Climate Protests

[Purple]

Tomorrow will see another day where children from all over the world take the day off school to protest against climate change or, more specifically, the fact that adults are doing next to nothing about stopping it.

Some commentators write really patronising opinion pieces about it telling them to leave it to the grown-ups to sort it out but given that the grown-ups have done nothing except make things worse what else should those children who want a future do?

Given the general level of apathy shown by most people, young and old, to just about everything (about a third of us don't even vote) is it not good to see people engaged in politics and protests?

 

[Firefly]

Sadly it will our children's generation who will begin to suffer from our recklessness but however it is they too who will take the largest steps in tackling the issue. So getting them on the street is a good thing - when they're older they'll be less easily swayed by the deniers...

Just wondering....has anyone here made any measurable changes to their day-to-day activities to reduce their footprint? More from a plastic-reduction perspective than CO2 I have recently ditched the showergel for soap. I find it cleans a lot better and costs a fraction too.

 

[michaelm]

It all seems a bit over-hyped to me. AFAIK the world has warmed by somewhere between 0.5 and 1 degree over the last 100 years and sea levels have risen around 3mm per year on average over the last 20 years. For sure there is change and we are having an impact. I'm not sure there is a climate emergency, nor that what we are doing in the best way (or value for money) to mitigate any change. I read that 100 years ago climate events killed over 100 people per million annually but today that figure is 4 per million. I expect that climate change will affect poor peoples/countries disproportionately and that lifting them out of poverty is a more fixable problem.

Funnily enough I reckon I have quite a low carbon footprint. I don't buy stuff/gadgets, walk to work, only use bars of soap (no hair), have a push mower, don't fly much, try to buy Irish or EU produce . . do like fillet steak though.

 

[odyssey06]

Call me cynical, but why is a day off school needed? Why not a Saturday or Sunday?
Using kids in this manner is indoctrination and child abuse.
Down through the ages they are deployed like this by religions and totalitarian ideologies.
A ten year old knows nothing about this issue or any other. They could be marching to save the world or salute Stalin.

 

[Thirsty]

"Why not a Saturday"

Ah but then they'd miss football/GAA/hockey/pick-your-sport training or worse still wouldn't be hanging out with their mates in the local shopping centre...

 

[Purple]

Call me cynical, but why is a day off school needed? Why not a Saturday or Sunday?

Same reason their teachers don't go on strike during their 17 weeks holidays; then it wouldn't be a strike.

Using kids in this manner is indoctrination and child abuse.

Presenting them with facts which their parents selfishly choose to ignore is child abuse? Really?
I'd say that saddling them with our debts, providing them with very expensive but substandard health and education and screwing up the worldn't climate is closer to child abuse.

Down through the ages they are deployed like this by religions and totalitarian ideologies.

I was marched to mass from school. I prefer this sort of march. This march is optional and they won't be told they will go to hell if they don't participate.

A ten year old knows nothing about this issue or any other.

They seem to know more than their parents, judging by some of the posts here so far.

 

[Purple]

Just wondering....has anyone here made any measurable changes to their day-to-day activities to reduce their footprint? More from a plastic-reduction perspective than CO2 I have recently ditched the showergel for soap. I find it cleans a lot better and costs a fraction too.

I avoid plastic packaging where possible. My green bin goes out once a month. My black bin once every 6 weeks. There are 4-5 people in the house. No wet-wipes, no clingfilm etc.
What I am careful about is not buying food that has been flown here so no berries or fresh fruits from far flung places. The carbon miles ion those products are massive.

 

[odyssey06]

Presenting them with facts which their parents selfishly choose to ignore is child abuse? Really?
I'd say that saddling them with our debts, providing them with very expensive but substandard health and education and screwing up the worldn't climate is closer to child abuse.
I was marched to mass from school. I prefer this sort of march. This march is optional and they won't be told they will go to hell if they don't participate.

They seem to know more than their parents, judging by some of the posts here so far.

Its meaningless nonsense. A strike? By schoolkids for schoolkids to bunk off.
The only fact they are interested in is how much dossing off they can do.

Very easy to be 'unselfish' when you arent the ones that havs to be responsible for paying bills, keeping house warm, getting kids to school and you to work.
But then thats what being a child is. Which is why they dont get to vote.

Will they be unselfish by not flying or getting lift to school or friends house?
Or wearing fleeces indoor so thermostat can go down a notch?
Are they going to take on a part time job to pay for house to be insulated?

They are kids. When I see them deployed as propaganda tools like this I know an agenda being peddled.

 

[Purple]

Its meaningless nonsense. A strike? By schoolkids for schoolkids to bunk off.

Maybe for some but the ones that turn up at the protests aren't bunking off.

The only fact they are interested in is how much dossing off they can do.

How do you know?

Very easy to be 'unselfish' when you arent the ones that havs to be responsible for paying bills, keeping house warm, getting kids to school and you to work.

Very easy to be selfish when someone else has to face to consequences of your actions. Very easy to be lazy and pretend that minor day to day changes are major issues.

Will they be unselfish by not flying or getting lift to school or friends house?
Or wearing fleeces indoor so thermostat can go down a notch?
Are they going to take on a part time job to pay for house to be insulated?

Maybe their parents could lead by example, you know, parent them.

They are kids. When I see them deployed as propaganda tools like this I know an agenda being peddled.

Oh, it's all a conspiracy is it?

 

[michaelm]

The cynic in me wants to say that many will attend to skip school, eat fast food and throw the wrappers on the ground . . keep breathing Purple, you don't want to turn blue .

 

[Ceist Beag]

If even a percentage of them get on board as a result of these protests then it can only be a good thing. Every and any inititiative that promotes the message should be encouraged and supported. I really don't understand this constant whinging and nay saying we get from adults - it's either denial or a lack of desire to accept the facts.
It's never going to be easy to change a culture but the more the drum is banged the more people will slowly start to hear it and some will even start to understand the message.

 

[Ceist Beag]

Just wondering....has anyone here made any measurable changes to their day-to-day activities to reduce their footprint? More from a plastic-reduction perspective than CO2 I have recently ditched the showergel for soap. I find it cleans a lot better and costs a fraction too.

We grow our own food, producing enough fruit to mean we never need to buy jams again, enough tomatoes to see us in soup for the winter, cooking apples to reduce how many we need to buy and also make chutneys with beetroot. Obviously we still need to buy fruit and veg but at least it's a reduction and hopefully we can add to it over the years.
Supervalu have biodegradable bags rather than plastic ones so we use those where necessary but like you we're trying to reduce plastic where possible. Soap is something we've been using for years now as well.

 

[Leper]

I'm delighted to see our school going youth protesting. Bear in mind the only cost is to themselves. No matter which way you look at their protests they have to make up the difference themselves. Furthermore, it gets our youth thinking ahead to their eventual working days where I reckon they are already inspired to join trade union. Good on our youth I say!

 

[Leo]

where I reckon they are already inspired to join trade union.

What have our wonderful trade unions ever done for the environment?

The only involvements I can think of are trying to protect their own interests like protesting the cutting back on peat extraction and burning for electricity generation.

 

[Leper]

What have our wonderful trade unions ever done for the environment?

The only involvements I can think of are trying to protect their own interests like protesting the cutting back on peat extraction and burning for electricity generation.

Trade Unions represent their members, not the environment.

 

[Purple]

Trade Unions represent their members, not the environment.

So why would they join vested interest groups which seek to damage the climate for their own selfish ends?
Those are the sort of organisations they are protesting against.

 

[Leo]

Trade Unions represent their members, not the environment.

Ah OK, so unions will represent their members' short-term interests above all else, not really a surprise to anyone.

These protesters are engaged in exactly the opposite kind of behaviour, and are seeking measures that would result in immediate pain in order to lessen a long term issue that may not even directly impact them any time soon. I really don't see how these people would be inspired to join a union unless it is to infiltrate from within and take them down.

 

[WolfeTone]

What have our wonderful trade unions ever done for the environment?

Raise awareness?

Trade unions around the world support global climate strike

Adults, businesses and trade unions asked to join youth climate campaign

www.theguardian.com

[broken link removed]

Public services must lead climate change response - Forsa

Fórsa leader tells #EPSUcongress19: “Only the public sector – at a national and international level – has the resources, the scale of organisation, the infrastructure and the legislative and regulatory heft to meet this challenge head on in the fast-declining time available.” Climate change is...

www.forsa.ie

 

[BilliamD75]

Maybe I should be out protesting about climate change, it is now become a religious cult and any objective view like mine is treated with distain without answering simple questions for a balanced point of view,

 

[Leo]

Raise awareness?

Trade unions around the world support global climate strike

Adults, businesses and trade unions asked to join youth climate campaign

www.theguardian.com

[broken link removed]

Public services must lead climate change response - Forsa

Fórsa leader tells #EPSUcongress19: “Only the public sector – at a national and international level – has the resources, the scale of organisation, the infrastructure and the legislative and regulatory heft to meet this challenge head on in the fast-declining time available.” Climate change is...

www.forsa.ie

Ah, so hypocrisy. Makes sense.