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Climate change and youth awareness: what can be done more?
Remember the slogan "Youth can make a difference"?
I guess we all agree with it. Youth are often the one who has ideas, enthusiasm & energy to do things better. For them, for the society, for the world. Without looking for the profit side of the projects they are involve in. The result is what it matters.
True. Just like global climate change is a fact we should stop discuss. Youth do can make a difference.
So why there`s no mandatory education with a focus on the environmental issues and climate change? (At least in Bulgaria.)
Why everyone somehow involved in the process "youth against climate change" is there driven only by his own will and conscious?
Don`t get me wrong... I do understand that when one do something on a volunteer base, putting his heart in it, usually it`s better. And vice versa, the obligation to do something usually results in lack of motivation and non satisfactory results.
But wait a minute... If climate change is such a big and important issuue as it seems (1) and youth can make a difference (2), may be there`s a need to go one level up. To engage as many people as we can into the topic and starts acting with a whole new scope...
Type "youth and climate change" in google and you`ll have more than 6 million results. There are blogs, forums, internet cafes, NGOs websites, international youth projects, etc.
But to type this, you first need to be interested into the topic, don`t you?
I guess you all have friends who don`t know/ believe/ care about climate change. Should we let them thinking that the whole concept for climate change is respectively boring/ fake/ non important, or we should find a way to involve them into the cause?
So, briefly, what I am asking is how do you think we could raise youth awareness for climate change and is it a good idea to pass from "volunteering" to "mandatory" actions in the fight for our Earth?
And if yes, what is your suggestion?
What I can think of is mandatory subjects with a focus on climate change integrated in the educational system and more initiatives like planting trees, for instance. But for sure there should be more.
Or, if that`s something you already have in your country, could you tell me a little bit more?
Comments
I think the main problem is the perception towards “the whole ecology thing” and the people deal with it. Everyone has friends who are involved in some way. However, usually when they start speaking eagerly about climate change, air pollution, corporate and country negligence, people tend to tune out. Much like in politics, the young activists are somewhat ignored.
I think the reason behind this is the lack of sense of urgency. The youth, and most people for that matter, know the problem, but because of it’s subtle links and implications, don’t make the direct link to their lives.
Much like with the EP elections, most voters didn’t invest interest right until the last few days before the elections. It wasn’t because there weren’t enough media noise, social initiatives and debates. It was because 1. they thought they couldn’t change much though their vote and 2. they didn’t see the implications in their everyday life.
That attitude should first be change in order to activate the youth.
The question which Maria raises is an interesting and pressing one but I believe that it should be put into a broader perspective - that of citizen education in Bulgaria.
Currently there is no such thing in our high-school cirriculum. I think climate change awareness would fit very well in such a school topic and would contribute to the total attitude of Bulgarian people.
Mariya - the young people can do many, but don’t forget the old once. I know, It’s difficult for the old people to change their behavior, but everyone may firth tio think for the problem and second - to try to change something.
The young persons are very able of understanding what the peak oil is going to procreate. It is their life and their job which will differ. Therefore they have to learn to implement new energies. Very simple!