Why is the sky blue? Why is my friend allowed to eat Coco Pops and I’m not? How big was T-rex? Children are always asking questions, and while many can be handled with a surreptitious Google search, there will often be more challenging subjects to deal with that arise from life events. Parents may have to navigate their way through painful experiences such as the death of grandparents or divorce, but they also face questions that arise from watching the news or hearing playground chat about world events.
Questions about climate change and the future of the planet can be tricky to handle, especially as some of the issues are so complex that we may not always understand them fully ourselves. It’s also tough to strike the right balance between honesty and making kids feel less fearful. It’s a particular challenge at a time when many children have already had their routines turned upside down thanks to a frightening global pandemic.
What is clear, however, is that young people are becoming increasingly active and vocal about climate change issues. In November 2018, following the United Nations Climate Change Conference, a then 15-year-old Greta Thunberg initiated the school strike for climate movement, which saw over 50,000 people from 100 countries rally together in a call for action. Four months later, 1.4 million students from around the world participated in school strikes. Children are no longer passive witnesses to the climate crisis but are increasingly participating in protests and carving out their own platforms to demand a voice.
Camilla Tham, Anthropocene engagement manager at the Natural History Museum in London, believes that how we talk to children about these complex issues very much depends on the age and personality of your child. ‘If you look at youth voice right now, we see some young teenagers who are very emphatic that we are in an emergency. They are very vocal about the current situation and the fact they feel leaders are not handling things in the right way,’ she says. ‘There’s definitely a sense of injustice that it’s their future in jeopardy, and this will be a catalyzing voice for some young people. But maybe not for others who are more sensitive to a doom and gloom narrative. This won’t resonate with them and may well make them feel terrified. Eco anxiety is being talked about more and more, and psychologists are now mindful that many young people – and adults – are really scared.’
‘Children are no longer passive witnesses to the climate crisis but are increasingly participating in protests and carving out their own platforms to demand a voice.’
The power to change
While attitudes towards climate change can range widely from apocalyptic to complete denial, based on the current scientific evidence, it’s now irrefutable that humans have had a devastating effect on the planet – but the good news is that we also have the knowledge and the power to turn things around. ‘As a museum, we believe we’re living in a time many people refer to as the Anthropocene, a time when humans have become the single most influential species on the planet, causing significant global warming and other changes to land, environment, water, organisms and the atmosphere,’ says Camilla. ‘We have had mass extinction episodes in earth’s history – when we lost the dinosaurs we also lost around three-quarters of life on the planet. But this is different as we are one species having a devastating impact on natural systems, and we have an awareness of what we are doing. It’s not like the evidence isn’t there; we can see from our collections, and our scientists study how life is changing on our planet over time.
‘At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution we didn’t understand the pervasive impact it would have on the atmosphere and all the many, many knock-on consequences of warming the planet, so it’s useful to talk to young people about this, about how we can learn from our mistakes and learn from new scientific discoveries to help us change things,’ says Camilla. ‘A lot of coverage of climate change is negative, so we’re very mindful of that and always aim to share conservation success stories or species discovery stories – we all need to hear some good news too. I think it helps, particularly with children, to say “look at all this cool work these dedicated scientists and conservationists are doing right now”. It really is spectacular and there is a lot of amazing, positive work going on.’
From caring to campaigning
Not all children will respond to the issues like Greta, but as this remarkable young woman says, ‘no one is too small to make a difference’. Most children have a natural interest in nature and animals, and encouraging this is a great way to nurture proactive eco-defenders of the future. Camilla agrees. ‘Our collection has so much more to offer than our famous dinosaurs, but we do recognise that a big “wow” inspiration point such as dinosaurs or a polar bear can be the gateway to engaging people further,’ she says. ‘We’re trying to create advocates for the planet, so we need to take people from that “wow” point all the way through to knowing more, then caring more, and then using their voice or actions to help save species or whatever they feel passionate about as an individual.
‘I’ve noticed through our public engagement that young people will often be more concerned about these wonderful creatures in their own right, but as adults the questions are more about what particular species contribute to us and our lives. What young people have is such a pure love for the natural system we are a part of. But as we grow up we often become so disconnected with these systems,’ says Camilla.
It’s this disconnection from the natural world that inspired the launch of EcoTales, a podcast on environmental issues aimed at children. Creators Joe Churchmanand Helen Martin develop songs and stories that celebrate nature, highlight environmental issues and champion sustainability in a way that is easy for children to understand and respondto, teaming up with experts to ensure everything is scientifically correct.
‘We are very sensitive to the fact that we have important and potentially scary messages to share, and that we need to make them informative, engaging and, where possible, fun,’ says Joe. ‘We also want to make children aware of how they can make a difference by changing their behaviour, for example, by reusing wherever possible, being conscious consumers as they grow, planting seeds for bees, using the Ecosia search engine or walking to school. It’s important for younger generations to realise how individuals can truly make a difference and that they must start now.’
No one enjoys feeling powerless, so it’s important to not just share information, but also to encourage young people to take action too, even if they start small. ‘Our EcoTales workshops have shown us that teaching children how they can make a difference really empowers them to act,’ agrees Joe. ‘This is a great way of stopping them from feeling helpless. We explain to them that big change comes in many small steps and everything counts.’
Joe and Helen also believe nature is a brilliant entry point to helping children engage with bigger issues. ‘Nature is a wonderful balance of cycles so perfectly put together – it’s really inspiring. One thing beautifully affects another in the natural world and when you start to understand the balance you can’t help but want to protect it. Simple activities, such as growing flowers, fruit, vegetables or herbs, is a great way for children to understand a multitude of cycles – weather, plant, insect and even human cycles, if they then eat the plants they have grown. We live in a magical world and children have a natural affinity with it, so encourage this in every way you can.’
Greta is a great example of how one young person’s actions can have a huge impact, but Joe and Helen believe we also need to teach children that many small collective efforts can also make a big difference. ‘If millions of individuals all decide to stop buying plastic-wrapped fruit and veg, plant a tree, walk instead of driving short distances or stop buying clothing containing plastic materials, you suddenly have a very powerful movement in motion,’ says Joe.
‘If there’s one positive thing that can come out of the coronavirus situation it is that people see what is truly important and that they don’t need so many pointless throwaway “things” to be happy,’ she continues. ‘Look at the canals in Venice – within just a few weeks of lockdown they were clean and wildlife returned to them. And we also saw a reduction in pollution as planes were grounded and fewer cars were on the roads. Nature will recover, if we let it.’
‘We live in a magical world and children have a natural affinity with it, so encourage this in every way you can.’
Top 5 tips for talking about climate change
Inspire
Ensure your children see the magnificence of the natural world and the creatures that live in it from an early age – through photography and video footage online, TV documentaries, museum visits, exhibitions and making their own connections with nature on countryside walks or visits to reserves. When they appreciate how special this planet is, they’ll be naturally more motivated to help preserve it.
Be open and honest
Educate yourself on the facts and ensure you’re giving them accurate information. Answer their questions as honestly as you can in an age-appropriate way – but don’t be afraid to admit that there’s plenty you don’t know the answer to, and that even scientists can’t answer yet too.
Empower
For every problem try to give a solution you could try together – the seas may be filling up with plastic and it’s harming wildlife, but show how we can help by using refillable water bottles or joining a beach clean event. Show them that small actions still count – help them grow their own veg, design a poster or write to their MP.
Don’t force it
They won’t always be willing to engage with you on the big issues, so don’t force it on them. Being too strident may make them switch off. Try to let conversations about climate change flow naturally – whether it’s having a chat about a news story on TV or deciding to volunteer as a family at a community garden.
Take action as a family
Children learn by example, so set a high standard at home, encourage them to share their ideas and take them seriously, and come up with plans to live a more sustainable life together.
Resources
The Natural History Museum website is a rich resource for information on everything from oceans to evolution and wildlife, as well as on the concept of Anthropocene. Find some great ideas at https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-you-can-do-to-help-the-planet.html
National Geographic Kids offers lots of interesting info, including a potted guide to climate change that everyone can understand at https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/geography/general-geography/what-is-climate-change/
To listen to brilliantly accessible podcasts on subjects as diverse as fracking and plastics in the ocean, go to www.ecotales.co.uk
Websites run by heritage and wildlife organisations often have fun suggestions for family activities relating to nature, biodiversity and sustainability. Try www.rspb.org.uk, www.nationaltrust.org.uk, www.wildlifetrusts.org.uk and www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
Subscribe to magazines aimed at young people that help them engage with current affairs, science and nature such as National Geographic Kids, The Week Junior, Whizz Pop Bang and Eco Kids Planet.