Tuesday, 14 July 2009 | posted by Matt_BC
Activism, General, Climate change, Environment, Youth work
The prevailing attitude among young people today continues to be “do as we say, not as we do” when it comes to saving their planet.
Yesterday, the biggest youth climate change conference Australia has ever seen wound up in Sydney.
The likes of Al Gore lined up to inspire thousands of young people to discover their inner Captain Planets and solve the climate crisis.
The sentiment was noble but the focus unclear. Young people don’t need to be persuaded of the climate crisis. Poll any group of people, young or old, and a majority will talk of their passion to live in a greener world.
But ask that same group how much they drive, or fly, or how many children they intend to have and you’ll be amazed.
It simply doesn’t add up.
The reality is that there is a dangerous and underlying tension between hopes and reality when it comes to young people and climate change.
Left unchanged it will bring our urgent campaigns for salvation crashing down in a pile of double standards and hypocrisy. A little-known report released last year by London company TNS Global Market Research Specialists highlighted this dichotomy.
Eight thousand young people from 27 countries took part in the survey. While an overwhelming majority thought changes to the environment were a result of human behaviour, economic ambitions remained unchecked and most were not willing to make the hard sacrifices necessary to avert dangerous changes to our climate.
The report shows it is almost as if young people advocate change but really want to hang on to the status quo.
To escape the guilt, we hide behind flowery statements and campaigns like Earth Hour, seemingly doing “our bit” for the environment by turning our lights off once a year, or carrying around chic recyclable bags. Gosh, can’t you see how “green” we are?
In order to bring about real change my generation needs to “walk the talk” when it comes to climate change. Reconciling our economic and lifestyle ambitions with our passions for the environment would be the place to start.
Overcoming this inertia will be much harder than any global negotiation taking place. But the consequences are too dire and the time frame too urgent not to do so.
Domestic political pressure will be the key to bringing about the necessary national resolve to deliver a viable solution at Copenhagen in December.
Young people are the natural agents to apply that political pressure.
Given the current pace of climate negotiations, we are the ones most likely to spend our retirements either under water or on fire.
Indeed, the current Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme contains more exemptions than it does regulations.
The challenge will be for us to take our good intentions and channel them into more than just flowery rhetoric.
The challenge will be for us to actually make the hard sacrifices.
Young people are the most powerful catalyst for change in society. But only when they want to be.
Change is not always forthcoming even from our own ranks. The fact that there are 14 groups with more than five million members opposing the new Facebook layout shows this.
Gandhi said “you must be the change you wish to see in the world”. The uncomfortable message is that if you are not part of the solution in every choice you make, you are part of the problem.
But before I’m accused of pigeon-holing a movement, let me acknowledge that any cross-section of society has a diversity of views and behaviour.
But the question remains: collectively, do young people really have the necessary will to be the change they want to see when it comes to climate change? Or do we just say we do?
We have a long path ahead of us. A path that is crucially important.
It is about time my generation stopped simply “talking the talk” and started “walking the talk” when it comes to climate change. Only then can we really hope to make a difference.
- Thom Woodroofe, Left Right
First published in the Herald Sun.
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14 July 2009
Wooow that was heavy :( But we can never say that this applies for all of the young people “my self and alot of other ppl that i know ” they are being the change they want to see in the world towards climate change!!
all the best
Seraj
14 July 2009
WOW is the word! I totally agree with your comment Seraj, I think people have to remember that YOUNG PEOPLE are genuinely making a positive change to society, but ultimately we MUST remember climate change is not the only issue on this planet. Young people see other issues as more important and I for one follow that suit yes I recognise Climate Change as a big issue, but when there are 75,000,000 children out of education and people dying in vast amounts from diseases that no longer exist in the western world, then young people will generally will support these issues. Alot of these issues can be solved quickly and fastly, but sadly Climate Change is seen as a bigger priority, valued more than human life.
15 July 2009
I would have to agree with the article up to a certain extent, unless you are being directly affected by the effects of climate change, you will definitely see things such as combating crime and violence; access to basic amenities, etc as higher on the priority list. Convincing young people from my community to join the fight against climate change it a hard battle because most feel disengaged from the issue.
Personally climate change isn’t a number one concern for me but not becuase I don’t care but like Scott there is a need to place a higher value on human life and combating extreme poverty and hunger, diseases and the like.
15 July 2009
People don’t you see that Climate change as the most thing effecting the problems you just mentioned? “extreme poverty and hunger, diseases and the like”
15 July 2009
This is true, we have to remember that as activists we are already engaged with the issues but for the everyday person who is not directly affected the issue of climate change, such as flooding or rising sea levels, going ‘green; seems popularised and distant
15 July 2009
Dear Barbara,
Believe me i know what ur talking about i come from a country that is not directly effected by climate change, But still what we do in our “Libyan Climate Change Group” is that we mostly focus on the young ppl coz they can see the truth straight away when you put it right in front of them. Dont you agree
15 July 2009
I agree to an extent but I guess it depend son how the message is delivered and whether or not feel convicted to act. I firmly belive that as global citizens we mismanged the earth’s resources for our own selfish pleasures and while prevention is better than cure, we are now leaning towards adapting our daily lifestyle. If young people recognise that they have a part to play, however small, then I feel there will be less of a disconnect.
3 August 2009
climate changes obviously brings variations on the economic development of any nation, especially the developing nations, what are its various impacts on the economy of the nations??