{"id":29911,"date":"2023-11-15T21:06:26","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T05:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=29911"},"modified":"2023-11-15T21:06:27","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T05:06:27","slug":"when-it-comes-to-climate-change-the-kids-are-not-all-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/11\/15\/when-it-comes-to-climate-change-the-kids-are-not-all-right\/","title":{"rendered":"WHEN IT COMES TO CLIMATE CHANGE, THE KIDS ARE NOT ALL RIGHT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

They worried they have no future.<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Theresa<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Theresa Ann Story<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 days ago (Medium.com)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Richard Stachmann<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not long ago, a science teacher at a local middle school graciously gave me some time at the end of her day to discuss what students are learning about climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I arrived, two students were still in the classroom \u2014 young girls who were laughing and chatting as they helped tidy up the desks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooks like you\u2019re still working,\u201d I said, standing in the doorway. \u201cIs this still a good time to talk?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, come on in,\u201d she said, smiling and waving me in. \u201cWe\u2019re just waiting for my daughter. I told them you were coming, and they might be interested in our meeting since the topic affects them, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGreat!\u201d I enthusiastically replied. I turned to the girls and blurted out, \u201cSo, what do you think of climate change?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They froze like deer in headlights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their laughter abruptly stopped. An expression of unease washed over their faces as they shifted their gazes toward one another. After a moment of awkward silence, they drifted back to futzing with the desks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a low voice, the teacher explained, \u201cIt\u2019s a scary subject for them. They don\u2019t feel like they can make a difference, so it\u2019s hard for them to talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crap<\/em>, I thought. What have I done?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young People are Terrified of the Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A teenager\u2019s weightiest worries should be along the lines of \u201cHow am I going to pass math?\u201d or \u201cI wonder if Tommy likes me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They shouldn\u2019t be asking themselves \u201cHow am I going to survive global warming?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo credit: Roy<\/a>, Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A study published in Lancet Planet Health in 2021<\/a> gathered responses from 10,000 children and young people (16\u201325 years old) in ten different countries. Findings indicated 59% of respondents were \u201cvery or extremely worried\u201d about climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 50% of those surveyed said they felt \u201csad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless and guilty.\u201d And, more than 75% saw the future as \u201cfrightening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s Been A Mindshift Among Students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In May 2022, Julia Steinberger, an ecological economist at the University of Lausanne, wrote about her experience giving a climate presentation at her old high school in Geneva<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, she noted how students showed unbridled enthusiasm and optimism. They were \u201cexcited\u201d and \u201cengaged.\u201d The students had agency over their destinies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three years later, at a similar high school presentation, the students appeared bored and distracted. During the Q&A session, Steinberger learned why the assembly was so aloof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A young girl took the mic and began her rapid-fire questioning. \u201cWhy are you here talking to us? We can\u2019t do anything\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Backed by the thunderous applause of her classmates, the student let it rip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnly politicians, only business leaders, can make the big changes you are talking about. Why aren\u2019t you talking to them? \u2026 we have to act within just a few years \u2014 and nothing happens, nothing changes \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The students\u2019 indignation and sense of hopelessness shook Steinberger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo Credit: Roy<\/a>, Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s An Uphill Fight Against Global Warming<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In June 2023, Montana District Court Judge Seely ruled that \u201ca provision of the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) prohibiting<\/em> consideration of greenhouse gas emissions <\/a>and corresponding climate change impacts in environmental reviews \u2026 violated the plaintiffs\u2019 right to a clean and healthful environment under the Montana Constitution.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lawsuit, brought on behalf of 16 plaintiffs ranging in age from 5 to 22 years old, represents hope in the fight against climate change. That\u2019s the good news \u2014 the glass half-full view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, on the flip side \u2014 this unprecedented victory for environmental protections against climate change only applies in Montana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another issue \u2014 it appears Judge Seely\u2019s ruling will be appealed to the Montana Supreme Court where it could possibly be overturned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fight is not over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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