Transcript
IMMIE
If climate change were like an animal or a plant, I think it would be some sort of parasite because it’s the only thing that’s actually growing and getting bigger while everything else starts dying off.
MILLY
The environment is definitely very special because if we get rid of it there’s nowhere else we can go. Like, it’s like a very one in a million sort of planet.
CAROLINE HICKMAN
A 10-year-old some years ago got cross with me and said, ‘You don’t get it’. He said, ‘You grew up thinking that polar bears would be there for ever’. He said, ‘I’ve grown up knowing that they will go extinct.’
ESTHER
I don’t remember when I first became aware about climate change. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know what it was because it’s always been there.
CAROLINE HICKMAN
Children are growing up with this knowledge and this awareness whereas anyone over the ago of, let’s say, thirty, is having to wake up to this and realise it. When we asked young people about how climate change made me feel, three quarters or more think the future is frightening, so we know that it’s having an emotional impact on children and young people all around the world.
IMMIE
I think that climate change is really scary and the fact that lots of people aren’t doing much about it just sort of freaks me out.
CAROLINE HICKMAN
Eight out of ten told us 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?’
ESTHER
It makes me feel angry to see such a clear issue and to see everyone knowing about this issue and still not doing anything that they really should be. It’s just frustrating and I think it’s also tiring to feel so sort of scared and angry.
CAROLINE HICKMAN
One of the worst things we can do to children and young people is to say, ‘Well, it’s your responsibility now’. I’ve heard this said to children. ‘Your generation will fix this. Your generation is so inspiring and creative and innovative. We’re going to leave this to you to fix.’
ESTHER
There is an idea by older people that it is sort of on young people to fix it but I think that’s really unfair and I think it’s a collective responsibility, not just on young people and not just on me.
CAROLINE HICKMAN
One of the most worrying statistics was that 48% told us they were dismissed or ignored when they tried to talk about climate change. That we could do something about this afternoon. That we could do something about today.
IMMIE
In places like school, I feel that they don’t really listen and don’t respect the fact that I’ve thought about it and tried to educate myself about it. I kind of feel really angry and frustrated because I am actually saying something meaningful and it you’re not prepared to listen to your children, it’s going to have a big effect because we actually do have something to say and we are actually trying to make a change.
CAROLINE HICKMAN
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 okay 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.’