The spoiled climate protesting students – and the Baby Boomers who spoiled them and the planet
Many people, and groups of people, chose to frame the happenings of today as a battle between generations. We may not think it is helpful but the views are strongly held, as the extracts and links below show.
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It’s the over-seventies who largely bequeathed us Brexit:
Francis Beckett: Blame us baby boomers for Brexit – The New European
And likewise climate change:
Climate Change Is the Ultimate “OK, Boomer” Issue | newrepublic.com
Baby boomers need to help end climate change – Vox
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It’s the young – regardless of political affiliation – who feel most passionate about the climate:
Generation Z Fears Climate Change More Than Anything Else | forbes.com
Especially in the States:
Young Republicans think GOP boomers are on the wrong side of the climate debate | qz.com
GOP has a generational split over climate change | inquirer.com
On climate change, younger Republicans now sound like Democrats | salon.com
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Meanwhile, in Australia, there’s been a bit of weather:
Deluge floods Sydney with the heaviest rain since 1990 | washingtonpost.com
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But the responses are still divided, according to which generation you belong to – as made apparent in this tirade from an Australian broadcaster, sent in by a correspondent:
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WATCH: Australian Broadcaster Takes Down the Spoiled Climate Protesting Students In Epic Fashion
[Young people] want to complain about how people are messing up the environment as they themselves mess it up and refuse to change their lifestyles in order to fix it.
Australia’s Advice To It Youth
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Although it could equally be said that the Baby Boomers are the ones who drive their grandchildren to school, who prefer to give them a few dollars to buy lunch rather than make it, and who buy them the latest i-phone…
Boomer Grandparents: Taking It To The Next Level | forbes.com
Boomers Give New Meaning To Spoiling The Grandkids | huffpost.com
Meanwhile, back in the UK:
Britain’s election and the deepening generational divide | aljazeera.com
Although some balance is given in the article:
‘Those above the age of 65 form an increasingly large share of the electorate, and are also more likely to vote.’
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And to finish, some posts from the Futures Forum:
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Old vs young: “Baby boomers have built an empire and empires need protecting: God forbid that house prices fall and housing becomes cheaper for young people!”
Are older people ‘stealing the future’ from younger people?
… whether it’s about housing:
Futures Forum: “Bad news for people trying to get on the property ladder” >>> Sidmouth’s property inflation rate is one of the highest in the country
Futures Forum: The South West: “This is where the young people are struggling to get on to the property ladder which is why towns are banning holiday homes.”
Futures Forum: Elderly to blame for housing crisis…?
… or jobs:
Futures Forum: “We need a more balanced community.” >>> “The Sid Valley needs a ‘long-term vision’ to attract more young people and families,”
Futures Forum: Sidford, employment land and the demographic time bomb
Futures Forum: East Devon’s demographic time bomb >>> “the District Council has a duty to create balanced communities”
… or the climate:
Futures Forum: Brexit: and the future for climate change >>> anti-intellectualism and inter-generational theft
The generations are literally drifting apart:
Futures Forum: Brexit: and Britain’s cities growing younger and its small towns growing older at a faster rate than at any other time in recent history
There are some good ideas out there, though:
Futures Forum: A solution to our housing problems: an intergenerational home
And one project in Somerset is really managing to bring the generations together:
Futures Forum: Regeneration from the roots up >>> “every community has the power to build a strong and secure future for itself” >>>
The last piece looked at a recent article in the Guardian which looked at the issues: