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.

The changes and actions individuals make have a ripple effect across society.

Legislation and political change to curtail and redirect business are needed too obviously. But the actions of individuals will make that possible

This article explains it . Have a read you selfish idiots

www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49756280?ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_source=facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&fbclid=IwAR0x_ZEzoH4LMeX3RIEpS5p-D77l1pkgTqOy_BG9SmOeq9BFT08gyD19fiI

I think that one of the key points of the strikes is to emphasise the role that government and regulation has in driving change.

They can point that out while not only wearing sackcloth.

It's actually quite difficult for consumers to drive changes themselves and often changes come through fastest when driven by changes to regulations.

E.G there could be regulations requiring solar panels to be added to all new buildings. We could insist on triple glazing (for winter) and large overhang rooves (to reduce overheating in summer). There could be regulations on all new buildings about electric car charging points. There could be a push so that councils invest in green energy. My local council runs a scheme for its workers that subsidises public transport through car parking charges for people who choose to drive (excluding those with a disability obviously).

None of those require huge structural changes to society. No, they aren't going to solve the problem, but everything we can do to reduce the total warming is worthwhile.

Then let's look at the things that have already been done (but that maybe could be more drastic):

1. Regulations so that all cars will have to be partially electric by (some date that I can't remember!) - these regulations have influenced manufacturers like Jaguar land rover so that (I think) by 2021 they don't intend to produce any new cars that aren't at least hybrid. Yes, they're still new cars. Yes, they aren't 100% electric, but without regulations like that the innovations in design wouldn't be happening.

1. Regulations on how energy efficient appliances are - gives consumers the opportunity to make an informed choice.

1. Regulation on home insulation so that we improve the energy efficiency of our housing stock over time.

1. Increased availability of recycling where when I was growing up it was a novelty not a norm.

Yes, I'm typing this on a mobile phone. No I don't live in an entirely unheated house. No, I haven't composted myself for the sake of the environment.

But we don't have to be perfect to do something, and we don't have to be perfect to push for regulations to change attitudes, encourage innovation and force the issue.

(And household driving miles are now down from 10,000 a year to 3,000 - definitely still not perfect. Car is 7 years old and counting - because making new cars is terrible for the environment too. All electricity is green tariff and the gas is carbon offset. Flown once in 3 years - remaining holidays by train. Use reusable water bottles always. Most clothes second hand, and definitely no "fast fashion". Switched to bar soap from shower gel.

What's not good enough yet? Food waste is still an issue. Food miles aren't too dire. Should cut down dairy products, but beef consumption is low. Should probably switch to bar shampoo and bring your own container washing liquid and foodstuffs.)

Wow. What a patronizing opinion. Because children and young people can’t POSSIBLY care about something 🙄 As a teacher I find the opposite to be true - I feel that many children care almost too much about this (not more than they should as it’s an important issue but enough that it’s causing them significant anxiety).

My friend’s year 8 dd was mature enough to speak to teachers about missing their lessons and to do the work at home.
I think you’re being very dismissive of children’s motivations.

Some right wankers on this thread. As an armchair psychologist I'm guessing these kids have made you feel uncomfortable about your own lifestyle and so you're lashing out at them as a result.

They're protesting because it's the ONLY thing they can do.

Even if they take steps to reduce their carbon footprint, by refusing air travel, going vegan, ditching their phones, wearing sackcloth, which you all seem very keen on them doing and yet I'm sure unwilling to do it yourselves...even if they did all of that, IT WON'T BE ENOUGH. Governments, industry, and the selfish fuckers seen on this thread won't change their habits and the planet will still suffer.

That's why they're protesting. Because they're powerless to make a difference and have no other recourse.

“If this is the attitude of the majority of adults then no wonder our children feel they need to do something.
Presumptions that this was a bunch of middle class kids bunking off school to dodge lessons only to be driven somewhere in 4x4 afterwards smack of a chip on the shoulder of those posters.”

I couldn’t agree more. And all this banging on about the demands being vague. They’re really not. There simply won’t be sufficient change to make a difference unless governments act to enforce it. The fact that “you know somebody who went on a demo and they’re not changing their lifestyle” is irrelevant. We need enforced action from above. What is government for, if not for this?

DD (14) agrees with OP (as do I).
A number of her classmates had commented on the 'strike' in the days leading up to it - lots of "metal straws" "save turtles" "dangerous plastics" hurled about. Her Geog teacher suggested to them that getting driven (or the train etc) to join a strike in the city was counter productive, and suggested that he organise a litter pick of the school fields and local park instead. He would help them advertise it and encourage parents/the community to join in.

Not a single person wanted to do it.

Apparently the Geog class was a lot less vocal yesterday

What I hope children can do is get their parents to walk them to school and persuade other children to do the same with other parents. The vast majority of children travel a distance to school that can be walked (and are able bodied with able bodied parents), no reason other than laziness and not getting up a few minutes earlier to avoid going by car.

I can’t bear to read to thread, what are horrible thing to tear kids down for doing one of the few things in their power to raise awareness about what is going to happen to their world. For everyone bleating about plastic straws and pointing fingers, read the UN report. This is about needing to take large scale action. We’ve known since the 80’s that the planet is heating up. We’ve increased the rate of consumption abd we are entering a point of no return. Kids know this. My 7 year old protested in March, he hates writing but wrote a letter to the headmaster to say he wouldn’t be In school and that was his only absence that year, and I took the day off work to go with him. I took him to the Houses of Parliament to debates to make it more educational. He’s finding year 3 an adjustment so decided not to strike yesterday. But I take my hat off to these kids doing this. And I’m so sorry they feel they have to.

The planet is fucked. We will run out of water in 20 years in the UK. We are already poisoning children and unborn babies with vehicle emissions in the UK. Globally there’ll be more mass migration, more resource conflict and that’s without the ecosystem collapsing and us being able to grow food.

Some kids, quite rightly, wonder what’s the point in education when faced with this in their lifetimes. It needs large scale global collaboration and intervention to address these threats to all the species on earth and that’s why worldwide strikes took place.

To reduce it to questions like - do you drive, or eat meat if showing narrow minded thinking. Of course these are all individual actions we can all take but it won’t be enough alone and that’s why more global action is needed.

@exLtEveDallas exactly the point a lot on here are trying to make.

@Runssometimes but why not do a mass city or beach clean up to show concern rather then just skip school. This would even more show their dedication to this issue, be something proactive they can do. And maybe even send a stronger message

I’ve seen some questionable things on my Facebook feed re impassioned 5 year olds that just don’t really read true (ie it’s the parents 100%).

I have an impassioned 5 year old. Not about climate change, because we have shielded him from that knowledge as he would be overwhelmed by it emotionally. But he is passionate about stopping deforestation, and preserving biodiversity (though he'd call it saving the animals and the plants), and righteously angry that the adults haven't got their shit together, made "good choices" and done something effective about it by now. Yes, we are informed and educated parents who have responded to his questions and provided information, and haven't shut him down, but it's come from him - hearing
snippets on the radio, asking about images in my newspaper, seeing the rang-tan ad, and asking questions. He is vegetarian by choice even though he loved meat and struggles with veggie food sometimes, and he judges the rest of the family for still eating meat. He has given up favourite chocolate snacks because the manufacturers don't source sustainable palm oil, or can't be trusted to "keep their promises". He has spoken passionately at school, in his 5 year old way, about his concerns, been devastated when some kids made fun of him and laughed, got back up again and carried on. I come home from walks with pockets and handbag full of the litter he's seen and made me pick up to dispose of safely, to help the animals.

These children have genuine passion. They are inspiring. I am sad to see them being patronised and dismissed in some posts on this thread.

So Exlt your children were apathetic not all are.

The beach cleans I go on are always well attended by children, my own included.

This was a worldwide protest to make an important point, nobody was suggesting kids travel up daily to London.

So many of these posts are the typical refusal to listen if everyone involved isn’t perfect. Actually, your kids can refuse to eat palm oil but that’s not going to make much difference unless it’s part of a wholesale global economic and environmental restructuring. You think 5 year olds should be the ones driving this an they’re not allowed to worry about climate breakdown unless they’re making fully ethical choices? Bollocks.

Because @redappleandaquamarinebow1987 cleaning up a beach isn’t going to stop slash and burn in the Amazon, or fracking, or the use of fossil fuels. It’s much more serious than some litter on a beach. And that’s what people don’t seem to understand. But these kids are the voters of the future and so raising awareness now is one of the ways to get some action taken. I have signed the petition to lower voting age and my son has also done local litter picks. Serious people need to educate themselves and not reduce this issue to crisp packets on the local common.

No wonder we are in trouble.

Of course they bloomin well understand. I was passionate about similar stuff at this age, out doing good stuff. I had it torn out of me by ignorant lazy adults, 25 years on and look where we are. The don't give a fuck adults who think they know better trying to bring down the youth. We should be supporting them because no one else is doing anything.

And calling out adults supporting them as virtue signaling! At least they are doing something. You do not know what other changes they have made at home. Anything is better than nothing, and better behaviours will have a knock on affect.

The world is just walking silently into disaster.

They are not striking. They are missing a day's free carefully planned education. Us adults need to get off our arses!! Let kids go to school! Maybe the adults could put pressure on the govt to ensure regular climate change is a weekly topic in school? That would actually DO something and the kids would get their education.

@forallthesaints so true. Less soundbitey than a kid strike though and sadly will be ignored as the adults can't be bothered. I totally get why kids are furious. Nobody should minimise that. We should be noting that and actually helping to DO something rather than watching them lose six lessons.

That geography teacher was awful!

What teacher discourages an interest ?

Use it as an opportunity to encourage. To educate about the power of mass movements to effect government policy. To sow empowerment and help young people believe that their actions can make a difference. Set homework to research other people powered movements that brought societal change.

Of course also educate that protest alone isn’t Enough, and encourage reasoned and researched analysis the issues, compare the effect the actions an individual can have in life style changes versus the effects of government leglidlation. Build the case for both causes of action being important. Teach about social contagion and the power of acting with principle.

Instead that teacher has taught a whole class of young people that their enthusiasm and interest is hypocritical and it’s stupid to even try. How depressing! What s crap teacher, disempowering and patronising their students .

Why not instead encourage them to attend the protest and encourage a local litter pick! Both are necessary and worthwhile teaching points!

Kids being passionate is great and not everyone is perfect which is a fact of life but how many people, kids or otherwise are on board with the Proposed Citizens assembly replacing the government as the main governing body of the uk, or do they think they are just protesting in order to get the existing government to act? Are they aware that the founder wants it to morph at the last minute into a general rebellion against the government? I’m genuinely interested in whether this is what people are supporting.

I have to say I agree with XmasEveshopper regarding concern about Extinction rebellion's truer objectives. They are a cause for concern and I would hope any parent allowing their children to support their cause would have sat them down and discussed and gone through their mandate and stated objectives first. However I sincerely doubt any if at all did so.

Aside from being about CC the london event seems to also have been co-opted by Socialist Worker suporters. A good number (I would say at least a 3rd) of the placards were about getting the Tories out, ending austerity, and welcoming migrants and refugees.

I think any type of virtue signalling can still lead to change but I do think very little will be done at western world level unless it's enforced somehow e.g. for flights to become unaffordable again, or people to only be allowed to use their passports for air travel if it's every few years or they can prove they've a reason to travel. It drives me nuts seeing the same things on social media: 1. Isn't it great that Lidl have bins now to put the plastic into- eh no, the plastic didn't need to be there in the first place 2. McDonald's toys- because it seems all of the tonnes of waste in landfill seem to be a Secret Life of Pets toy and 3. Straws- I don't think straws make th ast much of an appearance in people's daily lives, unless they live in fast food/coffee houses who are using other materials in their take away rubbish too!! All these things and then people jump in their car or go onto the Ryanair website

Aside from being about CC the london event seems to also have been co-opted by Socialist Worker suporters. A good number (I would say at least a 3rd) of the placards were about getting the Tories out, ending austerity, and welcoming migrants and refugees.
Which makes it an adult protest and potentially a dangerous place to be for children

When I was a teenager, in the 80s, I was telling my mum about something- I can't remember what but she hadn't quite known about it, (and my mum's clever!)- she told me something, that her mum had told her- and it was this-

'When you're a little child, your parents and older people teach you things- but then when you're older and grown up yourself- if you have any sense- you start to learn things from your children.'

I asked her why and she said it was because young people see the world with fresher eyes, and they might notice things that you've got used to, also they often know about new things and more up to date things , than older people do.

The reason she said- 'if you've any sense' you're prepared to learn from your children and other younger people, is that some adults might feel it's a bit of a blow to their pride to learn from a younger generation; they might feel they ought to be more clever - but that isn't a sensible attitude to have , if you genuinely want to learn things and generally improve yourself .

I think, some of those young people might understand better than adults, and I think some of them will be actively giving things up, in accordance with that, as well, maybe for years.

The vitriol of the left because somebody has the cheek to question our wonderful youth. These are probably the same people who have given the little darlings all the electronic consumables they desire so they get out of their hair. Buy copious ammounts of cloths produced on the other side of the world. But their hearts are in the right place, bless em.