AIBU to think children are now in charge

[Itsmeagainandagain]

The school kids protesting in London, how things have changed when we were children we done what we were told, now the kids are laying down the law and dictating to adults.

We already know children know they are above the law and untouchable, we had Greta Thunburg blame the older generation for all the faults of planet earth.

AIBU to think that children are being disrespectful and have no idea how the real world works? These are the same children who would be in floods of tears screaming if you changed the WiFi password to their gadgets, WiFi that us adults work to pay for!!

Well it is the older generations fault the world is in such a mess isn't it. Its certainly not the fault of the younger generation. You lived beyond your means, you pillaged the planet, and now they've been born into the economical and ecological shit show you created

Errr you mean the older generations who provided them with living standards unimaginable to even their grandparents. We actually haven’t lived beyond our means, there’s still much room for growth and development, particularly in the global South.

Thank god they care so much to demand change, to force change, because if they don't succeed, our species is going down and taking the planet with it

What they are doing to do if they ‘succeed’ is make your tiny island irrelevant to the rest of the world. I’m not British so I don’t have to live with the consequences if it gets out of control.

Imagine thinking human actions are going to hurt the planet. At worst we’ll hurt ourselves in localised regions.

As for "respect your elders" absolute bullshit, you don't get respect by being bigger or older than someone else and I'm glad we've done away with that too

The issue is that kids need boundaries. Sure, you can respond to legitimate concerns but they have to show backbone against the more outrageous complaints or it will just get worse.

Sure, you can respond to legitimate concerns but they have to show backbone against the more outrageous complaints or it will just get worse

^This. And yes to 'backbone'

@Itsmeagainandagain

I don't feel confident in teenagers who have contributed absolutely zero, but demand the world fits around them. I don't feel confident in anyone that is hypocritical, I want climate change but I travel around on airplanes to tell the world about climate change and its all their fault, by greta thunburg? Are you all for serious. adults being told By children not to do things they happily and without care do so themselves.

You keep spelling her name wrong! Also did you miss how she crossed the Atlantic in a zero-emission boat recently?

@TheKeatingFive

It’s that her team made a big fucking deal about a boat trip that ended up costing far more in carbon emissions than an economy class plane trip.

That’s only, presumably, because air travel is so widespread.

If everyone took boats, that would have the same economies of scale as air and would be the better option overall.

So leading by example.

In what world is cruising better than flying?

Miles per gallon are significantly lower with transport ships. Plus you don’t have the sewage waste problem ....

Imagine thinking human actions are going to hurt the planet. At worst we’ll hurt ourselves in localised regions.

Ah, one of the 'climate change isn't real' brigade. Science disagrees with you, and I'm going with science.

How very dare they have a voice!

I wouldn't have done it when I was younger because I'd have had the living daylights beaten out of me for daring to think I mattered. Perhaps we should go back to those 'good old days' eh OP? Children seen & not heard & while we're at it, we can put women back in their box too. It's getting difficult to hear mens' important voices lately due to these pesky women & kids.

I would much rather kids be passionate and outspoken about things that matter and trying to intact change.

Plus, their voices shouldn't be squashed or ignored. They have just as much right, if not more, to do this. The impact of climate change is going to hit them a lot harder than the older generation, a lot of whom chose to ignore it.

In what world is cruising better than flying?

What do you think she should have done?

You keep spelling her name wrong! Also did you miss how she crossed the Atlantic in a zero-emission boat recently?

Lol, is this a joke? It generated more emissions than it saved

@TheKeatingFive

In what world is cruising better than flying?

What do you think she should have done?

She should have flown economy if she was determined to go.

Off topic but I don't think there is a word I hate more than woke. I assume it's supposed to stand for awake to issues? It's just such a grammatically weird way of using a word. It sounds dreadful as it's so incorrect.

I feel the same as you. I particularly don’t like the way it’s been hijacked by those who don’t like being called out on their bigotry.

She should have flown economy if she was determined to go.

But that would have signalled support for air travel that isn’t sustainable if large numbers continue to do it.

@pointythings

Imagine thinking human actions are going to hurt the planet. At worst we’ll hurt ourselves in localised regions.

Ah, one of the 'climate change isn't real' brigade. Science disagrees with you, and I'm going with science.

Please read the IPCC AR5 and you’ll find out who is being unscientific.

But that would have signalled support for air travel that isn’t sustainable if large numbers continue to do it

There's always a way to spin it, isn't there?

@TheKeatingFive

She should have flown economy if she was determined to go.

But that would have signalled support for air travel that isn’t sustainable if large numbers continue to do it.

It’s better than travelling by sea in terms of both pollution and carbon emissions so I don’t understand your objection here

"She should have flown economy if she was determined to go."

And people like you who are determined to dislike her would then just call her a hypocrite for flying around the world whilst campaigning about climate change.

It’s better than travelling by sea in terms of both pollution and carbon emissions

Can you back that up? It’s not my understanding.

@UrAWizHarry

"She should have flown economy if she was determined to go."

And people like you who are determined to dislike her would then just call her a hypocrite for flying around the world whilst campaigning about climate change.

Sorry but she made a huge miscalculation, and ended up releasing more carbon emissions than if she’d gone by plane.

She could just as effectively glared at Trump over Skype 😂

And you are massively missing the point. Well done you.

The kids protesting today will find themselves on the other end of the stick soon enough. Remember the "OK Boomer" crowd think a "Boomer" is anyone over about 25.

When I see a kid protesting about the environment I always wonder, would you rather have the latest iPhone every year or stick with an old dumb Nokia for the next decade? That's the thing about protesters generally, they should look at fixing their own problems before demanding everyone else changes.

Protest means privilege. Countless thousands of hours are wasted every year that could be used to actually make positive change. The morons who glued themselves to trains a couple of years ago could have been picking up litter in a park - it would have made a lot more positive change to the environment than their privileged "I'm alright Jack" supergluing stunt.

Please read the IPCC AR5 and you’ll find out who is being unscientific.

That report suggests anthropogenic climate change is happening and that mitigations are needed. It also helpfully sets out the interdependencies of the mitigations and their potential impacts - it's a good piece of work.

It doesn't in any way suggest that young people don't have anything to protest about, so I'm not sure what you're getting at.

@skirk64

The kids protesting today will find themselves on the other end of the stick soon enough. Remember the "OK Boomer" crowd think a "Boomer" is anyone over about 25.

When I see a kid protesting about the environment I always wonder, would you rather have the latest iPhone every year or stick with an old dumb Nokia for the next decade? That's the thing about protesters generally, they should look at fixing their own problems before demanding everyone else changes.

Protest means privilege. Countless thousands of hours are wasted every year that could be used to actually make positive change. The morons who glued themselves to trains a couple of years ago could have been picking up litter in a park - it would have made a lot more positive change to the environment than their privileged "I'm alright Jack" supergluing stunt.

How do you know that the protesters don't also actively make changes in their lives and on the ground? It isn't a zero-sum game. Sweeping generalisations about 'young people wanting the latest iPhone' are pathetic.

How do you know that the protesters don't also actively make changes in their lives and on the ground? It isn't a zero-sum game. Sweeping generalisations about 'young people wanting the latest iPhone' are pathetic.

It’s a fair criticism! Consumerism has never been so cherished than among the young. Everything has to be bright, shiny, new and fucking expensive. Who cares if it comes at the expense of child labour or from countries where human rights are non existent!

@skirk64

The kids protesting today will find themselves on the other end of the stick soon enough. Remember the "OK Boomer" crowd think a "Boomer" is anyone over about 25.

When I see a kid protesting about the environment I always wonder, would you rather have the latest iPhone every year or stick with an old dumb Nokia for the next decade? That's the thing about protesters generally, they should look at fixing their own problems before demanding everyone else changes.

Protest means privilege. Countless thousands of hours are wasted every year that could be used to actually make positive change. The morons who glued themselves to trains a couple of years ago could have been picking up litter in a park - it would have made a lot more positive change to the environment than their privileged "I'm alright Jack" supergluing stunt.

Would you rather have the vote, or not?

Would you rather apartheid was still a thing?

Would you rather racial segregation in the US was still a thing?

Would you rather Berlin was still cut in two?

Sure, protest and direct action by the people never changed anything.

FFS.

I’m really glad that young people are becoming more political and insisting that their voices are heard. My own DD is only 3 but hopefully I can raise her to question the status quo, be politically aware and stand up for what she believes in. A healthy dose of anti-authoritarianism would be good too.

‘Respecting your elders’ by default will be one thing I certainly won’t be teaching her.

Younger people have been massively screwed over in recent years with Covid, Brexit, unaffordable housing, tuition fees and the older generations’ inertia around climate change. It’s about time the kids were heard, and I’m amazed they’re not even angrier than they are.