - I will of course keep an eye on her anxiety, but on balance I still support her on the strike thing.

OP posts:
NauseousMum · 23/05/2019 09:22

Im in two minds. If it was just an excuse for jolly definitely not but if passionate and anxious...

My friend has a dc passionate in climate change. They aren't allowed to protest yet but instead they've been working with mum and dad to be more ecological: recycling more, tree planting, growing crops, walking then driving. I think that's something that could help more than protesting, to do something constructive as a family.

bonbonours · 23/05/2019 09:54

My daughter is in year 8 and going. Her school issued a letter to parents saying they take no responsibility for health and safety but will authorise the day off if a) the child writes a letter saying why they want to go and b) parents sign to say they authorise it.

For those suggesting kids have no right to protest unless they live a virtuous life environmentally speaking, none of us are perfect, if you are doing something /anything to be more green in your own life, that is better than nothing. The point of the protests is that individuals' actions can't make a difference on their own, governments and big businesses need to make dramatic changes in lots of ways to enable/force people to live more sustainably. Right now the infrastructure is all wrong and a single person choosing not to fly or refusing single use plastic doesn't change that.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 23/05/2019 11:14

I've said no on the grounds that (DD) isn't especially engaged in climate crisis related issues or solutions and it feels as though it's an excuse for a day off school. I have said that I'm happy to change that stance if she starts using her free time and resources to campaign

Love your approach, SE13Mummy Wink There's a lot of tub-thumping and threats of armageddon unless somebody does something, but suggest that someone shoulders the less appealing bits of doing something about it and the excuses roll in about it being "broader than that", "not an individual issue" and all the rest

No doubt I'll get flamed, but IME the sillier aspects of these protests are quickly revealed for what they are if there's a risk of the latest gadget or item of throwaway fashion being refused ...

Gth1234 · 23/05/2019 11:39

The single most stupid thing of late (outside the Brexit shenanigans) was parliamentarians responding sagely to the Scandinavian climate change teenager who just hasn't got a clue.

The climate change lobby will put us all back to the dark ages.

I believe the only thing that will improve things for all is unlimited energy from nuclear fusion. That's the real deal changer.

MrPan · 23/05/2019 11:47

How will the climate change lobby put us back to the dark ages?

(When obv the air and seas were cleaner and cooler.)