Editor:
After the May 3 Fridays for Future rally in Davis Bay, much is being made of the two signs with – gasp – the F word on them. Would it be better if it said, “We are ducked”? Did these adults totally miss the fear, despair and sadness on the signs? These kids live in times when we all carry phones with the information of a library, and the latest news (and fake news) right in our pockets. Their parents had two sources of information if they were lucky: parents and teachers. Now kids are learning the truth for themselves. They are calling for action from politicians in their own style.
I am much more horrified at how many adults have absolutely no idea what our global climate crisis is all about. Every day the news reports tell us of freakish weather, never seen before. Heavily populated areas suddenly unlivable. Antibiotic drugs no longer working, deadly diseases spreading. Wildfires rampant.
Does the disaster have to happen here in order for adults to take notice?
These kids have the right to a normal happy life, and it tears my heart out to see the problems that children now have to find solutions for. At ALL levels of responsibility our politicians busily duck the hard questions, making smokescreens of other topics and misusing our tax money for spiteful misleading political signs. The leaders are not leading. Their behaviour indicates they are not adequately informed on the issues of this climate crisis.
Paul Hawken’s book, Drawdown, presents a deep analysis of the top 100 strategies for stopping climate change and reversing global warming, ranked in terms of their ability to reduce CO2 emissions (or sequester CO2). While several of the top 10 are industrial scale and require governments to implement, there are several that are up to individuals and that can be addressed without too much expense: No. 3. Reduced food waste; No. 4. Plant-rich diet; No. 10. Rooftop solar.
Get informed and help these kids have a future. Please! The climate movement urgently needs your help.
Activism is the antidote to despair.
Anneke Pearse, Sechelt