The timing has coincided with growing scientific concern about climate change that has been reported recently. So it seems fitting that the UK government has officially designated 2019 as the year of action for the environment, a year-long drive to see more people from all backgrounds involved in projects to improve the natural world. The #iwill4nature initiative, part of the #iwill campaign which aims to embed social action into the lives of 10-18 year olds and was formally launched at a celebratory event at ZSL London Zoo. Do campaigns like this engage young people and do justice to the energy, enthusiasm and passion of young activists?

Greta was inspired by the teen activists at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, who organised the March for Our Lives. She protested by sitting outside the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) every day during school hours with a sign that read "Skolstrejk för klimatet" ("school strike for climate"). Among her demands were that the Swedish government reduce carbon emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement. On 7 September, just before the general elections, she announced that she would continue to strike every Friday until Sweden signs up to the Paris Agreement. She coined the slogan FridaysForFuture, which gained worldwide attention. She then founded the Youth Strike for Climate movement and has continued to campaign and call for real action from politicians to halt climate change. On 15 March 2019, school strikes, urging adults to take responsibility and stop climate change, began taking place in over 2000 cities worldwide. An estimated 1.4 million pupils from around the world marched alongside Greta. 

Greta has sharply cut through the political and media waffle to clearly point out how indifferent and dismissive global society is to realistically addressing climate change.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that hers is a unique point of view but it’s not. Greta is an incredible young person but she’s not the only one and many more are joining her. It has often been the young of every generation who have been the visionaries, able to speak the truth that most of society don’t want to hear.

Award winning 15 year old Zach Haynes is one of these extraordinary young people living in the UK. A dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer, activist and blogger, he started his blog when he was 9 and has had well over 250 0000 views since. You can follow him here.

He’s both clear and lyrical about why he does what he does, “nature is important to us all, after all it’s what supports our existence. I’ve been lucky to be taken to wonderful natural spaces since I was very little so I’ve always felt a strong connection to the environment. Trees I love as they are little worlds on their own, homes to lots of plants, insects, birds and other creatures. As well as that they provide our air and add a majestic beauty to the landscape. I live in between the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors which have some incredible landscapes, some have a barren windswept beauty but my favourite places are woodlands with their towering canopies, the seasonal changes and their shady corners to explore.”

When faced with the competing onslaught of good causes and bad news, it can be difficult to see the wood from the trees. Social media is fast becoming the activists’ megaphone of choice. But does it work or is it another superficial way for society to turn away from true action?

It’s a challenge, but many young activists are taking the bull by its horns and using social media effectively to connect, inform each other and make changes in the real world. From cleaning up beaches to learning how to reduce waste they push for greater awareness and important discussions. 

Zach explains, “My main way of connecting with other people concerned with the environment has been through social media. It’s given me an outlet to share my passion with other people. It has put me in touch with lots of organisations and given me lots of amazing opportunities. It has definitely been a great source of information and support for me.”

I asked Zach on his thoughts about the current environmental movement and how young people like him are pushing it forward.

“I think this has been an essential movement. While there has been a lot of talk about addressing climate change, any action has been very slow. People my age aren’t always listened to seriously, especially individually, so it’s important to see lots of young people speaking up and engaging in these issues as it will make politicians and businesses realise they need to do something urgently.”

Young people are often portrayed in the media as lazy, celebrity focused and shallow. Even those dedicated to the environment themselves often felt alone and in the minority. Looking at the current picture, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Inspired by articulate leaders like Zach and Greta hundreds of thousands of young people have been taking to the streets to make it clear that real changes and decisions need to be made. In Greta’s words, “we need to treat the climate crisis as a crisis”.

And Zach suggests something simple to engage young people.

“Ask us to be part of the conversation. I’ve been to events at organisations where they have sat around wondering how they can become more appealing to younger people but they haven’t done the simple thing of talking to younger people and seeing what it is they want. Social media is a great way to have those conversations.”

We are inundated with news about the plastics choking our seas. Shocking pictures of animals maimed and strangled by human products which we discard with little regard to their long term effects. All sorts of environmental degradations are constantly taking place at an increasing rate. Climate change and its devastating effects will impact each and every living species on the planet, humans included.

We are inundated with news about the plastics choking our seas. Shocking pictures of animals maimed and strangled by human products which we discard with little regard to their long term effects. All sorts of environmental degradations are constantly taking place at an increasing rate. Climate change and its devastating effects will impact each and every living species on the planet, humans included.

We tend to lose sight that we are part of the environment and not separate from it. The earth is what nourishes us and provides us with our life and health. This is not a sound bite but cold hard reality. This is what Zach, Greta and the millions more standing alongside them are telling us. Ignoring the environment is in effect ignoring ourselves. That age old image of a man sitting on the branch of a tree and hacking at the same branch with an axe comes to mind.

As Greta herself said. “They are still not doing anything. So I don’t know why they are supporting us, because we are criticising them. It’s kind of weird.” It’s interesting that the only thing that makes Greta hopeful is not the publicity generated or the soundbites or even the level of support she is getting, but the attempts to discredit her. “I expected when I started that if this is going to become big, then there will be a lot of hate,” she says. “It’s a positive sign. I think that must be because they see us as a threat. That means that something has changed in the debate, and we are making a difference.”

All generations need to unite for real change to happen.  We don’t all have to become eco warriors and sacrifice our whole way of being to make a difference. Small regular actions that all of us can participate in make a huge difference. And equally important is holding those with the greatest power accountable.

Zach started early in life and wants to continue to make a difference. He’s a young ambassador for the #iwill4nature campaign. He explains what that means.

“#iwill4nature is an amazing campaign. It’s made me feel very valued for the things I’ve done for nature. It’s given me and other passionate young environmentalists a chance to share the things we’ve done and how we feel about nature. It helps to show other young people that we can make a difference and help the things we care about. This is so important as we need more young champions for nature and the environment.”

The reality is that issues affecting young people often have little political weight or will. The politics of austerity has come down harshest and with the deepest cuts to services for young people such as the decimation of their mental health support. Older generations need to support young people to break through these barriers of neglect and get them heard. Help them to hold the powers that be to account so positive change takes place. Will this generation of young people hold onto their dreams and passions in the face of all the cynical spin? Can they continue to engage in society, in decision making and political power while dreaming the dream? Let’s be the generation that genuinely listens to and acts on the wisdom and passion of young people. Can those of us that little bit older, jaded and faded by the rigours of daily life recall the grace of our own passions, the clear knowledge of what’s truly important? Let’s not ignore young people or just use them cynically when it’s beneficial to promote an image, then denounce them as idealistic or shallow when it doesn’t suit. And we can all help.

Zach is inspired by nature locally most of all, last year he became the North York Moors young ranger of the year. He talks about the importance of us being aware of the impact we can have locally and how we can get so much out of it.

It’s time to recognize the potential we all have, whatever generation we belong to. It’s time to get focused and take responsibility for our actions. As an ethical duty to each other as well as to future generations, not as the latest fashion statement or fad. It’s time to work together, not because it’s a nice sound bite but because we need to, because we’re all human and because it’s self-preservation.

As Zach says. ” It would be great if everyone that reads this could take an action to help wildlife. Why not sow some wildflowers in your garden and go pesticide free to help out pollinators? Put up a bird box. Plant a tree if you have the space. Avoid single use plastic and clear up litter where you see it to stop plastics polluting the ocean more. Write to your MP too. It might be to stop street trees being cut down, or to ask for more to be planted, or perhaps you want protection for a green space you love. Write on any green issue and tell them that you want to see more urgent action on climate change so that they know that there are lots of people that want to see more done to help reverse our impact on the planet.”

Human beings are the only animals capable of reflecting, of going deeper, of questioning how we live our lives and the harm it causes. We can choose to live an ethical life that respects all. At the same time to prevent burnout and cynicism, we need to take the time to see the beauty and joy in life that’s also there as well as the dark side. As someone entering middle age, I feel starkly aware of all these opposing ways of being and have experienced their tug of war in full technicolour. The voices of our young activists are a clear call for the older generation, a call to grow up. Really grow up and face the music.  We need to be both emotionally and materially sustainable. That is part of the challenge.

There’s nothing new here that hasn’t been said before, but there’s a lot that hasn’t been done before. Now is the time to act. It’s not only Greta and Zach’s dedication and focus that is an inspiration but the delight, wonder and pleasure they take in nature. It’s this combination that touches me profoundly. I stand in the middle of my life, neither old nor young, in the middle of hope and despair, on this unique, jewel of a living planet, with all its miraculous diverse inhabitants. Surely this is something worth waking up for? To save the world, we must save ourselves. To save ourselves we must save the world.

Written by volunteer content creator Gurnam Bubber. Illustrations by Victoria Alessandrini - check out her portfolio here.