The Kids-Parents Holiday Face-Off On Climate

Kids, it’s time to give your parents 'the talk.' Not that one, the one on climate change; Confronting your family and leaving them upset is not the goal. Keep it positive, and you might be surprised by what happens next.

Michael A. Smyer, December 20, 2018 (USA Today)

“…[National and international action to solve climate dilemmas is urgently needed, but talks about the issues with family and friends] will lead to concrete changes in our daily lives, specific next steps for making our lives more sustainable and eventually political action to ensure a more sustainable country…[The facts are in] the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, released in October…[But] most of us avoid talking about climate change: Less than a third of Americans (31 percent) talk about global warming at least occasionally with family members or friends…

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Maybe parents and grandparents aren’t talking to young adults because they’re worried about adding anxiety. The irony is that silence only makes it worse…[But interactions often reveal that many are doing something about it, and can join with others to] do more and demand more…[It is vital to remember that small steps forward and not upsets are] the goal. The holidays are a perfect time to ask your relatives and friends to think and talk about a place they care about. And ask them what’s next…” click here for more

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