On climate change, the kids are all right
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/12/2018 (2794 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
When 21 middle-school students in Winnipeg missed classes last Friday, there was no need to provide notes to tell teachers why they skipped. The mainstream media provided a full account.
Reporters and photographers recorded the actions of the 12- and 13-year-old students as they participated in Climate Strike With Greta, a worldwide phenomenon that has so far involved 20,000 children in 270 towns and cities.
Greta Thunberg, 15, has been skipping school on Fridays since August to sit on the steps of parliament in her home country of Sweden.
“Why should we be studying for a future that soon will be no more?” Greta asked on Twitter.
Last week, Greta chided world leaders at the United Nations climate change summit: “For 25 years, countless people have come to the UN climate conferences begging our world leaders to stop emissions, and clearly that has not worked as emissions are continuing to rise. So I will not beg the world leaders to care for our future. I will instead let them know change is coming whether they like it or not.”
If only adults could reassure Greta and her growing group of child activists that their fears are exaggerated. They worry they will inherit a planet that is irreversibly damaged. They aim the blame, point blank, at the current generation of politicians who avoid taking essential action because it would damage their personal and party popularity.
Lamentably, the kids are right.
The truth on climate change is that Canada is all talk, scant action. This country has repeatedly backtracked from international climate agreements. Canada has missed almost every one of its climate promises set to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
Canada is a climate change slacker. Kids get this and are frustrated that adults apparently don’t care.
As Greta puts it, “Our leaders are acting like children.”
It was a telling coincidence that on Friday, at the same time children in Winnipeg chanted and waved placards about the urgency of saving the planet, Canada’s top politicians were gathered at a first ministers meeting in Montreal.
Instead of agreeing to finally take the tough action needed for Canada to meet its climate commitments, the premiers continued their track record of grandstanding to the narrow interests of their regional voters with talk about aluminum and steel tariffs, the low oil prices, illegal border-crossers, the closure of an automobile plant in Oshawa and internal trade barriers.
Can anyone explain to the children how these topics are more important than the impending ruination of the planet? Or, perhaps, how seeking to address such issues could be done with our environment in mind?
Fridays for future. The school strike continues! #climatestrike #klimatstrejk #FridaysForFuture pic.twitter.com/5jej011Qtp
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) September 16, 2018
In Florida, eight children inspired by Greta have launched a lawsuit against the governor and senator-elect for their environmental policies. “Our politicians have failed us,” said Delaney Reynolds, 18, the lead plaintiff.
“Global climate change crisis is the biggest issue that my generation will ever face, and it will be up to today’s youth to solve this problem before it is too late.”
The Winnipeg children who marched on Friday say they will cut classes again next month to continue joining Greta in her protest. When they say some things are more important than school, it’s hard to disagree with them.
In the traditional tale The Emperor’s New Clothes, self-interest keeps a crowd of adults from acknowledging the obvious and it takes a child to speak the truth.
Today’s young people are telling us the naked truth when they say politicians are laggards on essential climate change action. Do we hear the children?
