What do children think about climate change?What do they worry about? What are they frustrated about? What do young people want us to know about their experiences with this often overwhelming topic? If you know a concerned kid, they should know they’re not alone.
“Caroline Hickmanis co-lead author of astudylooking at how young people feel about climate change. They gathered responses from 10,000 people aged 16-25 in 10 countries around the world.”
This animation byFlock, aBBC IdeasEarth Day video in partnership withThe Open University, amplifies some of the concerned voices of young people.
Hickman summarizes that at least three-quarters of young people feel that the future is frightening, almost half reported being dismissed or ignored when they tried to talk about climate change, and eight out of 10 said that people had failed to take care of the planet.
“So this is young people and children looking to adults, looking to older people, looking to people in power, and saying, “Why haven’t you done something about this?”
How do we have age-appropriate conversations about our warming planet?Ask kids what they’ve heard, and what they’re worried about. Then listen,look for the helpers, andfind a local way to get involved andbea helper.
“My advice to adults, parents, teachers, is do not put it off, don’t push it away. Don’t save it up and just have that big conversation. Talk about it regularly. That’s crucial.
“And it’s OK for you to say to your children, ‘I don’t have all the answers. We’re not sure exactly how to deal with all of this.But let’s find out together.'”
This is the primary reason TKSST sharesstories about climate solutions,all kinds of teamwork, andkids taking action. When people of all ages have the opportunity to do something meaningful, it can help combat anxietyandmake a hands-on difference on our paths tosustainability.
Join or start a bike bus, take more public transportation,plant native plantsin your yard, parkway, or outdoor spaces, compost,volunteer to pick up litter, ask schools and city officials toinvest in solar, renewable energy, andgreen roofs, makeyour home energy efficient,and more.
There arelots of simple thingsyou can do totake action toward net-zero emissions, including getting outside and learning about your local ecosystems.
The study, published in The Lancet, is titledClimate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey, and it included 1,000 participants in Australia, Brazil, Finland, France, India, Nigeria, Philippines, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Related readingfrom NPR: A kid’s guide to climate change (plus a printable comic).
Relatedlessons via TKSST and more at Subject to Climate.
Watch these videos aboutclimate changesolutionsnext:
•How can nature be used as a tool to restore ecosystems?
•What is the Circular Economy?
•Do Cities Need More Green Roofs?
•Take Charge: RSC’s Global Battery Experiment
•The Surprising Places We Waste Energy
•低碳foods for gassy cows?
•Why are peatlands so important?
•Solutions for capturing and storing CO2? Caltech explains.
•America’s top composting city helps farms grow food & save water
Bonus:How To Solve Every Global Crisis.
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