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I live in Bristol with my teenage daughter Kira. She is 16 years old and half-way through her GCSEs.
When the first monthly youth climate strikes started here in February, I was in hospital and then recovering from an operation. However, Kira went along and told me all about it.
Following the strike, she became more engaged with the climate emergency, and there were some noticeable differences in her questions and behaviour: she became fully vegetarian; she wanted to know why everyone wasn’t using renewable energy; for the first time she seemed pleased that we no longer own a car.
Crowds gather
I run a social enterprise Catalyse Change CIC, which empowers girls and young women for sustainable futures. We do this through a summer residential ‘Catalyst Bootcamp’ here in Bristol and a mentoring programme, to support green education and career choices, along with school and outreach workshops and online resources.
I wanted to experience the strike, to help us provide useful, targeted support to these young climate leaders.
When I attended, it was a beautifully sunny day, which always helps the mood at an outdoor event. Crowds were starting to gather on College Green, a city centre green space, in front of the grand council house building ‘City Hall’, which is fronted by an Elizabethan statue and a water fountain.
There was a small stage set-up, with loudspeakers on top of a van, alongside it a huge green banner with ‘Stop Bristol Airport Expansion’ laid out on the grass, ready for the street march later.
There were lots of scattered small groups of young people clutching homemade banners on cardboard or cloth, with wooden poles, sporting slogans such as: “Our Planet. Our Future’; “Stop Denying this Climate Crisis"; “There is no Planet B”.
Confidence and bravery
I joined a large group that was slowly starting to form around the stage area. I wondered whether I should even be there - as an adult - but it was all quite relaxed and friendly. There were a few other adults scattered around, some acting as stewards in hi-viz vests.
A series of young women began to take to the small stage with a microphone to welcome and bring everyone together, to outline the day and to get everyone chanting.
One announced that there were some adults providing help with the march, she asked that everyone, “be friendly to them as they are here to support not lead you.”
I was so impressed with the confidence and bravery of all the young people there, particularly those who made speeches.
In a particularly poignant moment, there was the ‘die in’ and we all lay on the ground and had a minute's silence to reflect on the ecocide we all face, followed by a moving poem.
Growing movement
One very young girl, only in Year Two, said in a speech: “My message - especially to the grownups - is hurry up as we’ve only got 12 years to do this.”
There was lots of intermittent chanting throughout including refrains of, "stop the airport expansion" to the tune of the White Stripes Seven Nation Army.
I felt very moved and humbled that these young people - from children to uni students - had turned out to make their voices heard and be part of this powerful and growing international climate action movement.
I have spoken to colleagues who, like me, have been working in the environmental movement for many years, and have expressed anger and shame that young people should be having to do this. That it marks a massive fail for this. That it shouldn’t be on their shoulders.
Stepping up
Of course, we all should be on strike, and governments and corporations should be implementing policies and business models in line with the emergency that it is.
However, I think it’s a very positive thing that young people are stepping up and making their voices heard. It’s their planet and future too. We all need to speak up and act, we don’t now have the luxury of being able to let others do it on our behalf.
My own environmental activism started as a teenager. I became vegetarian due to animal testing and industrial farming practices. I studied permaculture to find practical solutions to the destruction of our living planet.
In fact, when I was young, I had more energy and clarity about the situation, before life and work started to confuse and distract me.
I think it’s great that young people feel so passionately about this crucial issue and that they 'get’ the urgency of it. If that’s what it takes to get our political leaders – along with their parents and communities - to take notice, then that can only be a good thing.
Practical support
At Catalyse Change we support girls and young women to be confident, resilient change makers and sustainability leaders.
So, I feel good that I am using a lot of my time and energy to provide practical support to those who are moved to act.
Also, I’ve now put my name down to be a steward at the next Bristol youth climate strike. I really enjoyed myself, it was energising and inspiring and it felt good to be part of it. I look forward to the next.
This Author
Traci Lewis is a social entrepreneur and consultant, also a founding director of Catalyse Change CIC. Follow her on Twitter @CatalyseCh and @TraciLewis79.
Image: Lucy Langley-Palmer, Twitter.
