Listen to the children

I read a report today about an eight-year old child in Etobicoke, Ont., being frightened by watching a video of Greta Thunberg’s speech to the UN about the danger of climate change. (See story, page B4)

My first thought was that creating trauma in little children may not be a very useful approach to fighting global warming. If some of that child’s apprehension could affect the corporate bosses of carbon-emitting industries, it would be of more value. If the schools would begin, with the youngest children, teaching and encouraging positive planet-friendly activities and attitudes, that, too, might be more valuable.

Some our complacent industrialists would benefit more from a good fright, but they are, in many cases, totally impervious to information that threatens their quarterly profits. It’s these people whose sole purpose in life is to maximize cash-flow who must be convinced of their responsibility to the real world.

No amount of financial success will help in the war on global warming. Unless, of course, more of that financial power were used to mitigate the damage to our shared biosphere.

As for Greta’s young enthusiastic followers, they’ve been convinced by the science and motivated by her infectious sincerity. We can count on them to keep up the pressure, to hold us accountable for their future on this planet.

If governments and industry continue to stonewall proposed changes, and drag their feet rather than accepting the challenge, they will alienate a whole generation of science-aware children.

Money, as most of us know, is a very potent drug. It offers pleasure, but not happiness, unless it is used for the good of the whole society. In our present situation, money will progressively lose its power to buy pleasure, security, or comfort, unless it is used to maintain our planet in working order.

Once we have stabilised our climate, and restored the natural balance of nature, then they can all go back to their bean-counting, but in beneficial industries rather than destructive ones.

Ed Healy Marystown