Somewhere along the line, our students have been taught that because of climate change, the world is going to end before they reach a ripe old age. Somehow the idea that the earth’s climate goes through cycles is not mentioned. Also not mentioned is the fact that in the past the earth’s climate has changed drastically, and we are still here. Remember, they have found plant fossils deep under the ice in Greenland. Aside from the destruction of the scientific method, what our children are being taught also has real-world consequences.<\/p>\n
Marketwatch<\/a> posted an article yesterday with the following headline, “Young people blame climate change for their small 401(k) balances.”<\/p>\n The article reports:<\/p>\n Lori Rodriguez, a 27-year-old communications professional in New York City, is not saving for retirement, and it isn\u2019t necessarily because she can\u2019t afford to \u2014 it\u2019s because she doesn\u2019t expect it to matter.<\/strong><\/p>\n Like many people her age, Rodriguez believes climate change will have catastrophic effects on our planet. Some 88% of millennials \u2014 a higher percentage than any other age group \u2014 accept that climate change is happening, and 69% say it will impact them<\/a> in their lifetimes. Engulfed in a constant barrage of depressing news stories, many young people are skeptical about saving for an uncertain future.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI want to hope for the best and plan for a future that is stable and secure, but, when I look at current events and at the world we are predicting, I do not see how things could not be chaotic in 50 years,\u201d Rodriguez says. \u201cThe weather systems are already off, and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s hyperbolic to be a little apocalyptic.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s a fairly safe bet that Social Security will not exist by the time she is old enough to retire, so if the world chooses not to end before then, she will be up a creek without a paddle.<\/p>\n The article lists other consequences of what our children are taught regarding climate change:<\/p>\n Mental-health issues affecting young adults and adolescents in the U.S. have increased significantly in the past decade, a study published in March in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology found. The number of individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 reporting symptoms of major depression increased 52%<\/a> from 2005 to 2017, while older adults did not experience any increase in psychological stress at this time, and some age groups even saw decreases. Study author Jean Twenge says this may be attributed to the increased use of digital media, which has changed modes of interaction enough to impact social lives and communication. Millennials are also said to suffer from \u201ceco-anxiety,\u201d according to a 2018 report from the American Psychological Association<\/a>, with 72% saying their emotional well-being is affected by the inevitability of climate change, compared with just 57% of people over the age of 45.<\/strong><\/p>\n The article concludes:<\/p>\n Similarly, Rodriguez said that, even without the threat of climate change, she likely couldn\u2019t afford to save for retirement \u2014 and might not need to. Because she comes from a Latina family, she says culturally it is expected she would move in with family in old age and not have to pay as much in retirement costs.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cBoth of my parents are immigrants. I did not grow up in a culture of professionalism. I graduated with thousands in student loans \u2014 I have never made enough money to save for the future,\u201d she says.<\/strong><\/p>\n Although she does not save money for retirement, Rodriguez does take action for the future: she\u2019s taught herself to garden (\u201cin case of a total collapse of the food system,\u201d she says) and invests in learning hands-on skills like mechanics and bike repair.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of my own version of retirement,\u201d she says.<\/strong><\/p>\n Erin Lowry, author of \u201cBroke Millennial Takes On Investing,\u201d recommends preparing for retirement no matter what you believe will happen, referencing the Y2K phenomenon, when some people sold their belongings and made other rash choices in the belief that the world would end with the dawn of the year 2000<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cEven if you have a defeatist mind-set about the future of the planet, it\u2019s better to prepare as though you, and the planet, will survive into your retirement years because the alternative is also bleak,\u201d she said. \u201cFailing to properly plan for a future means guaranteeing yourself a more difficult life.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The baby boomers survived hiding under their desks in case of nuclear attack and the Vietnam war. We grew up to be tough old birds (with a few exceptions). I don’t think the problem here is the teaching on climate change–I think the problem is raising children without the moral foundation our country was built on. I also think parents need to let their children fail occasionally. Everyone shouldn’t get a trophy.<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Somewhere along the line, our students have been taught that because of climate change, the world is going to end before they reach a ripe old age. Somehow the idea that the earth’s climate goes through cycles is not mentioned. … Continue reading