The parallel universes of climate change protest

The protest to ‘save the planet’ is far more challenging than earlier protests, because the protestors are also protesting against themselves, against themselves eating beef or using single-use plastic or flying to a wedding on the other side of the globe

Children at a climate change protest in Dublin. Pic: Rollingnews.ie

The challenge of climate change has produced two parallel universes populated largely by the same group of people. One is the plastic-free, low carbon, new fuel green one that they are out protesting and creating hashtags for and the other is the real world where plastic, diesel, gas heating and beef are the staples – their staples.

Protesting is important, but traditionally people protested to persuade those in power to change their minds. ...