Climate Change Strike

No - but they’re telling their parents when they feel like going to school or not.

I think this is excellent - thank your son for his efforts and interest from me!

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I agree it looks like we’re unlikely to agree!
It’s been interesting though to see your evolution from ‘they’re breaking the law’ to - well I’m no longer sure what you are saying!
I have no desire to continue this particular discussion either - nor to convert you (not even sure to what! - believing that environmental breakdown is important? that under-18s are right to protest about this? that strikes sometimes do achieve progress? that breaking the law is sometimes necessary? - it’s certainly true that I do believe all these things).

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Really?..because I completely understand what you’re saying Geof - I just disagree with the arguments / analogies you use:

“Rosa Parks, civil rights movements, political actions breaking the law, historic strikes by adults, strikes achieving progress, racists, environmental breakdown / disaster, worldwide political / environmental movements, under 18’s having a right to protest, tax payers in Alabama, breaking the law is sometimes necessary”…for example… :roll_eyes:

…all to essentially excuse children absenting themselves (endorsed / used (?) by their parents / the media) from their schooling, thereby breaking the law.

So you see, I am sure what you’re saying. :wink:

Interesting new development at my own kids’ lycée this Friday: instead of striking, both staff and students have agreed to a series of school-wide debates every Friday on environmental breakdown - clear indication that the strikes are working!

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Probably the best way. Children who learn to debate properly will be much better at posting on forums like this when they’re older. :grin:
I really think education is so much more rounded these days. I would have had a lot more confidence as a teenager if i had felt my views were valid . Children should be encouraged to question the rules imposed on them and learn that breaking a bad rule can be a good thing.

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As long as the penalties for getting caught are not too severe.

Very true. Luckily most of us live in countries where laws are mostly for the good of society. I sometimes wonder if I would have had the courage to be a suffragette and if their movement would work these days because any attack on government is seen as terrorism now. The loss of the Lib Dems as a viable opposition has allowed both the left and right to become more entrenched.

That was an order from the ministry, they are very twitchy about lycéens/collégiens/écoliers on the street demonstrating.

Thanks Guy. He came back full of ambition to do more and blisters on his feet. His non English side is very sure this protest is needed to make the political classes sit up and finally do something. Afraid his mum has less faith in the power of protest.

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It could well be them teaching us, they are schooled on sustainability, and recycling together with the state of the planet that OUR generations have handed to them. Are they likely to listen to us the disposable throw away generations

@Corona don’t moan about it, do something about it :+1: that’s my simple message.

Give me 3 things YOU will do tomorrow to reduce your polluting ways.

Give me 3 things YOU will do to tomorrow to reduce YOUR polluting ways.

We have been doing the following things for quite a while:
I don’t buy packaged things unless there is no alternative, I buy everything loose and have a selection of thin cotton drawstring bags to put flour/sugar/fruit/veg etc etc in, when I get home it is decanted into baskets etc, glass jars with metal screw tops (virtuous) or plastic boxes (bad, but haven’t bought any for years).
I heat my house with wood (sustainable) as well as fioul (bad).
I avoid buying synthetics (not virtuous, I just don’t really like them).
We don’t drink anything that comes in a plastic bottle.

We aren’t very green though we do try :frowning::frowning::frowning:

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How could you reduce the carbon going out of your chimney? Wood burning must be a major source of pollution?

  1. I will not drive a diesel vehicle ( actually i never have, but will again, not do so tomorrow).

  2. I will recycle about 80% of our garbage… again we usually do this anyway.

  3. We use a local shop for veg’s, no plastic…and will continue to do so.

  4. oh i have passed the target but hey. We shop with re-useable bags always.

  5. Our Christmas wrapping paper this year was re-cyclable. ( most actually isn’t).


general question …not really expect exact answers to this as highly hypothetical. So all these school kids got to this “march”/“strike” …( and by the way …doesn’t bother me that they do it)… How many will take endless pics and selfies on their phones for social media purposes, which will run down the batteries and all have to re-charged ? how much power consumption wasted, ? than had they had a normal day at school and not been using social media as such… now there’s food for thought…could that act be also classed as hypocritical ?.. yea I know , this is being pickier than picky… BUT…

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Personally I could replace the remaining lights bulbs in my house not yet of the greenest type. I could make sure we reduce the number of electric items on when not necessary. I could avoid buying items with excessive levels if packaging.

My daughter didn’t have a telephone with her. It was pouring with rain anyway all morning, so I doubt many of them were taking pictures or filming. By the afternoon they were back in school.

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Disposable nappies? Room for improvement?

Here’s one thing that would save money and lives plus reduce CO2 emissions - stop the crazy culture of going home for the lunch break!

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