Youngsters demonstrating against climate change

I think the action of these young people is heartening. It's a beginning; an awakening.

There are still many, as others have said, who think the whole subject is a joke or simply don't think it affects them in any way. The lure of Stuff in this society is what drives it and what motivates it. It's not easy for anyone to try and break free from that, least of all impressionable teenagers whose raison d'etre is to look cool with their mates and that means having all the latest Stuff (and then throw it away). Thankfully many are now realising that there is no Away and never has been.

I think I'd have the same reaction as the OP to be honest, but use this as a starting point. Any tiny inroads you can make to encourage them to question and think outside their narrow cocoon will be a step forward.

If my children were on the demonstrations I'd be completely supportive. We cannot afford to be otherwise. Yes, there are some contradictions, as Eloethan points out, but you have to start somewhere and make small changes which then grow and become big ones.

We don't fly when we go on holiday but I can't claim my carbon footprint is negligible by any means - we take the car on UK holidays and train it in Europe. We are learning all the time about ways in which we can start to make a difference but iof course we need big businesses to commit to global change. I hope it's not too late.

We took ours to the Deep in Hull yesterday.
The damage that plastics are doing to the ocean was a featured very prominently, we filled in a questionnaire about it as we went round.
Eco credentials were very evident in the cafe.
Then we went into the gift shop. - different story here.
We bought a postcard and a sharks tooth but the sharks tooth was in a small plastic bag. We tried to be good!
Until the grown ups and businesses get it the children won’t.

Agreen,PamelaJI but it's nevertheless important - nay, vital - to try on an individual level.

Single-use plastic has to be the biggest evil, or one of the biggest. It's everywhere. Manufacturers continue to package products in it, from drinks and foodstuffs to washing products.

I think the theory and the practice proved to be different things.

The theory was school children used their voice by protesting.

The practice was they were infiltrated by the likes of the Socialist Worker and Corbyn activists and the children waving pre made Socialist Worker placards were in effect used as political pawns

They were taken out of school and transported to the demonstrations by whom? If a parent did not take them and the protest venue was not on the doorstep they had to get there somehow.

Who was responsible for their safety? Children were walking along roads stopping traffic and walking between vehicles, standing on statues, climbing goodness knows what such as traffic lights.

Children were swearing and shouting things such as ' F--k Theresa May and therefore showing once again there was a political move behind a lot of this.

Did the litter they dropped contain plastics?

Why did it have to be on a school day?

The good intentention was lost on me for so many reasons and I would have respected the protest had it been a day of respect for others and not running amock with no adult supervision.

I appreciate the smaller protests were probably more respectful.

POGS I would have had more respect for them if each school picked a local area whether it be park, woodland or beach and clear it up. They could have then posted the amount of single use plastic and other rubbish collected on social media and maybe got local newspapers, radio stations and TV to cover their activities.

I was frankly appalled at the language, attitude and the prevalence of political banners on some of these marches.
I assume like you that they were bussed into some areas by local political activists.

GGravy

I watched a lot of live coverage on that day and I was watching what was going on in the background, mostly the involvement of some of the adults which proved to be very interesting.

I was annoyed quite frankly that children were so easily led by some of the adults and activists and I hope some of the parents who were not cottoned on to, managed to see what some of their children were doing and will think twice about letting them attend the next scheduled protest.

They only chanted "fuck Theresa May" when the silly woman (silly in this instance) came out and spoke against them protesting. Was really funny actually. ?

Grandson and his mates got there by underground trains.

Younger children were taken by their parents.

This thread is now making me really Why don't some of you venture out into the real world?

Wtf would political activists bus them in?

It was on a school day because that way it got more media coverage.

I wouldn't appreciate anyone shouting "f***" anyone or anything, let alone children.
It does little to further the cause.

You do need a sense of humour to appreciate that bit. And some degree of tolerance.

Children? Year 12s/sixteen and Seventeen year olds? I doubt any little ones with their mums were doing much chanting.

Gonegirl

Your posts are Priceless and a further observation of how anger and behaving aggressively limits the ability to maintain debate / discussion. Something I hope some of the children who were there might take on board as their cause was diminished by the behaviour of the few.

Ain't it always!

As for your :-

' Wtf would political activists bus them in? hmm'

Who said they did? This was in my post :-

They were taken out of school and transported to the demonstrations by whom? If a parent did not take them and the protest venue was not on the doorstep they had to get there somehow.

By the way I am an adult you don't have to use acronyms say what you mean it has more effect.

Its very true that political activists will latch on to any protesting groups in order to further their own agendas. The Brexit crisis illustrates this succinctly. Who knew, for example, when the referendum was proposed, that Jo Cox would be murdered and Anna Soubry would be verbally and menacingly attacked as she was.
But climate change is a time bomb ticking away at our grandchildrens' lives and anything that makes them aware of this and therefore encourages them to take action, is to be lauded. It is up to the law enforcers to protect genuine protesters from cynical exploitation. I too wished that the youngsters had been less aggressive and foul mouthed. But that's not to say I don't applaud their stance. I just wish my own grandchildren were being informed with vigour. It was their complacency which distressed me.

specki good post.

However, I seem to recall my parents' generation complaining about what we looked like/said/did rather than why we were campaigning or marching. Let's look at the bigger picture and shrug off the odd expletive - to which they are arguably entitled, seeing as they are angry and worried for the future.

POGS erm yes, it IS political so why is it a surprise to see committed activists there?

Never mind the swearing (it's a demonstration, not a vicar's tea party). Just look at what those children are trying to say. They want us to wake up. They aren't perfect; they are making mistakes, but it's nothing to what we have done to this earth.

POGSs Grannygravy said it. I didn't suggest you did. I was replying to posts generally.

Global warming cannot be about politics. It certainly wouldn't be to the kids.

Can't you all just ignore any "political activists". Just be glad that this up-coming generation care about the world they live in.

And I do get angry when well meaning young people are criticised out of hand by us old fogies.

Glad you find my posts "priceless". Trying to give you your money's worth. ?

Every country's economy drives global warming, Gonegirl so it can't fail to be a political matter in that sense.

I am thrilled the young are becoming so aware and committed about their world, I agree. They do deserve out respect. Hats off to them, f*****s and all {wink}

Gonegirl your posts have always been priceless,( for years) but stay a bit more under the radar? You know what I mean.

specki what a shame that you write of your grandchildren in such a horrible way.Hope your AC don’t recognise you from your posts!