‘Why doesn’t my dad take the climate emergency seriously?’: Extinction Rebellion activist on educating his parents

My village back home in Nottinghamshire is very traditional. There’s a large farming community, and some of my neighbours even go hunting every year. Growing up, I couldn’t have been more at odds with the “vibe”.

I was 10 years old when I began my journey into climate activism. I became passionate about sustainability and conservation, even petitioning locals to shut down a battery farm near my house. I was horrified when I saw chickens being taken out of the trucks. I didn’t really understand the environmental impacts or ethical implications of factory farming, but I had a strong feeling it was an injustice.

Now, I’m an Extinction Rebellion activist studying at the University of Bristol and have attended dozens of protests. I refuse to buy new and all my clothes are from charity shops. I became vegetarian nine years ago and have been trying out veganism.

Changing your diet and shopping habits are two of the biggest personal changes you can make to avert global heating, but it has been a challenge to get my parents, and particularly my dad, to meet my efforts and passion for fighting the climate emergency. He’s a criminal barrister, too, so when he saw me joining big protests in London he was worried.

I’ve had some success with Mum, who’s now shunning fast fashion and buying more plant-based food. She’s even joined me on a protest.

Dad, however, is traditional, with less liberal views, and is happy living a comfortable life in our countryside village. He admits the climate crisis isn’t an immediate concern to him; he’s busy with his job and would rather spend his free time doing what he enjoys.

Often I feel like my parents view me as a 20-something who speaks from the heart, not the head. They think I’m not realistic with what I want to change in the world. And there’s the cliche that young people become more “woke” at university. For me, going to university contributed to my activism, but it definitely didn’t kick it off.

I know both parents are proud of me and my activism, I just wish they would do more to help. While neither of them are deniers of the climate crisis, they don’t seem to grasp the severity of the emergency.

It can feel like there’s a divide between older people and young activists like me, and like there’s an apathy within a lot of the older generation. Maybe it’s because older people have had a lifetime of hearing about climate breakdown and that exposure breeds a lack of concern, whereas younger people are engaging in a much more active way.

At home, I’ll be talking about a big problem, such as the impact of animal agriculture or fast fashion, and Dad will say: “But what can I do?” It feels entrenched. If he does something eco-friendly, it’s unlikely to be because of his love for the environment, but rather because those are the things he likes to do.

My parents say they want to help, but day-to-day they have other things on their minds. They’re house proud – when I come back from university one of their main concerns seems to be my bedroom and how untidy it is. I find it funny, almost, when you’ve got the news on in the background talking about the climate crisis while Mum and Dad discuss which shade of teal is right for the new kitchen chairs.

I think: where is your energy going? What is your focus being directed on? As long as people’s time and attention is spent on material things – which, of course, is what fossil fuel- emitting companies want us to think about – they aren’t going to look around and realise the severity of the crisis we’re in.

I’ve been trying to convince my parents to change their behaviour for years. Of course, it’s a process – and there’s always more to be done. Ultimately, we do have different views, but Mum and Dad provided me with the platform to develop my ideas and experience the things that inspired me to fight the climate emergency. For that, I am thankful.

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