Youngsters demonstrating against climate change

crystaltipps what do you mean exactly ‘we should be supporting the message’ ??
Is ‘we’ the general public in the UK, or the world or on GN,
Or the government, or the media?
Since we hear about ‘the message’ just about all the time and most right minded people go along with it and do their own small bit to help anyway, we don’t need placard waving to make us aware of it.
It’s a world wide problem, and our tiny island isn’t doing badly ( as with everything else could always do more) but
Massive pollution from large countries needs to be dealt with by their governments, which is the real problem, because with some, it’s never going to happen.

Monica.....excellent post 06.24.23

Eloethan.......is it necessary for you to be unpleasant and confrontational to me?
Do go back and read the OP in FULL.
‘14 year old grandaughter swept a carefully painted false talon over her eyebrow extensions’
‘Plump DGS piped up from his prone position on the sofa’
Etc etc.
Not the sort of thing I would ever write about my grandchildren that’s for sure.It’s inviting us all to mock them.

crystaltipps That is silly. I am sure you were not seriously suggesting that I considered that an essential prerequisite for going on the march was to have a plastic bottle and a parent with a 4x4,

Yes of course that message should be made, but who is to say that ALL those protesters were discarding plastic bottles or being driven around in 4x4s? That NoNE of them are trying to be more responsible? Don’t tar everyone with the same brush. Hopefully the message will get through to the less responsible, and there’s plenty of wasteful and uncaring adults around, not just children. The message is an important one despite the irresponsibility of some. We should be supporting the message, whatever we think of the messengers.

I do not think anyone is advocating an 'all or nothing approach' but all of us should be doing what we can, and that applies to children as well as adults.

Many of us have been aware of both global warning and other environmental concerns and doing what we can since long before these young protesters were born.

But one lesson that all protesters need to realise, no matter what their age, is that protesting is fine but it is actions that actually make a difference and protesting is very hollow if the plastic water bottle in your hand will be discarded after the demonstration and a parent will be at the school gates in a 4x4, ready to drive you the mile or so home.

I can’t understand this “all or nothing” approach- it’s just an excuse for apathy. It’s like saying “ if you don’t recycle plastic bottles, why bother with paper”. Surely “every little helps”. It’s difficult in our complex society to be totally green and non wasteful, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start that journey. Hats off to youngsters and those of any age who are becoming aware, we should be encouraging our government to do much, much more, and yes we could all do more in our own small way to be less wasteful, consume less, recycle more, you don’t have to be perfect to make a start. Stop criticising those protesters and get behind their message, it’s a serious issue.

MisAdventure, precisely.

Eloethan, You may have only one week's holiday a year, although it is how you travel to that holiday that matters, not the length or number, but many people are having holidays and short breaks each year that involve a dozen or more flights - and those that go on ski holidays are among those most likely to be doing that kind of travel.

I accept that the girl herself will not have made the decision about the holiday, and no-one is demanding perfection from anybody, nor is my case specifically against this one person, but, many of those school children protesting, could do with looking at their own lives to consider whether they could walk or cycle to school rather than come by car. Whether elsewhere in their lives they could improve the world by thinking about how they travel in their daily lives, how much plastic they buy and how they dispose of it.

Demonstrations are fun, but it is living the cause that matters and, I wonder how many actually do.

Surely though, if people feel strongly enough to take to the streets and demonstrate, then they would wholeheartedly embrace the cause?

Is it necessary to be so confrontational and unpleasant to some people lemongrove?

I'm sure if specki had been critical of "Corbyn and his colleagues" rather than "Gove and his colleagues" (as specki commented) you would not have felt the need to be so scathing in your response to her.

I repeat that I think it's unfair to criticise someone for flying away on holiday - and especially a young person who may well have holidayed abroad since infancy and has perhaps never considered the environmental implications.

Even if people don't go the whole hog in protecting the environment, every little helps. We have a one week holiday abroad most years - as do many people. Does that mean we have no right to have a view on environmental issues? Ditto if you don't walk, use public transport or cycle everywhere? I think if such high demands are expected of people from the outset - particularly when our whole society is based on conspicuous consumption - they will just feel very defensive, depressed and overwhelmed with the magnitude of what is expected of them - and won't bother at all.

Oh give over Specki I did not describe you as horrible,
I said that you write of your grandchildren in a horrible way, which you certainly do.
Can you imagine their faces if they read your OP and knew that was their Grandma?
They are young and enjoying being young and have plenty of time to grow up and think about green matters/climate change.The young people on the marches the other week aren’t actually doing anything to alter climate change other than thinking about it ( briefly) it’s the older people in governments everywhere that will make concrete changes.

Responses to Global Warning begin at home. If parents and grandparents are seen to be recycling, re-using, not flying on holiday and talking about their concerns about the problem children will get bthe message, especially if it is reinforced at school.

Somewhere back up the thread someone mentioned an interview with a girl who was on strike, but flying to Switzerland the following day for a skiing holiday and described it as someone making a cheap point. It wasn't a cheap point it was a strike at the core of the matter. Children should learn not to shout the shout, but to live the life and give up the skiing, if it means flying.

lemongrove you criticise my use of the word "horrified" and then denounce me as "horrible" for honestly describing the apathy that my grandchildren displayed on the subject of climate change. I see that you like to snipe at many posters on this forum. Clearly you have never belonged to a debating society.
The whole point of Gransnet forums is for us to express our genuine feelings about issues of the day. Its debases the discussion when some responders only seem able to engage by sniping and trying to score points.

Political decisions have an impact on global warming. It should not become party political though..it is too important for that. Sadly everything becomes tribal, then petty tit for tat and the big picture is lost!

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!

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

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}

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.