To wonder if school children understand the concept of a (climate) strike

[lemonsandlimes123]

Watching the news coverage of the climate strike today I can't help but think a couple of major points are not being addressed.

Firstly it is not exactly difficult to motivate thousands of children to effectively take a day off school! I have seen journalists pondering why it has been so well supported and I can't help thinking the answer is somewhat obvious, most kids like a day off school.

Secondly i understand the concept of a strike as a political action to be one of removing your labour to effect those who may profit from your labour. The accompanying loss of wages also means that there is cost to the striker that shows a certain commitment to the cause. The idea of school children striking when in fact in a school they are the beneficiaries of the labours of others strikes me as somewhat backwards. By not attending school they are only reducing their own education which seems rather self defeating IMO.

So whilst I think it's great that people are engaged I do feel the whole walking out of school business probably has more impact on the numbers participating than the actual cause.

I agree OP.

YABU, striking is the only way these children can be heard, they can’t vote etc

I think it’s brilliant, if my son was of school age then I would have 100% supported him striking.

I don’t understand adults having a go at children trying to change the world for the better!

I thought this today.

And also thought that these children, most of whom have only ever known material privilege their entire lives that most around the planet can only ever dream of, would find it incredibly difficult to actually live the lifestyle needed to make an impact on climate change. No cars, no holidays, no gap years, no new phones, no new games consoles, no new trainers, no foods flown halfway around the world for your coconut/avocado/quinoa Buddha bowl, locally sourced seasonal meat and veg only etc etc.

The metal straw and hydroflask that you have Instagrammed doesn't cut it I'm afraid.

I just feel like most of them probably have no idea really.

I think I am officially ancient! 😂

I’m here because it’s topical and the major news story today. I didn’t realise this thread was reserved only for people with certain sets of views.

I’m not against protesting. I’m all for it. For instance protesting against going to war against a certain country, or for wanting the law changed to allow gay marriage etc or fairly simple. But these protests are wishy washy. It’s like do something! Don’t know what though. Corbyn is a joker too because if he gets what he wants he’ll be in Boris’ position as PM and leader of the government so will look a bit of an idiot protesting against himself

I think it’s quite sad people are so dismissive of young people. I’ve had to rapidly get even more clued up as my kids have been asking questions I haven’t had answers too. They give DH and I shit if we take the car when we could walk, they’re fastidious about recycling, the four teens are much better clued up on clothes made in poor conditions that me, and even down to daft small things like DS(9) asking if he can just have a burger, fries and drink in McD’s as the toy is plastic tat that goes straight in the bin.

The only time it’s been used as a slight gimmick to get what they want is when DS(9) wanted to walk to school rather than DH drop him off and that was because he wanted to walk by himself, but his points about pollution round school were valid.

Kids shouldn’t be underestimated, and their passions should be encouraged. Especially if it keeps them engaged in issues like climate change and things like actually voting.

“I don’t think I’m nasty. It’s great people have decided to protest but what are they protesting for or against? What are the demands? “

The demands are clearly laid out on the Extinction Rebellion website, and if you bothered to do some research into the matter you would have found them. rebellion.earth/the-truth/demands/

There’s nothing new or special about old people being cynical and whining about young people trying to effect change. People don’t mark themselves out as better informed, or wiser, by critiquing young people for pushing for governments and industry to act, or banging on about “virtue signalling”, rather, it just makes them sound a bit lame, and unwilling to learn.

Of course children probably still have a lot to learn about it, but at least they’re prepared to get engaged and actually give a toss.

It’s a world wide protest, they haven’t all known privilege.

What's frightening the grown ups, is it's us they're protesting about. what we've done, and what we're doing.

Next week there will be a thread bemoaning the younger generation for being so shallow.

And the week after that Now Call that music ?

My son is very aware and worried about climate change. He was at a protest today.

I think a more effective protest though would be for all the protesters to refuse to buy coke in plastic bottles any more. That would have much more of an impact.

But you know, I marched against the invasion of Iraq, for the EU, and those things didn't make a blind bit of difference. I still wanted to do it though. So I support the kids. Good on them.

God the cynicism on this thread. Yes most of us live far more comfortable lives, and consume a great deal more, than those being affected around the world by climate change. No, we are unlikely to give up our cars and comfortable homes in solidarity.

I don't think everyone at the demonstrations needs to be a vegan cyclist who never goes on holidays in order to have any legitimacy.

I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for all those demonstrating today, I think Greta Thunberg is a inspiration. For me, the marches today were about people who feel helpless and voiceless about the most important issue facing the world, joining together in such numbers to show those that CAN make a real difference (not just one person giving up plastic straws) that this is something that society cares about, and telling them to act. Showing them that there is popular support for huge change.

Well said @Blueraincoat1

I hate this criticism of people trying to change things by those who have no intention of changi g anything but feel faintly guilty about it.

We change stuff now, or a lot of our children and grandchildren are going to suffer and (in many cases) die early. I dont blame the young for being furious because my generation have been profligate, I salute them.

That list of extinction rebellion demands are an example of complete wishy washyness. If they wanted to maintain any sense of credibility they wouldn’t have had the professional protestor Emma Thompson farting about on a ship in the middle of Oxford Circus saying she couldn’t possibly not fly first class. Bunch of jokers sorry.

I only respect those in the third world protesting who love basic lifestyle and the extreme swampy types over here who dress in rags, recycle everything, vegan etc. The latter are ripe for piss taking but at least make an effort to put it in to practice even if practically it means they don’t have jobs or live off trust funds provided by their rich families

My students get genuinely stressed when they miss lessons. The pressure at A level is intense. I heard some discussing why they didn’t go today and a few said it would mean so much catching up.
Most that want to doss won’t be bothered to go on a climate march.

I’d have done the same as a kid. Was probably a really fun day out with your mates

YANBU I thought the exact same today

Those commenting on Greta Thunberg would do well to remember that Joan of Arc led an army, Jane Austen wrote her 1st work, Sojourner Truth escaped slavery, Anne Frank kept her journal, & Malala won the Nobel Prize at the same age.

Young women are fierce when changing the world.

twitter.com/dianabutlerbass/status/1174341132710494209

I think it applies to all young people. I think most of us massively underestimate what they are capable of. Even if the assumptions made on here about them being driven around in cars and taken on holiday in aeroplanes were true, that's down to their parents' choices not their own given that they are children. Hopefully, they will do better as they grow up.

Please don't assume that just because you have made no effort to reduce your impact, nobody else has either. Look at the big increase in the popularity of electric cars. I keep telling my youngest that by the time he has grown up he won't believe we ever drove the dirty smelly cars we have now. It is more difficult to make some changes than others, but even if we all just make the easy changes that's better than nothing at all surely?

The whole point of these strikes and protests is to let governments know that people care, that it matters that we do something and do it fast. They need to make the difficult decisions that we can't rely on selfish individuals to make. The scale of change that needs to be made is at government level, not individual.

I’m cynical because I know some of those there today, and yes, virtue signalling middle classes is right. They’re not making any significant changes to their lifestyles at all. But hey, they get to post lots of photos on Facebook, so that’s OK.

I’ve been trying to find out a bit more about the Extinction Rebellion aims and founders as the march has become very popular in my town. I’m all for climate change but I found this on one of the founders pages and I wonder if the kids marching understand what they’re supporting.
“The Rebellion has to morph at the last moment into a general rebellion against ‘all government failures’ in order to catch the regime off guard.
This prevents opposition from framing us as just ‘environmental protestors’ and therefore a ‘special interest’ group. A key miscalculation which elites repeatedly make with uprisings is that they think it is just about one issue or group, not anticipating how rapidly it can change into a general rebellion against the all- encompassing illegitimacy of corrupt elite power. Our plan must include actions to proactively promote this overarching narrative.”

Look at the big increase in the popularity of electric cars.

There hasn't been a 'big increase' in the popularity of electric cars. They are not really taking off in great numbers. Because they are a PITA in their current form and people don't want to deal with that (Plus obviously we will have to generate the electricity to run these cars).

No it’s because of price which will come down. I’d buy one in a shot if they did a 7 seater I could afford. They don’t at the moment.

‘Needing’ a 7 seater car hardly puts you into uber environmentalist territory, does it?

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/climate/global-climate-strike.amp.html

Look at the pictures. Pakistan, India, Uganda.... you were there to sneer at all the virtue signalling middle classes that made up these protests were you?

Fucking hell.

The point of protest is to effect polical change. It’s not possible to stop climate change only as an individual making lifestyle changes. There needs to be pressure on politicians , policy makers and business in order for change to happen.

Berating people for not being environmental purists misses the point, it’s not fucking possible until the system is changed.

Yous are all tories who cry champagne socialist at any socialist who has a roof over their head. The false equivalences, smugness and sound biting are utterly depressing,

Twats

How do you charge your electric car if you don't have your own driveway?

People don't want to hang around for however long it takes to charge their electric car because it only has a range of 200 miles before it needs charging again.

And surely if people were so serious about the environment they would sacrifice something else (their foreign holiday perhaps ) to be able to afford that electric car?