“Everyday Climate Champions” Podcast Episode 8: “Climate Conversations with Kids & Adults”
Written by Mina Rios
Learn more about Climate Reality Bay Area’s podcast, Everyday Climate Champions here.
“The sooner kids learn about the state of the planet and realize their critical role in preserving the health of the planet, the sooner they will start to take action. And this is why we believe it's never too early to talk to kids about climate change.”
Listen to Episode 8: here
Transcript: here
Guests: Anu Ramamurty and Marcia Pugsley of Kat Kid Adventure
Host: Dalya Massachi
Summary:
While we know that talking about the climate crisis can lead to action, it can be a tough topic to bring up with family and friends. We get tips from Anu Ramamurty, founder of Kat Kid Adventure, an organization educating young children about the climate. We also hear from Marcia Pugsley, a retired clinical social worker and grandmother who is also involved. Learn how to have fun, meaningful climate conversations with the children and adults in your life. This is a special double-length podcast episode (to celebrate Earth Month).
Why This Matters:
Many parents of children ages 4-10 tend to leave their kids out of climate crisis discussions, due to fear of causing anxiety. Some parents avoid the topic because they are overwhelmed by the amount of climate information and find it difficult to keep up.
But avoiding climate-related discussions is a disservice to children and can give them false hope. Discussing the facts with children acknowledges that they’re going to see what’s happening on television or hear about issues from their peers. Simple actions that people can discuss and experience lead to social change, helping to normalize talking about climate and taking climate action.
Climate conversations with kids should begin in elementary school. Kids have an inherent love and appreciation of nature, enabling them to easily adopt responsible eco-behaviors. A Brown University study shows that habits and routines take root in children by age 9.
Key Takeaways
While kids learn from their parents, they also have significant influence over their parents. A 2019 study in Nature Magazine says children are one of the biggest influences in fostering behavior change among their parents, including raising concerns about climate change.
Kat Kid Adventure helps instill planet-friendly eco-habits that teach children how to become mindful citizens of the earth. Parents at Kat Kid Adventure practice composting at home and habitually use reusable bags because their kids have asked them to do so. These exercises help introduce youth to climate topics for further discussion.
Kat Kid Adventure provides online and in-person Climate Chat workshops with guidelines and examples on having meaningful intergenerational conversations about climate. Workshops use the acronym ECO-CHAT, outlining 7 principles for having a healthy climate conversation. Conversations can be with your neighbor, your child, or anyone in your community. Progress, not perfection, is the objective.
E stands for: Enjoy the chat. A successful Climate Chat leaves everyone involved feeling positive and eager to repeat the conversation.
C: Connect with your child or partner. Find commonalities. Finding common values, things you each care about, will help build trust.
O: Offer to chat again or Open door policy. Staying connected, keeping the channels of communication open for further discussion sets the stage for next time.
C: Celebrate actions, big or small. All actions are important (e.g., riding a bike, using a reusable bag, or swapping clothes with someone).
H: Honesty, the best policy. It’s okay to not have all the facts. Offer to look it up.
A: Ask questions and listen to your partner. Listening carefully as well as sharing aloud is how to learn how much they know and what’s important to them.
T: Tell your story. Share why you started caring about climate change and what actions you’re taking now. Learning about how other people do things helps children understand and feel safer about their future.
Climate Chats with younger children don't require facts alone. Stories that are fun and demonstrate empathy, courage, and imagination are most effective.
Pugsley had a conversation with a neighbor at her senior community. Using a water-based paint for painting was their shared hobby and they discussed how to reduce the amount of fresh water they use while painting. Both people learned something new and had an energizing conversation in the process.
The senior community has a Climate Action Committee and family and friends of the seniors often get involved through small actions, such as sharing conservation ideas, conserving fabric when sewing, avoiding straws during No Straw Month, and replacing lawns with local native plants to conserve water. When one neighbor takes action on climate change, others follow, and the impact continues.
Providing alternatives is also important. Eating ice cream is one example Kat Kid Adventure uses. They recommend asking for a cone instead of a plastic cup and spoon. Replace old behaviors with new ones. Reuse, recycle, and refuse products that harm the environment.
Other suggestions:
Let kids share their solutions. Ask them how they would repack their lunchbox more sustainably. The goal is to give kids strategies to make better decisions.
Encourage children to think about how they can reuse something before discarding it. One example: use a takeout container as a storage box for Legos.
Having regular Climate Chats help assure there's a safe space to ask questions. Periodically adding new information also helps people adapt. Find moments in your routine and refine over time, then repeat.
How to Take Action
To get involved in a Climate Chat workshop or learn how to host your own chat using the ECO-CHAT principles, contact Anu Ramamurty at KatKidAdventure.com.
KatKidAdventure offers a biweekly newsletter, curated in bite-size pieces with conversation starters, easy-to-follow suggestions, and inspiring stories of kids and families taking action around the world.
Visit the Kat Kid Adventure’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram social media pages. Each platform showcases how kids are taking action, demonstrating to other parents how their kids can get involved.
Related Websites:
Kat Kid Adventure: https://www.katkidadventure.com
“Why the under 10s need to be part of the conversation on climate”: https://climatechampions.unfccc.int/why-the-under-10s-need-to-be-part-of-the-conversation-on-climate/ : Article by Anu Ramamurty on why to talk climate with kids
Climate literacy resources: https://www.sierraclub.org/sfbay/climate-literacy (compilation of resources on climate education in local school districts) and https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB285 (the California State bill)
Studies mentioned in this episode: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-019-0463-3, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/school-thought/201502/study-finds-habits-in-children-take-root-age-9, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201207142306.htm : Recent reports on studies in Nature Magazine, Brown University, and the University of Bath (respectively)
Blueview shoes: https://today.ucsd.edu/story/sustainable-sneakers-uc-san-diego-scientists-create-the-worlds-first-biodegradable-shoe - Info on the compostable sneakers mentioned by Marcia Pugsley in the episode
Contact Us: Do you know a Bay Area-based Everyday Climate Champion? We’d love to interview them! Or just want to share a comment or hear about new episodes?
Get in touch: crba.eccpodcast@gmail.com
Get notified of new episodes HERE
Podcast Production Team: Executive Producer: Dalya Massachi; Sound Designers: Kayla Anchell, Trevor Skerbe; Co-Hosts/Researchers: George Dy, Ellisa Feinstein, Isabella Genereaux, Sean Mendelson, Hasini Parepalli, Lex Schrader, Alex Williams; Logo Designer: Gabriela Vargas