Young people fight for their future
Although it may feel like it, climate change is not new. Scientists have warned about it for a long time, barely anything has changed. Only in the past years, there has been a shift in people’s heads, but also in politics.
What has changed it and how? Who has brought that change?
First of all, let us get some facts straight. Scientists have talked about climate change for a long time, even back in the 1980s some have pointed at this issue. In 1988, the oil company Shell has predicted that by 2030, the CO2 levels would increase so significantly, that the average temperature would rise about 2 degrees Celsius (Franta, 2018), the company Exxon has found similar results even six years earlier. However, as the company did not want people to know that they were also responsible, they did not publish their research. It was only leaked in 2015, many years later, when the climate crisis has become undeniable (Franta, 2018). For a long time, climate change was not taken seriously by many. Despite all the scientists, many brushed it aside, did not include it in politics or tried to change the economy.
It has been brushed off and ignored for many years, politicians were rather focusing on how to increase the economy instead of dealing with global warming. In the late 20th century and the early 2000s the tactic mostly still worked, but that has changed in the past years.
For one, the earth was getting hotter and hotter, denying climate change seemed less credible, particularly with more natural catastrophes happening (Visions of Humanity, no date). The second change was the attitude.
Although climate activists have been around for as long as people knew about global warming, it was a fifteen-year-old-girl, who started a huge environmental movement. Greta Thunberg was still a young teenager, when she started to strike outside the Swedish government in 2018 (BBC, 2019). Her school strike for climate has quickly got viral and soon, students from all over the world followed her example.
The movement called ‘Fridays for Future’ became more and more popular, with climate strikes happening in some parts of the world every week. The amount of awareness has risen a lot and Greta Thunberg rapidly became the face of young political protestors.
It is rare to see such a young face between often grey-haired politicians and world leaders. Politics are often linked with older people, but almost never to those in their twenties, or even teenagers. The average age for MPs, candidates and councillors is over 50, whereas a young person is less likely to be elected or to vote (House of Common, 2021).
In the UK election 2019, the estimated voting turnout was much higher for older people than younger. Of the voters age 65 and over, 74% were expected to vote. On the other end, the youngest group of voters, age 18 to 24, had an estimated turnout of only 47% (Ipsos MORI, 2019).
Does this mean that younger people are simply not interested in politics?
Does this prove that they are less engaged in politics?
No, not necessarily. Voting is an important democratic tool and should be encouraged. However, the little representation of the younger generation can be an off-putting factor for many. The interests differ depending on the age group and generation.
Climate change is such an issue of different interest. The concern about climate change is significantly higher among younger people (Harrabin, 2021), which leads to the frustration many young people feel. A lot of young people feel angry and betrayed by the governments’ ignorance towards this very real and urgent problem (Harvey, 2021). 65% of young people stated that the government is failing the younger generations (Harrabin, 2021), one of them being the 25-year-old climate activist Luisa Neubauer, who says that young people have ‘turned [their] individual anxiety into collective action’ (Neubauer, cited in Harvey, 2021).
“It’s different for young people – for us, the destruction of the planet is personal.”
(cited in Harrabin, 2021)
If not being able to find a voice by voting, political engagement can be shown through more than that. Thinking back to Greta Thunberg, who was not even allowed to vote at the beginning of her strike and yet made a massive difference regarding climate justice. One important factor that she has raised, was awareness. Instead of letting politicians and companies get away with environmental-harming politics and practices, the climate movement demanded answers, responsibilities. Millions of students protested demanding change for a better future. Frustrated by the governments, many stood up and tried to fight for their political goals differently.
Why do so many people talk about the youth and their lack of political interest, when the face of the climate justice movement is a nineteen year old woman?
In terms of effectiveness, protesting can be a difficult and long way. But small victories can be celebrated. The German school strike movement helped to achieve a victory in court: The German government had to re-evaluate their own climate politics (Harvey, 2021). Moreover, the UK has made great improvement in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions at home (Greenpeace, no date).
Those steps are positive and very important, however, those should not distract from the parts that desperately need improving. Many Fossil fuels around the world are still funded by the UK’S corporate sector, and there is a lot of improvement that can be seen in the transport (Greenpeace, no date).
Until the governments take responsibility – the youth will keep fighting.
Bibliography:
BBC (2019) Climate change: Greta Thunberg school strikes began a year ago, BBC, 20 August.
Franta, B. (2018) Shell and Exxon’s secret 1980s climate change warnings, The Guardian, 19 September.
Greenpeace (no date) What is the UK doing about climate change? Available at: https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/challenges/climate-change/what-is-the-uk-doing-about-climate-change/ (Accessed: 20 February 2022).
Harrabin, R. (2021) Climate change: Young people very worried – survey, BBC, 14 September.
Harvey, F. (2021) Four in 10 young people fear having children due to climate crisis, The Guardian, 14 September.
House of Commons (2021) Political disengagement in the UK: who is disengaged? CP 7501. Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7529/ (Accessed: 21 February 2022).
Ipsos MORI (2019) How the voters voted in the 2019 election. Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/how-britain-voted-2019-election (Accessed: 20 February 2022).
Visions of Humanity (no date) Increase in Natural Disasters on a Global Scale by Ten Times. Available at: https://www.visionofhumanity.org/global-number-of-natural-disasters-increases-ten-times/ (Accessed: 22 February 2022).
Hi Carolin, thanks so much for your interesting blog. I was just wondering, with the recent climate protests by Extinction Rebellion in the UK, which closed down several highways, disrupted city centres and left a significant amount of cleaning up for the police- do you think that this is detracting from the impact of these protests? I guess I just wonder with so many negative headlines hitting the news about climate change protesters, whether this is actually doing the opposite of what these protesters aim to achieve. While they’re highlighting really important points about the state of our planet and what we have to do to change this, these points are not what tend to dominate the media. However, you could also argue that this is not the fault of protesters themselves, but rather the fault of what the media chooses to focus on that is detracting from these protests. So my question to you is: is it the fault of these protesters’ behaviour that is delegitimising their campaign, or is the fault of the media’s coverage of these events? What should change, in your opinion, about the way these events are held and covered?
Hi Marie,
Thank you so much for your comment! The issue you mentioned about the recent Extinction Rebellion protests is an interesting topic to talk about. It is a bit complex – as you have said, on one hand, Extinction Rebellion is highlighting very important issues, but on the other hand, the media seems to care more about how they protest instead of why. I think at this stage of the climate crisis, disruptions done by protestors are the smaller problem. In the last decades, so many climate scientists have warned about the problem, but have been ignored. For many protestors, this kind of chaos seems to be the way of being heard. However, as you said, the media’s coverage was barely focused on the actual problem. I, personally, think that the media could do better. In my opinion, it would be a good mix if the media would mention the disruptions and chaos – but then focus on why the protestors felt the need to go so far. That way people would have a complete picture of everything.
I really enjoyed reading this blog Carolin!
Especially because climate change is an ongoing issue and I have always had the opinion that climate change was not a common discussion amongst the youth. Therefore, reading your reference to Harrabin’s (2021) statement that “concern about climate change is significantly higher among younger people” has genuinely surprised me.
As a young person myself, i’ve found that a lot of my peers are usually unaware of climate issues and the harmful impacts concerning our environment. The ones who usually are mostly students who have studied politics or subject areas which have made them aware of our social and environmental issues. In this case, do you think there are any tactics we could use so our peers who are unaware can get more involved? You have also mentioned the power of protests. However, a lot of people would rather use other methods to create change, can you suggest any other tactics i could recommend to the ones seeking other methods of activism?
I cannot wait to read your solutions!
Hi Rabia,
Thank you for the important question. I think spreading awareness through various forms of the internet is the easiest way to reach young people. I also recommend young people to sign and share petitions, as this can be another useful way to be active!