By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International
Nature and Priorities of the Next Generation
Love for God’s creation is an admirable thing. It is also something at which human beings routinely fail. And thus, there is a need for environmental activism, aimed at promoting a proper respect for the earth, and the responsible use of its resources. But there is something about these recent “Global Climate Strikes” – which have seen millions of students around the world skip school to protest against climate change – that have left me frustrated and deeply worried.
Environmental issues, and especially issues related to the global climate, are complex. Brilliant scientists disagree on how to interpret the data. And well-meaning people can disagree significantly on what, precisely, the best solution to any given environmental issue might be. However, the rhetoric behind these Climate Strikes suggest that in many cases children in schools are being taught, and in turn are parroting, a grossly simplistic, one-sided, and hysteria-based interpretation, often mixed with various forms of radical leftist economic and social ideology.
Indeed, one sometimes cynically suspects that the radical leftist economic and social ideology, rather than concern for the environment, may in fact be the whole point. Consider, for instance, the “about” section of the Canadian website for the Global Climate Strikes. “Climate justice is about more than greenhouse gas emissions: it’s about workers’ rights and economic justice. It’s about the rights of Indigenous peoples and migrants. It’s about anti-racism and social justice. Each battle is entangled within another, and victory is only possible if we fight all of them as a unified entity.” ….
Read more at https://www.hli.org/2019/09/why-global-climate-strikes-are-worrying/
