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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be utterly cynical about school strikes?

34 replies

Bloggerstobe · 27/09/2019 17:50

Cousin's daughter has just announced she's beginning a school strike for climate change at her school. Great, it's wonderful that she's taking an interest in politics. Cousin is over the moon, and they have rang the local news to alert them to the strike.

Cousin's DD is taken to school and picked up every day by cousin, despite being nearly 17. She gets the bus no where, she is driven everywhere. She is being driven to the place she has organised to strike.

I don't blame her for taking the lifts. I would have at her age. But AIBU to think it's all just a gimmick and she doesn't give a toss about the climate, she just wants another day off school? Don't blame her for that, but I cannot bear my cousin's continuous bragging about how proud of her he is for going on strike.

OP posts:
newgame989 · 27/09/2019 17:56

I love Greta thunberg, I can’t help thinking that she’d not be impressed by a 17 year old being driven to a climate rally, I can see why you suspect insincerity!

Butchyrestingface · 27/09/2019 17:59

You old cynic, you.

Ask her about her veganism, commitment to #nobreeding and never going on foreign holidays or learning to drive.

Am sure she’ll surprise you.

maslinpan · 27/09/2019 18:02

Probably best not to bother even trying, then. Let's just pretend climate change isn't happening and just accept the inevitable.

BeardedMum · 27/09/2019 18:03

Everyone has to start somewhere. Let’s hope it will raise her awareness and educate her. I think these strikes are great.

Original poster
Bloggerstobe · 27/09/2019 18:06

Probably best not to bother even trying, then. Let's just pretend climate change isn't happening and just accept the inevitable.

But this is my point... how is this trying?

I personally think that until the Government announces a blanket ban on private cars, on aeroplanes, and on importing food, as an absolute bear minimum, we're fiddling while Rome burns. She would not be willing to give up any of those things. Neither would I, but neither am I bragging about my green credentials.

OP posts:
BeardedMum · 27/09/2019 18:08

I am sure there are some things we can all do. Maybe start by looking at your own habits and get some green credentials you can brag about Wink

newgame989 · 27/09/2019 18:10

I wish the govt would act too, all this crap about brexit and Scottish independence and meanwhile, the environmental news will stop you sleeping if you read it.

Kids having a day off school has been wonderful for getting more people onside but we’re in the environmental equivalent of dad-feminist gesture politics at the moment.

BritWifeinUSA · 27/09/2019 18:11

Who is she striking against? The school? The teachers? I don’t see what the point of the strike is. I understand workers striking when they have a dispute with the employer but surely the school kids don’t have an ax to grind with the school?

newgame989 · 27/09/2019 18:12

They’re striking about the right to have a planet to have a school on aren’t they?

Original poster
Bloggerstobe · 27/09/2019 18:12

we’re in the environmental equivalent of dad-feminist gesture politics at the moment.

This is exactly what my problem is worded much better! It's empty gesture politics.

Maybe start by looking at your own habits and get some green credentials you can brag about

I'm not having kids. I'm counting that as my contribution to the cause.

OP posts:
maslinpan · 27/09/2019 18:13

Climate strikes do hit the front pages of at least some newspapers. The last one got a lot of young people out on the streets across the world, I can't think that that is a bad thing. When the politicians actually come up with effective policies, then the strikes can stop, but it's going to be a very long time until that happens.

Original poster
Bloggerstobe · 27/09/2019 18:15

Who is she striking against? The school? The teachers? I don’t see what the point of the strike is.

Neither do I. She reckons it's just against climate change. She's ran it past her teachers and they've agreed not to sanction her, so I'm not sure who it's inconveniencing as to have a point. It's also unclear if it's a one off to see if the papers turn up or an ongoing strike.

They’re striking about the right to have a planet to have a school on aren’t they? But how does her having a day off sixth form help with this?

OP posts:
Preggosaurus9 · 27/09/2019 18:18

Agree totally OP.. but it's not politically acceptable to have this view on it.

Maybe we can all go on strike from our jobs too and tweet about the carbon savings from not commuting and not turning on our laptops /office lights etc. ?

newgame989 · 27/09/2019 18:19

No beats me how the strikes help - Greta thunberg has helped make the issues more mainstream and raise awareness but I can’t see where the next big push comes from to get mainstream parties to act.

BritWifeinUSA · 27/09/2019 18:22

On many parts of the world there are children who wish they could go to school at all.

Sparadrap · 27/09/2019 18:29

Cousin's DD is taken to school and picked up every day by cousin, despite being nearly 17

Surely the main fault for this lies with your cousin, not her DD. She is the one driving the car. If she cared more about the environment she would refuse and not drive her DD. She is either a weak parent or she is very apathetic about the climate crisis herself.

ginandbearit · 27/09/2019 18:36

There are a couple of Range Rover driving women near me who have blown up photos of themselves being arrested at the Climate Extinction demo in London... So so pleased with themselves, they equate it to Greenham Common (they werent there ) but have made absolutely no changes to their v v comfy liestyle...and one of their husbands is an executive working for Shell !

Jillyhilly · 27/09/2019 18:40

It’s all middle-class nonsense.

Would she have turned out at 9am on a Saturday?

Jillyhilly · 27/09/2019 18:44

On many parts of the world there are children who wish they could go to school at all.

Like the children in the Congo mining cobalt for Greta’s solar panels. But oh no, Greta’s the one with the stolen childhood.

butterflywings37 · 27/09/2019 18:51

I saw this on fb and thought it was an interesting perspective...

To all the school kids going on 'strike' for Climate Change today:
You are the first generation who have required air-conditioning in every classroom.
You want TV in every room and your classes are all computerised.
You spend all day and night on electronic devices.
More than ever, you don't walk or ride bikes to school but arrive in caravans of private cars that choke local roads and worsen rush hour traffic.
You are the biggest consumers of manufactured goods ever and update perfectly good expensive luxury items to stay trendy,
Your entertainment comes from electric devices.
Furthermore, the people driving your protests are the same people who insist on artificially inflating the population growth through immigration, which increases the need for energy, manufacturing and transport.
The more people we have, the more forest and bushland we clear and more of the environment is destroyed.
How about this...
Tell your teachers to switch off the air-con.
Walk or ride to school. Switch off your devices and read a book.
Make a sandwich instead of buying manufactured fast food.
No, none of this will happen because you are selfish, badly educated, virtue signalling little 'princesses', inspired by the adults around you who crave a feeling of having a 'noble cause' while they indulge themselves in Western luxury and unprecedented quality of life.
Wake up, grow up and learn to research facts and think for yourself and not blindly accept the words and thoughts of others - I don't think you formulated this action plan all by your self - suspect you may have had some influence and 'guidance' from those you trust ....a word of warning, be cautious of the influence of the 'left' because there may be a time in the future that you will be the ones left out...

sleepyhead · 27/09/2019 18:55

She could strike against getting in her mother's car and encourage her fellow pupils in striking against non-public transport/cycle/walking journeys and a society that's set itself up to require car ownership.

The school could support her by allowing pupils who take a stand against private car journeys extra time to get to school.

BeardedMum · 27/09/2019 18:56

That is an extremely twatty and hateful message. Not interesting at all and so not true. My children sure don’t have air con in their class rooms for a start.

Sparadrap · 27/09/2019 18:59

^ that post going around is such such bullshit. Yeah let’s blame the kids for the cars, phones, food choices and air conditioning. It’s obviously their fault, not the adults of the world who have embraced this unsustainable life so whole heartedly.

FFS, with views like this we really are on the road to disaster.

woodhill · 27/09/2019 19:00

I would question why your dm isn't being a bit more independent making her own way to school?

seaweedandmarchingbands · 27/09/2019 19:01

I want to know:

  • how many of the children would protest if it didn’t mean getting the day off school
  • how many of the children turn down flights/lifts/new iPads because “the environment”

I think Greta Thunberg is one of the most admirable young people I have ever seen. I’m not so sure about her sheeple.

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