BBC Ideas｜气候变化：孩子们在发声，成年人在听吗？

Climate change: Children are speaking up, are adults listening?

Immie(Age 14)
If climate change were an animal or plant, I think it would be some sort of parasite, because it's the only thing that's actually growing and getting bigger, while everything else starts dying off.

Milly(Age 11)
The environment is definitely very special because if we get rid of it, there's nowhere else we can go, like it's a very one in a million planet.

Caroline Hickman(Psychotherapist):
A 10-year-old some years ago got cross with me and said, "You don't get it." He said, "You grew up thinking that polar bears would be there forever." He said, "I've grown up knowing they will go extinct."

Esther(Age 16)
I don't remember when I first became aware about climate change. I don't remember a time where I didn't know what it was. It feels like it's always been there.

Hickman: Children are growing up with this knowledge and this awareness, whereas anyone over the age of, let's say 30, is having to wake up to this and realise it.

When we asked young people about how climate change made me feel, three-quarters or more think the future is frightening. So we know that it's having an emotional impact on children and young people all around the world.

Immie: I think climate change is like really scary. And the fact that lots of people aren't doing much about it, just sort of freaks me out.

Hickman: Eight out of 10 told us that people had failed to take care of the planet. So this is young people and children looking to adults, looking to older people, looking to people in power, and saying, "Why haven't you done something about this?"

Esther: It makes me feel angry to see such a clear issue and to see everyone knowing about this issue, and still not doing anything that they really should be. It's just frustrating. And I think it's also tiring to feel so scared and angry.

Hickman: One of the worst things we can do to children and young people is say, "Well, it's your responsibility now." I've heard this said to children. "Your generation will fix this. Your generation is so inspiring and creative and innovative. We're going to leave this to you to fix."

Esther: There is an idea by older people that it is on young people to fix it. But I think that's really unfair, and I think it's a collective responsibility, not just on young people and not just on me.

Hickman: One of the most worrying statistics was that 48% told us they were dismissed or ignored when they tried to talk about climate change. That, we could do something about this afternoon. That, we could do something about today.

Immie: In places like school, I feel like they don't really listen, and don't really respect the fact that I've thought about it and tried to educate myself about it. I kind of feel really angry and frustrated, because I am actually saying something meaningful. And if you're not prepared to listen to your children, it's going to have a big effect, because we actually do have something to say, and we are actually trying to make a change.

Hickman: My advice to adults, parents, teachers, is do not put it off, don't push it away. Don't save it up and just have that big conversation. Talk about it regularly. That's crucial. And it's OK for you to say to your children, "I don't have all the answers. We're not sure exactly how to deal with all of this. But let's find out together."

词汇表
parasite [ˈpærəsaɪt] 寄生虫，寄生生物
die off 相继死去，消亡
one in a million [ˈmɪljən] 万里挑一的，极其稀有的
psychotherapist [ˌsaɪkəʊˈθerəpɪst] 心理治疗师，精神治疗医师
get cross with 对…生气，对…发脾气
polar bear [ˈpəʊlə] 北极熊
go extinct [ɪkˈstɪŋkt] 灭绝，走向灭亡
wake up to 认识到，意识到
fix [fɪks] 解决，处理
innovative [ˈɪnəveɪtɪv] 创新的，富有创造力的
collective [kəˈlektɪv] 集体的，共同的
dismiss [dɪsˈmɪs] 不考虑，不理会，驳回
put off 拖延，推迟
push away 推开，拒绝，回避
save up 积攒，储蓄，储存

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