BBC 6分钟英语 儿童与气候变化

From BBC learning english com. Hello.

This is six minute English from BBC Learning English.

I'm Neil, and I'm Beth.

Many of those leading the fight against climate change are young people who feel betrayed by politicians and adults.

In survey after

survey, children report feeling that they have no future, that humanity is doomed, and that governments are failing to act.

This is causing many young people to feel worried about the state of the planet.

There's even a name for it climate anxiety.

And it's also creating conflict between adults and children in families and schools.

What's certain is that a solution to the climate emergency needs the cooperation of everyone, both old and young.

So can talking honestly about the climate help mend the divisions between generations?

That's what will be discussing in this program, along with some useful new vocabulary.

But 1st, I have a question for you, neil.

Many young peoples hopes and fears about climate change are symbolized by the Swedish activist Gretta Tumberg.

These days, gretta travels the world speaking about the climate emergency.

But her protests started much smaller in her hometown, stockholm.

So how did gretteumberg's climate activism begin?

Did she a plant trees in her school garden?

B skip school on Fridays, or C recycle her school's plastic waste?

M-I think grated Tumberg went on strike and skipped school on Fridays.

OK, neil, I will reveal the correct answer later in the program.

One recent survey showed that three quarters or more of young people in the UK feel the future is frightening.

Here Amy, aged 14 and Milly Eleven share some of their fears with BBC.

Ideas. If climate change were like an animal or plant, I think it be some sort of parasite, because it's the only thing that's actually growing and getting bigger, while everything else starts dying off.

I think climate changes like really scary, and the fact that lots of people aren't doing much about it just so freaks me out.

The environment is definitely very special, because if we get rid of it, there's nowhere else we can go.

Like it's a very one in a million sort of planet.

Emmy calls climate change a parasite.

In the natural world, a parasite is an animal or plant that lives on another living thing and feeds from it.

If you describe a person as a parasite, you mean they are lazy and live off other peoples supporting them or giving the money likewise.

Imy thinks climate change is sucking the goodness out of the planet, and she uses a slang idiom to describe her feelings.

It freaks me out. If something freaks you out, it makes you become very emotional, upset or confused.

Milly agrees. What freaks her out is that governments don't seem to be doing it much about the problem.

It's not as if we can escape anywhere.

Humankind only has one home planet, earth.

Milly calls Earth one in a million, meaning very special or rare.

So what can be done? Psychotherapist Caroline Hickman has visited ten countries around the world, talking to over 100000 teenagers about their climate fears.

They told her about paren'ts ignoring them when they wanted to discuss their feelings, and adults telling them, fixing the planet is your job.

Now Here, she gives BBC ideas some advice on discussing climate change with children.

My advice to adults, paren'ts, teachers, is, do not put it off.

Don't push it away. Don't save it up, and just have that big conversation.

Talk about it regularly. That's crucial.

And it's okay for you to say to your children, I don't have all the answers.

We're not sure exactly how to deal with all of this, but let's find out together.

Parallels. Top tip is to discuss the climate crisis regularly, to talk with children about their climate fears, and not put it off, not delay talking about it until later.

Caroline also advises paren'ts not to push it away, to choose to forget about or ignore the subject.

A better response is to tell kids honestly, we don't have all the answers, but by sharing ideas, we can work things out together.

A more hopeful message, and one that shared by climate champion Grettertenberg.

Yes, and it's time to reveal the answer to my question How did grettatonbug's climate activism begin?

Neal I said it was by skipping school on Fridays, which was the correct answer.

Gretta started her school strike for climates in august 2018, before it was taken up by over 1.6 million

school children from 125 countries around the world.

OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned from this program, starting with climate anxiety.

Feeling worried, afraid or

depressed because of climate change? A parasite is an animal or plant that feeds off another living thing.

If something makes you feel very emotional or upset, you might say, it freaks me out.

The idiom one in a million describes something which is extremely special, rare or unlikely.

And finally, two frasal verbs to finish with to put something off, which means to delay doing it till later, and to push something away, which means to decide to forget about or ignore it.

Once again, our 6 min are up, but remember to join us again soon for more trending topics and useful vocabulary here at 6 min English.

Goodbye for now. Goodbye 6 min English from BBC Learning English dot com.

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